Opinion

Saluting 'The Man in the Arena'

OPINION: As I was putting the final touches on my column for last month, the hottest ‘breaking news’ was the Scott Robertson story from New Zealand Rugby.

So, what to do with this succession malarky?

OPINION: She's a bit damp on the East Coast. Hughie can't stop the rain, and the high temps in between weather events has got the flies on the front foot in the animal health stakes.

OPINION: A mate of yours truly reckons rural Manawatu families are the latest to suffer under what he calls the Government's "performative restraint" - penny pinching on needed community stuff while the bureaucrat head count and wasteful spending in Wellington charges on undiminished.

New Order

OPINION: If old Winston Peters thinks building trade relations with new nations, such as India, isn't a necessary investment in our future, he has rocks in his head.

Double Standard

OPINION: The proverbial has really hit the fan in Wellington and exposed a glaring example of a double standard in environmental accountability.

'Altered'

OPINION: Dark suited spin doctors exist to, well, spin, and the nice cuddly progressive types at Greenpeace Aotearoa practice this dark art with the same cynicism as your average corporate giant.

Sewage spill stinks of double standards

OPINION: This month Wellington’s Moa Point wastewater treatment plant failed catastrophically, sending an estimated 70 million litres of untreated sewage straight into the ocean each day.

Return on R&D investment

OPINION: Farmers are the biggest investors in research in New Zealand. Whether through taxes, rates, co-operative company retentions, or industry-body levies… or the time they spend ‘in kind’ working with researchers, or the dollars they invest in start-up companies or their own ideas, the financial commitment is considerable.

A highlight on the regional council’s annual calendar

OPINION: As the Northland Agricultural Field Days celebrates an impressive 40 years, Northland Regional Council (NRC) extends its congratulations to the current and past organising committees for reaching this milestone.

Bulldust!

OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate with the bulldust and empty promises.

No good news?

OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.

Editorial: RMA reforms uproar

OPINION: The euphoria over the Government’s two new bills to replace the broken Resource Management Act is over.

Time and place

OPINION: First on the scene after the recent devastating storms in parts of the North Island were emergency services and selfless members of the public.

Where is Luxon?

OPINION: Why can't Christopher Luxon stand up to Winston Peters over the latter’s high-profile attack on the proposed Indian FTA?

Farm Succession Planning: Tough conversations every sheep & beef farmer must have

OPINION: After a very good farming year and a few bucks back in the tin, farmers will be remiss not to consider the next steps in life and what that means for their farming business. Sheep and beef farmers are no exception.

Subsidies keeping wind, solar generation viable

OPINION: I recently wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister because at a recent Federated Farmers meeting, Chris Luxon told me wind and solar generation is not subsidised.

New year, fresh start

OPINION: I trust this finds all things well at your place.

Who is Gen Z?

OPINION: It's pretty easy to poke fun at Generation Z.

Realpolitik!

OPINION: Meanwhile, red blooded Northland politician Matua Shane Jones has provided one of the most telling quotes of the year thus far.

The Kiwi way

OPINION: This old mutt has been around for a few years now and it seems these ‘once in 100-year’ weather events are occurring nearly every year.

Editorial: Fireworks or damp squib?

OPINION: November 7 has been set by Christopher Luxon as ‘E day’ – election day.

Green no more?

OPINION: Your old mate has long dismissed the Greens as wooden bicycle enthusiasts with their heads in the clouds, but it looks like the ‘new Greens’ may actually be hard-nosed pragmatists when it comes to following voters.

Too political!

OPINION: After seven years of Adrian Orr’s antics as Reserve Bank NZ governor, the priority of his successor, Anna Breman, surely is rebuilding the tarnished reputation of the RBNZ, not stepping on the Foreign Minister’s toes by commenting on US domestic politics.