Friday, 05 June 2015 14:08

Whose side are they on?

Written by Rural News Group

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

Labour is now also putting the putting the boot into the NZ dairy sector. Its trade spokesman David Parker has accused Trade Minister Tim Groser of insulting Canadian diplomats by comparing that country’s dairy industry to the Soviet Union.

But given that the Canadians limit the amount of domestic dairy production, impose huge tariffs on imports and cause a single dairy cow quota to be valued at about $30,000 you can’t blame Groser for his Soviet comparison. Parker, said Groser’s comments had the Canadian Embassy in Washington “bristling at the minister’s counter-productive, undiplomatic sledging.” So is Labour now supportive of the Canadian Government’s dairy policy which locks out competing countries like NZ?

More like this

Picking winners?

OPINION: Every time politicians come up with an investment scheme where they're going to have a crack at 'picking winners' with our money, the Hound cringes.

Wrong focus

OPINION: Your old mate reckons townie Brooke van Velden, the Minister of Workplace (or is it Woke Place) Relations is now showing how underemployed she is as a minister by initiating an investigation into whether young children should be banned from collecting eggs on farms and feeding animals.

Burn the village

OPINION: There's an infamous term coined by a US general during the Vietnam war, specifically in reference to the battle of Ben Tre: "We had to burn the village to save it."

Purist problem

OPINION: The sudden departure of Jim Ward, manager of Molesworth Station for 24 years, highlighted some major dysfunction in the way conservation estate is managed in this country - the biggest problem, as the Hound sees it, being idealogues who harp on about "taonga" and use all means possible to block sensible commercial operations on conservation land.

Drill baby, drill!

OPINION: While the destruction of NZ's oil and gas industry by Jacinda Ardern's band of merry vandals was virtue signalling on a heroic scale - producing no environmental benefit whatsoever - the politician vowing to make that industry whole again, Shane Jones, is not above a bit of virtue signalling of his own.

Featured

PM hints Govt to deliver 46% reduction in farming consents

The Government is set to announce two new acts to replace the contentious Resource Management Act (RMA) with the Prime Minister hinting that consents required by farmers could reduce by 46%.

Leaving Paris Agreement would be a dumb move – PM

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “a really dumb move”.

University of Waikato breaks ground on new medical school

The University of Waikato has broken ground on its new medical school building.

Te Radar celebrates kiwi farming heritage in latest release

Undoubtedly the doyen of rural culture, always with a wry smile, our favourite ginger ninja, Te Radar, in conjunction with his wife Ruth Spencer, has recently released an enchanting, yet educational read centred around rural New Zealand in one hundred objects.

Sheep Measles Spike: Farmers urged to strengthen control measures

Farmers are being urged to keep on top of measures to control Cysticerus ovis - or sheep measles - following a spike in infection rates.

Export delays, weather and global supply pressure hit NZ avocado growers

The avocado industry is facing an extremely challenging season with all parts of the supply chain, especially growers, being warned to prepare for any eventuality.

National

Government approves nationwide recycling scheme for primary sector plastics

Rural recycling scheme Agrecovery is welcoming the Government's approval of regulations for a nationwide rural recycling scheme for agrichemicals and…