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OPINION: National's new leader Christopher Luxon’s first speech after his elevation to the top job included one important line about the engine of the economy: “Our provincial heartland feels taken for granted. Our farmers are not villains!” he told the press gallery.
Perhaps an indication that the plight of the rural sector and farmers will be top of mind as Luxon tries to restore National’s fortunes and wrestle power away from Jacinda Ardern.
After all, a good chunk of the 400,000 ex-National voters he alluded to in his speech would be made up of rural dwellers.
Getting them back into the fold would be crucial to Luxon scoring the keys to Premier House in 2022.
OPINION: Groundswell's opinion of the incumbent farm industry representatives isn't high.
OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.
I think it's going to greatly weaken National at the election. That's the view of a former senior National MP on the recent attempted coup against Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
OPINION: After hogging the media limelight for telling a NZ Chinese MP to "go back home", Winston Peters has decided to focus on a domestic issue - oil and gas drilling.
Farms across the upper North Island are trialling different pasture mixes as part of a research programme that aims to build greater resilience into farming systems.
Election years are always a concerning time for farmers, according to DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are coming to the West Coast of the South Island.
Most dairy regions around the country have had a pretty good season so far says Tracy Brown.
Rural leader Mark Hooper has been appointed as an independent director to the NZPork board, bringing extensive farming, governance and advocacy experience to the role.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.
