Crazy
OPINION: Your canine crusader was truly impressed by the almost unanimous support given by politicians of all stripes in Parliament to the recent passing of legislation for the NZ/EU free trade deal.
In a new policy announcement made this morning, the ACT Party says rural regulations will be the first to hit the chopping block if the party is elected.
According to party leader David Seymour, who announced the policy from a farm in Rotoorangi in the Waikato, the primary sector would be one of the first four sectors to undergo what he calls a ‘red tape review’ by a new Minister and Ministry of Regulation.
“New Zealand’s biggest export industry is tied up in endless red tape,” says Seymour. “If we want New Zealand to have a prosperous future and a productive economy, we need to let farmers get back to what they do best.”
Already set for the chopping block if ACT is elected, Seymour says, are the following:
“There has been an avalanche of red tape and regulation on farmers. These are just the big ticket items, every farmer we’ve spoken to seems to have a fresh example of a new compliance course or form of paperwork they’re having to complete to keep the Government happy,” says Seymour.
He says ACT would task its Ministry of Regulation with working with the rural sector and understanding the burdens farmers face from different regulations.
“Many of the regulations that farmers need to comply with are designed to achieve similar objectives and should be simplified to avoid wasted effort. Other regulations were obviously written by Wellington bureaucrats who have probably never worn gumboots in their life,” he says.
“Farmers need real change,” he says.
“Farmers in countries who are our biggest trading partners are not paying a price for their methane emissions,” says Seymour. “Under ACT, New Zealand farmers wouldn’t either.”
“If we set more aggressive targets than other countries, it will not only harm the economy but also force activity to less efficient jurisdictions, increasing global emissions,” he says.
“ACT wants to see the rural sector given the respect it deserves. That means letting farmers get on with what they do best.”
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
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