Wednesday, 27 March 2019 10:15

Neutered?

Written by 

When in Opposition, ‘Winston First’ used to enjoy standing on the sidelines criticising the sale of New Zealand companies to Chinese interests.

However, now that Peters’ party is in government it is forced to curb its ‘look-at-us’ xenophobia. 

As political commentator Richard Harman says on his website politik.co.nz, “NZ First looks powerless to stop the takeover by Chinese dairy company Yili of the troubled Westland Co-op Dairy Company. They will have to stand back and let the independent Overseas Investment Office decide whether to approve the purchase [of Westland by Yili].”

When Shanghai Maling bought 50% of Silver Fern Farms in 2016 Peters kicked up merry hell, frothing at the mouth about foreign ownership, inciting the usual chorus of anti-Chinese sentiment from certain quarters.

Harman notes Peters’ response to the Westland deal is more... muted: “Peters said Westland shareholders were entitled to sell their assets to ‘who they might’.”

More like this

Drunk on power!

OPINION: The end-of-year booze-up at the posh Northern Club in Auckland must have been a beauty, as the legal 'elite' let their hair down and showed us how entitled and political some in the judiciary really are.

Wrong, again!

OPINION: This old mutt well remembers the wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth by former West Coast MP and Labour Agriculture Minister Damian O’Connor when Chineseowned Yili took over the troubled dairy company Westland Milk a few years back.

Govt praised for handling of China over cyber attacks

One of the country's leading experts on China has praised the NZ Government for its handling of the recent incident with China over that country's cyber attack on two of our parliamentary institutions in 2021.

Featured

Being a rural vet is ‘fantastic’

Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA) awards.

Editorial: Long overdue!

OPINION: The Government's latest move to make freshwater farm plans more practical and affordable is welcome, and long overdue.

National

Lame stories from a country vet

Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s…

Machinery & Products

Gongs for best field days site

Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive…

Amazone extends hoe range

With many European manufacturers releasing mechanical weeding systems to counter the backlash around the use and possible banning of agrochemicals,…

Gong for NH dealers

New Holland dealers from around Australia and New Zealand came together last month for the Dealer of the Year Awards,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Less hot air

OPINION: Farmers won't get any credit for this from the daily media, so Milking It is giving the bouquets where…

Dollars go offshore

OPINION: The Advertising Standards Authority’s 2024 report revealed that not only is social media rotting our brains, it is also…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter