Better laws for farmers

“There will be quality law-making. We’ll be doing a cost/benefit analysis of every policy and if it doesn’t bring any benefit to farmers, we won’t support it,” he told Rural News.

Cameron says that in his new role he would also be asking challenging questions and holding the executive to account.

The Northland dairy farmer, a second-term ACT MP, is no stranger to the committee. In the previous Parliament he had served as a committee member.

Other members of the new committee are deputy chair Miles Anderson, along with Suze Redmayne and Catherine Wedd from National, Jo Luxton and Cushla Tangaere-Manuel from Labour and Steve Abel from the Greens.

Cameron’s appointment gives ACT its second high profile parliamentary role in the agriculture sector.

First-term ACT MP and former Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard is Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Food Safety, Associate Minister of Agriculture (Animal Welfare, Skills) and Associate Minister for the Environment under ACT’s coalition deal with National.

The party says, between Hoggard and Cameron, it is wellplaced to ensure rural New Zealand has a strong voice both inside and outside the executive.

The new Parliament has a record number of farmers, most elected on the National ticket.

Cameron says he’s thrilled to see more rural sector representatives in Parliament and it augurs well for the rural sector as they will have a greater say in the decision-making process.

“In the previous Parliament, we spent more time explaining ideas rather than debating issues,” he says.

“With more farmers involved in the select committee, the rural sector will have a bigger say in the process moving forward. This will ensure more feasible outcomes for farmers.”

Cameron, who has been a dairy farmer for 30 years, says they will work together to help farmers rather than hinder them.