Friday, 11 October 2019 10:38

Angry pills?

Written by  The Hound

A mate of the Hound attended the huge meeting in Timaru, last month, on the Government’s proposed freshwater reforms. Hundreds of anxious farmers turned up to hear officials – as well as Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Environment Minister David Parker – discuss the topic.

He says meeting attendees were urged by the facilitator, Wairarapa sheep and beef farmer David Nelson, to be respectful and courteous and he says they were.

But our observer reckons both Parker and O’Connor seemed to have missed this memo and were, more often than not, antagonistic and dismissive of many of the questions and concerns raised from the floor.

He is unsure of exactly what the ministers were on that night but suggests that in future they both cut down on ‘angry pills’ before they attend any future farmer meetings.

More like this

Dead in the water

OPINION: In a victory for common sense over virtue signalling, David Parker's National Policy Statement (NPS) work on freshwater is now dead in the water.

Standing up for rural people

Primary production select committee chair and ACT MP Mark Cameron recently contributed to the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill - Second Reading in Parliament. Here are excerpts from his speech:

Featured

Nichol is new PGW chair

A day after the ouster of PGG Wrightson’s chair and his deputy, the listed rural trader’s board has appointed John Nichol as the new independent chair.

Fieldays to rebuild Mystery Creek services building

The iconic services building at National Fieldays' Mystery Creek site will be demolished to make way for a "contemporary replacement that better serves the needs of both the community and event organisers," says board chair Jenni Vernon.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Quid prod quo?

OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…

Deadwood

OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter