Political Points
OPINION: Staying on Plan Change 1, NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones took to social media to gain some political points.
OPINION: Shane 'Matua' Jones, crusader against all things woke, including "woke banks", couldn't have scripted it better when his NZ First colleague Andy Foster had his Members' Bill drawn from the ballot recently.
The Bill, it is hoped, will stop lenders from unfairly debanking legitimate businesses and industries (such as petrol stations) on ideological grounds.
As Feds' banking spokesperson Richard McIntyre says, "Banks have been under huge pressure recently for some of their more unpalatable lending pressures. This Bill [will] add to that scrutiny and shine a white-hot light on big banks that have been forcing their ideological views down the throats of New Zealanders".
While not their Bill, the Feds are claiming this as a moral victory for them.
Fair enough too, they've been vocal critics of the banking sector in recent years and helped get the select committee inquiry currently underway.
OPINION: Farmers are being put on notice by the Green Party.
As dairy farmers lock in plans for the upcoming mating season, a partnership between Fonterra and Silver Fern Farms has been formed with the aim of making it simpler to create additional value from calves not entering the replacement herd.
Farmers can now get a more reliable view of pasture covers across their farm, thanks to a combination of three data sources.
A warning to dairy farmers not to expect the same good conditions that they experienced last season, has been issued by a leading farm consultant.
South Waikato farmer Bas Nelis is always interested in fine-tuning his business to improve results.
On a farm in Tikorangi, North Taranaki, Brent Stevenson is sharemilking 1,400 cows.

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OPINION: A nation that relies as heavily as NZ does on functional global shipping lanes will have to do its…