Tuesday, 11 April 2023 14:59

Farmer power!

Written by The Hound

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

OPINION: Your old mate notes that the Dutch Pro-Farmer Party recently swept the elections in the country, very much upsetting the status quo.

The surprise victory is widely seen as a protest vote against Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government and some of his policies, including a goal to slash nitrogen emissions.

The Farmer Citizen Movement - known by its Dutch acronym BBB - won 15 seats in the 75-seat upper house of the Dutch national parliament, level with the bloc formed by left-of-centre Labour and Green parties.

This will now compound problems for Rutte in his attempts to drastically slash pollution from the country's agriculture, industry and transport sectors to protect vulnerable natural habitats.

The BBB's electoral success underscore a deep-rooted resentment of mainstream politics in The Netherlands that spreads far beyond the party's farming power base.

Perhaps NZ politicians should take note!

More like this

Dark ages

OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought it wise to run the numbers through the old Casio.

Rhymes with?

OPINION: The Feds' latest banking survey shows that bankers are even less popular with farmers than they used to be, despite falling interest rates, and the report still paints a damning picture of rural lending.

Waste not

OPINION: Judith Collins, Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, has upset the more woke members of the science community by announcing a regulation change to narrow the scope of the $83.5 million/year Marsden Fund.

Middle finger

OPINION: Kainga Ora's decision to categorically rule out use of woollen carpets in social housing is a total slap in the face for struggling Kiwi sheep farmers.

Loud noises!

OPINION: One of the strongest arguments for Act’s Treaty Principles Bill is probably its opponents’ total inability to raise a calm, cogent retort to it, other than intimidation and shouting the other side into silence.

Featured

A challenging year but better days are coming

For the primary sector, 2024 would go down as one of the toughest years on record. Peter Burke reports.

New funds give Southland catchment projects a boost

Environment Southland says it has now ring-fenced $375,000 for new funding initiatives, aimed at enhancing water quality.

NZ National Lamb Day names FMG and Rabobank as 2025 partners

National Lamb Day, the annual celebration honouring New Zealand’s history of lamb production, could see a boost in 2025 as rural insurer FMG and Rabobank sign on as principal partners.

'Female warriors' to talk ag sector opportunities

The East Coast Farming Expo is playing host to a quad of ‘female warriors’ (wahine toa) who will give an in-depth insight into the opportunities and successes the primary industries offer women.

New Zealand Food Safety shares food safety tips

New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is sharing simple food safety tips for Kiwis to follow over the summer.

Dairy-beef offering potential for savings

Beef produced from cattle from New Zealand's dairy sector could provide reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of up to 48, compared to the average for beef cattle, a new study by AgResearch has found.