Junket?
OPINION: The Hound notes that the Taxpayers’ Union recently revealed that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) spent more than $125,000 for its presence at this year’s Mystery Creek Fieldays.
The Hound is picking up a lot of negative feedback around the traps about the arrogant stance of National Fieldays organisers.
It’s obvious, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the cancellation of mass gatherings, a big event like Fieldays (due to be held in June) seems a remote, if not impossible, prospect of taking place.
However, despite this Fieldays is deliberately procrastinating about refunding those customers who have already forked out huge fees for this year’s event.
It is also putting heat on those exhibitors who have not paid yet – telling them to pay up now or miss out on securing a site for the 2021 event.
Compare this with Central Districts Field days, which had to cancel its event with less than one week’s notice yet still refunded 100% of exhibitor site fees immediately.
Surely, in these troubled times National Fieldays should be doing the right thing and refunding its exhibitors.
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Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
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One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.