Shane Ardern (back in 2003), talking to the press after driving Myrtle the tractor up the steps of parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Former National Party MP for Taranaki-King Country Shane Ardern is no fan of MMP or the election result. This could prove awkward at family gatherings as he's also Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's distant cousin.
Shane is perhaps most famous for driving Myrtle the tractor up the steps of Parliament in
2003 as a protest against the proposed "Fart Tax." The Country's Jamie Mackay wonders if agriculture being introduced into the Emissions Trading Scheme could spur Ardern into revving Myrtle up again?
Ardern is unhappy with MMP, saying it has become "totally non-democratic" and the current government is a "coalition of the losers."
Also in today's interview: Shane talks about how MMP is bad for rural New Zealand and what a centre-left government means for farming.
Listen to the full interview in the Soundcloud embed below:
