According to him, National is allowing “public rivers and estuaries to be spoiled by nutrient and faecal contaminants from agriculture….” It read like something from Fish and Game.
Labour’s big idea seems to be to tax farming into the sunset. That will see our costs explode but consumers will ultimately foot the bill. That’s not all. Instead of giving more money to DOC to save kiwi, they’re going to save lawyers by toughening up the RMA and DOC’s advocacy role.
The attack on water storage is odd when the climate boffins say New Zealand isn’t doing enough to adapt to climate change. In tandem with the world’s toughest emissions trading scheme, Labour is going to scrap public support of irrigation.
Meanwhile, Labour will introduce a resource rental tax on water but only that used by agriculture. Seen alongside a capital gains tax – targeting farms – this all gives the impression Labour wants to tax us into the sunset.
The sting in the tail means the price of food will skyrocket but I bet Labour has a KiwiFarm policy up its sleeve. It will have collectivised state farms producing cheap bountiful food for the masses to be sold in nationalised KiwiSupermarkets. I think the Soviets tried that but it didn’t end up too flash.
Parker says we have great opportunities in clean energy. He talks about LanzaTech but misses the point that they left New Zealand because of tight regulations. Hydro must also be an ‘in’ joke given the last aborted attempt and Labour will tighten the RMA further. Meanwhile, any industry is welcome so long as it doesn’t emit a puff of greenhouse gas.
Labour’s clichéd view of farming worries me. At the recent New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, the only MP present was Nathan Guy. The no-show by any opposition MP surprised and disappointed me. One person suggested this may have been “because the tickets weren’t free”.
Politicians’ advisers ought to be urging them, “boss, shouldn’t we go and see?” They ought to be attending such events as the awards and tuning in to the inspiring entrants such as we see at the awards ceremonies. Inaugurated by Federated Farmers, they’ve now been running 25 years.
Charlie and Jody McCaig have gone from being 2011 Taranaki farm management winners to become 2014 New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity farmer of the Year. How about Ruth Hone, who was named Dairy Trainee of the Year and the first ever women to lift that title. She is smart, capable and adaptable and these words sum up our dairy industry. Then you’ve got Nick Bertram (27), who came into dairying with a background in accounting thanks to his teacher dad – but no farming experience. He is 2014 Farm Manager of the Year.
These awards showcased others who’d joined dairying from fields as diverse as professional rugby, engineering and the police. As one in the eye for Kim Dotcom’s party, it included an IT professional too.
• Willy Leferink is Federated Farmers Dairy chairman.
