The protest organised by Andrew McGiven, Waikato Federated Farmers president and dairy farmer Lloyd Downing was described as apolitical, and brought about by repeated conversations over the fence, or at the auction mart. Those conversations centred around the disappointment that farmers were appearing to be blamed for all the environmental problems in New Zealand, and, the degradation of the country’s rivers.
Downing accepted that the expansion of dairying in the past two decades had obviously had an impact on the environment, but over the last few years “farmers had been cleaning up their act”, by excluding cattle from watercourses, planting riparian margins, and reinstating wetlands, to the tune of $1 billion. He also accepted there was still work to be done, which would take a little time, but suggested that if Labour, The Greens or the Maori Party saw fit to introduce punitive taxation measures, “there would be no money left in the pot, and progress would slow, or even come to a stop” He went on to comment “this is a New Zealand problem- not just a farmer problem, and we all need to pull together to sort it out, preferably with a carrot and not a big stick”.
In a similar vein, co-organiser McGiven suggested that the gathering of 500 like minds showed that farmers were becoming increasingly frustrated by the pummelling they were getting from the mainstream media and politicians. He compared it to how the Mexicans must be feeling after being the target of US president Donald Trump. He commented “all we ask is that the wider community sees the work we have been doing, and that we are treated no differently to anyone else”.
Michelle Wilson, Dairy Women’s Network, herself a dairy farmer commented “farming is bloody hard work, and besides the daily chores of animal husbandry had turned into an industry that was becoming increasing micro-managed by local and national government, as new regulations and compliance was introduced. She commented “in general farmers love the land, their livestock and their communities- we don’t need negative dialogue and uninformed drivel from politicians and the urban media”.
While the event was balled as non-political, it didn’t stop the weary battle bus of weary old Winston Peters rolling into town, along with his team of slick-suited lap dogs in tow, along with an ambition to turn the gathering into another lecture by the oldest whinger in town. Discussing “information” that had recently come into his possession suggesting that National had already done a deal with The Maori Party over water ownership, he was largely given short shrift by the crowd. He showed his great skill in dodgy the question when asked by local farmer Scott Smyth of Karapiro “what will you do if you form a coalition with Labour?’…. to be greeted with “look here Dumbo- you will vote National-I can see it in your face”, then going on to ask a TV reporter from the Seven Sharp Show what she even knew about farming, when she asked a similar question.
And of course, after the event, which McGiven noted is not the normal way farmers protest, the body headed off to the local tavern to catch up for a yarn and a couple of cold ones.
