Picking winners?
OPINION: Every time politicians come up with an investment scheme where they're going to have a crack at 'picking winners' with our money, the Hound cringes.
OPINION: The latest travel receipts for MPs are in (April – June 2024).
Running the cutter, we have National on a total of $697,315 - an average of $13,946 for its 50 MPs.
Act spent a modest $103,536 for an average of $9,412 for 11 MPs. NZ First spent a total of $70,566 or $8,820 for eight MPs.
Labour averaged $21,156 for 35 MPs - a total of $740,481.
The Greens are usually big carbon emitters, and this year is no exception.
They spent no less than $284,780 for an average of $17,798 for 16 MPs. Te Pāti Māori spent $188,887 - the highest average of $31,481 for its six MPs.
Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer easily burned the most jet fuel, spending $60,990 – a lot for an MP who is in Opposition and hates oil and gas exploration.
Federated Farmers says it is cautiously welcoming signals from the Government that a major shake-up of local government is on its way.
Ashburton cropping and dairy farmer Matthew Paton has been elected to the board of rural services company, Ruralco.
The global agricultural landscape has entered a new phase where geopolitics – not only traditional market forces – will dictate agricultural trade flows, prices, and production decisions.
National Lamb Day is set to return in 2026 with organisers saying the celebrations will be bigger than ever.
Fonterra has dropped its forecast milk price mid-point by 50c as a surge in global milk production is putting downward pressure on commodity prices.
The chance of a $10-plus milk price for this season appears to be depleting.

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