Wednesday, 20 October 2021 15:30

Flag it!

Written by The Hound

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

OPINION: Agriculture and Trade Minister Damien O'Connor tried to keep his latest overseas jaunt secret squirrel.

He took off to the US and Europe earlier this month in a desperate bid to try in breathe some life into the proposed, but faltering, free trade deals with both the UK and the EU.

However, instead of the usual month-or-so notice of his planned trip, O'Connor was planning to sneak out of NZ before letting anyone know.

Unfortunately, his covert plans were busted by a US diplomat who posted news of the trip on social media, which led O'Connor and his lackeys to hastily announce the trip.

In fact, it was so secret it appears that even those he was meeting with seemed to not know where he is from - with one photo showing O'Connor meeting with his French counterpart Franck Riester in Paris, posing next to an Australian flag.

More like this

Leaky waka

OPINION: Was the ASB Economic Weekly throwing shade on Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr when reporting on his speech in Washington recently?

Know-it-alls

OPINION: A reader recently had a shot at the various armchair critics that she judged to be more than a bit preachy, telling sheep farmers how they "must learn" and "embrace change" and various other platitudes that armchair critics bandy about on LinkedIn and on the speaker circuit in 'NZ agbiz'.

Mixed legacy

OPINION: You're never as good as when you're dead, and with due respect to Theo Spierings' family, the Hound can't let the death of the former Fonterra CEO pass without mentioning the parlous state he left Fonterra in when he exited in 2018 - having pocketed well north of $30 million over seven years.

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.

'Mea culpa'

OPINION: The Reserve Bank’s rate cut is great news, albeit a bit late, but your old mate agrees with Act leader David Seymour that the cut – with more to come – is a “multi-billion dollar mea culpa” by the RBNZ.

Featured

Better animal genetic gain system

A governance group has been formed, following extensive sector consultation, to implement the recommendations from the Industry Working Group's (IWG) final report and is said to be forming a 'road map' for improving New Zealand's animal genetic gain system.

Managing risk for sharemilkers, contract milkers

Free workshops focused on managing risk in sharefarming got underway last week.

SIDE 2025's new schedule, venue

Annual farmer gathering, the South Island Dairy Event (SIDE), is set to make history as it heads to Timaru for the first time.

Taranaki piggery goes solar

Installing 400 solar panels at their Taranaki piggery and cropping operation will have significant environmental, financial and animal welfare benefits for the Stanley family.

Wool processor partners with community for swimming pool project

WoolWorks, New Zealand’s largest wool-scouring company, has partnered with the Lions Club of Riverton to help raise money for much-needed repairs to the Southland town’s swimming pool.

Editorial: Keep FTAs coming

OPINION: The dairy industry will be a major beneficiary of a new free trade deal between NZ and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).

National

Forestry cuts into stock numbers

There is an urgent need for the Government to put a limit on the sale of farms for forestry -…

National catchment advocacy group elects first chair

A North Canterbury farmer has been elected as the first chair of Aotearoa New Zealand Catchment Communities (ANZCC).

New tricks from food science at international conference

Can discarded beef skins become premium dog food? Would camel milk work for your morning flat white? These are just…

Food charity to hold online auction

Meat the Need, New Zealand’s dedicated charity delivering locally sourced protein meals to food-insecure communities, is launching an online National…