Rural Vote Battle Heats Up as Parties Recruit High-Profile Farming Figures
The battle for the rural vote is on and parties are securing high profile names to try and bolster their chances at the general election.
The three farmer groups - Groundswell, NZ Farming, and Methane Science Accord - wrote to political parties two months ago seeking their positions on issues such as the Paris Agreement, the Zero Carbon Act, the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and agricultural emissions pricing.
Centre-Right Parties Express Climate Policy Concerns
Most centre-right and smaller rural-focused parties expressed strong criticism of the policies.
ACT expressed greater support for biotechnology and regulatory reform, while NZ First, the Conservative Party, and NZ Outdoors & Freedom all voiced strong caution or opposition toward GMO liberalisation.
Three political parties - National, the Māori Party and the Green Party - didn't respond.
A spokesperson for the three farming lobby groups, Helen Mandeno, told Rural News that National's lack of engagement "speaks volumes".
There was also broad skepticism among the centre-right parties about taxpayer-funded methane mitigation research and the expansion of gene technology without stronger safeguards or public consent.
By contrast, Labour provided a more cautious and procedural response, saying many positions "remain under development" ahead of the election and referring largely to existing parliamentary material rather than making firm commitments.
A key difference between parties emerged around the degree of climate policy opposition, and attitudes toward gene technology.
Farming Groups Say Aim Is To Inform Rural Voters
Mandeno says their intention has never been to tell New Zealanders how to vote.
"Rather, we want to put direct and specific questions to political parties on issues we believe are fundamentally important to rural New Zealanders and grassroots farmers.
"We deliberately framed our questions to encourage clear and definitive answers. However, as readers will note, some parties still attempted to sidestep direct responses.
"Despite this, we believe voters will still gain valuable insight into how the various political parties view these important issues."
Mandeno says voters can see there is a range of political views on the different rural issues.
"We understand that rural voters prioritise different issues. However, we hope this exercise provides clearer insight into where political parties stand on matters affecting rural New Zealand and the future of farming."
The three farming groups boast their own set of supporters - Groundswell with 90,000 supporters on their email list, NZ Farming has 275,000 followers on their Facebook page, and MSA has 3,100 followers on their Facebook page.
