Kieran McAnulty making the case for agriculture reform.
Sorry about the cut and paste, couldn’t figure out how to link to Facebook.
”Anyone who knows me well knows that I am passionate about the Primary Sector. They know both sides of my family have farmed for generations, and that both my parents continue to work in the sector. They also know that I entered politics in part to work towards sustainable rural communities.
I won’t be joining tomorrow’s protests. The sentiment behind them does not represent the whole sector and undermines the hard work of so many farmers who are keen to get ahead of the curve.
Now is not the time to tread water. Maintaining the status quo or, God forbid, going backwards will not deliver for rural communities.
We are a trading nation. Our prosperity depends on consumers choosing to buy our products. We have leveraged the 100% pure, clean and green image that we have cultivated over decades in order to extract the best price possible for our products.
But we mustn’t assume that demand will continue as is. We have never targeted the cheapest markets – we have always sold to the most discerning customers in the world. They want quality, so they choose our products.
However, markets change. And so too does consumer demand. The markets we are targeting want to know that if they are buying products from the bottom of the globe they can do so with a clear conscience. Consumers want to know their purchases are environmentally sustainable, that they are climate friendly, with high animal welfare standards and that the workers in the industry get a good wage with good conditions.
We have led the world in this. Our farmers are the most efficient producers in the world. But, we aren’t as ahead of the pack as we used to be.
We know there is a lot of change coming. And we know it is tough. We know there is concern about the pace of change. The Government hears that and has shown a willingness to amend things in order to make it work. We will continue to do so.
We don’t agree with those who say it isn’t the Government’s job to lead on this.
If we stop moving forward to address the impacts of climate change, allow further degradation of our fresh water and don’t do more to address animal welfare standards, there is no way we will meet this Government’s goal of working with the sector to achieve a $40b increase in export value.
Because that’s what is at stake. We either get ahead of the curve and reap the benefits, or we slowly fall behind.
We used to debate the ‘why’ – in 2003 the Government proposed a levy to invest in research on reducing methane emissions. That was protested and was scrapped. Now many – including those protesting tomorrow – are calling for such a fund.
The ETS was introduced as a compromise following protests against a carbon tax. Now many are saying the ETS is flawed and a carbon tax would be better.
I’m proud that as a country we have moved on from that. We no longer debate the ‘why’ and have moved on to discussing the ‘how’.
I acknowledge the constructive work of industry bodies like Dairy NZ and Beef and Lamb, and the efforts made by companies like Fonterra. They understand what needs to be done. Yet the group behind tomorrow’s protests have criticised them for it. So many of the farmers I engage with every week are on board with what needs to be done and are getting on with it. My bet is many of them will be disappointed by tomorrow’s protests.
I am disappointed too. Not necessarily because of the issues they are protesting – I discuss those with people every day. I am disappointed because of what I fear it will do. There is truth to the concept of an urban- rural divide. Some in urban areas don’t give enough credence to those farmers that have been doing their bit over many years. And farmers resent them for it. This is not where we need to be as a nation.
So much work goes into trying to bring often urban-based environmental groups and farmers together, encouraging them to learn about each other’s perspectives. It is in meeting and learning where we develop respect for those we don’t really know. And we were making progress.
It is my fear that tomorrow’s protests will undo this good work. It’ll make farmers look stubborn and resistant to change, which on the whole they are not. It’ll make them look like climate change deniers, which most of them aren’t. There will no doubt be someone that does or says something that will hurt the image of the farmers I know, and potentially, it’ll hurt how those overseas view us.
The markets we are trying to enter have much stricter environmental and climate standards than us. They will look at our protests and wonder why we are opposing proposals that aren’t as harsh as those they have in their own countries. These are the very same people in the very same markets we want to sell more of our products to.
So I won’t be joining the protests tomorrow, but I will continue to back the majority of farmers who want the best price for their products, the best for the environment and the best for our country.”
In total agreement with Kieran McAnulty. Especially when he makes the point how our markets are getting more picky about from whom they buy. As an agricultural trading nation, farmers should be wanting to give markets offshore reasons to buy from us, not reasons not to.
On a personal level, I used to be able to catch trout in the Ruamahanga River. Probably not so much now.
The ute tax is avoidable now, you just don’t buy a new ute for a couple of years when there will be alternatives, unfortunately they probably won’t be Toyota.
Think it’ll be a very different picture in a couple of years
Given at least one of the organisers of today's protests was a candidate for the crank Advance NZ party I look forward to seeing Judith being filmed on her tractor with someone waving an anti-vax banner behind her.
With the Groundswell ad inviting; "Bring your tractor, ute, and the dogs", the hopes of the Dunedin supporters for a calm event may be in vain:
{Groundswell co-founder Bryce McKenzie said} "If somebody is angry about what’s happening and they’re thinking about coming on a tractor, we’d ask them not to do that…
Federated Farmers national president Andrew Hoggard said there was a real risk of the agricultural sector being made out to look like "a bunch of fringe nutters".
A big concern was offensive signage being brought to the protests, which would do more harm than good.
Though with the weather today, no one is going to be looking at the signs much except as improvised umbrellas. If you howl in a gale, does it make a sound?
The weather in Dunedin has cleared up a lot since dawn, so the rain is probably most of the way to Chch (& west coast!) by now. At least it's not another cabin feverish school holiday.
Links from mobile not working today, so I will probably ease off commenting until I am back at my laptop. ODT had coverage of event- featuring a one month ultimatum for the government to knuckle under (no specific consequences threatened for not doing so though). Also some minor assault of a counterprotester – but the Octagon has HD cameras everywhere, so it will be interesting to see how that pans out.
dickhead did it in front of an odt camera. Snuck up from a blind spot and snatched it. And another brave man held a profarming sign in front of her face when she was talking to the camera. Looked pleased with himself for being so innovative, too.
"Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will chair the "informal leaders' retreat" over video-conference late Friday night – the first time the Asia Pacific bloc has held such talks ahead of its regular November event. United States President Joe Biden, China President Xi Jinping, and Russia President Vladimir Putin have all confirmed their participation."
Xi & Putin must have gleaned some basis of common interest in the preliminary plan of the teleconference agenda. I applaud the PM's initiative and hope her scheme includes a proactive design – the pandemic thus far seems to have induced mostly reactive responses by nations.
"In a statement issued on Monday, Ardern said she would invite the leaders to discuss "immediate measures to achieve more coordinated regional action to assist recovery". She later told reporters not to expect any significant breakthroughs or announcements out of the discussion."
Yeah, best to minimise expectations. I presume her officials have proposed possible regional co-ordinations and perhaps advance negotiation has prompted similar suggestions from other administrations. Seems history will be made tonight if sufficient common ground is established.
"Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman said it was a "bold initiative" for New Zealand to convene such a meeting and spoke to Ardern's clout on the world stage."
Any player is only as good as their latest performance – in the minds of the audience & other players – so hers tonight will depend on the quality of the thinking and planning involved. Good to see her advancing Aotearoa's leadership capacity anyway.
""She's in quite a strong position to point out to great powers like China and the United States… they need to co-operate more, because the alternative model of rivalry and name-calling has not worked." Patman said he expected Ardern would urge the economies to take a collaborative approach in the face of the global pandemic, in particular regarding vaccines."
He's right to remind us that collaborative endeavour ought to accompany competition between nations. Those in younger generations with a global outlook will be encouraged by a renewal of the balance between the two.
I might do a post on the weekend about this. There are two jaw dropping passages in the article:
“There is a brief psychological assessment of Trump, who is described as an “impulsive, mentally unstable and unbalanced individual who suffers from an inferiority complex”.
There is also apparent confirmation that the Kremlin possesses kompromat, or potentially compromising material, on the future president, collected – the document says – from Trump’s earlier “non-official visits to Russian Federation territory”.
The paper refers to “certain events” that happened during Trump’s trips to Moscow. Security council members are invited to find details in appendix five, at paragraph five, the document states. It is unclear what the appendix contains.
“It is acutely necessary to use all possible force to facilitate his [Trump’s] election to the post of US president,” the paper says.”
And Trump’s response:
“This is disgusting. It’s fake news, just like RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA was fake news. It’s just the Radical Left crazies doing whatever they can to demean everybody on the right.
“It’s fiction, and nobody was tougher on Russia than me, including on the pipeline, and sanctions. At the same time we got along with Russia. Russia respected us, China respected us, Iran respected us, North Korea respected us.
“And the world was a much safer place than it is now with mentally unstable leadership.”
Since Luke Harding's hilarious fiction featuring Manafort and his visit to Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy there's not much reason to believe anything Harding writes is not incredible.
Absolutely on point there Brigid. How anyone can take seriously anything that Luke Harding writes is beyond belief. With regard to the Manafort visit to Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy words to the effect that we are to believe the most surveilled building in the most surveilled city with cctv on all surrounding buildings and no one noticed Manafort entering??!
In the US the far right have linked their cause, to the cause of the oil companies, with the belief, (encouraged by big oil), that climate change is a conspiracy spread by Leftists to destroy the American way of life.
Just like the unprovoked attacks on blacks and Asians by white supremacists. There have been many documented unprovoked attacks on Americans who choose to drive electric cars.
Apart from many acts of vandalism of parked electric cars, and screamed abuse and obscene gestures, one way Right Wing conspiracy theorists have attacked electric car owners is the practice known as ICEing. ie organised blocking of electric charging stations by large SUVs and other Internal Combustion, ICE vehicles preventing electric car owners recharging their batteries.
Another tactic used by these extremists, is altering your exhaust to pour smoke to blind electric car drivers or anyone else they take offence at. Like 'ICEing' this practice is also common enough to have a name, and is known as 'Rolling Coal'.
If this wasn't a serious manifestation of a malfunctioning society and mind-set, I'd suggest that EV owners placate the attention-drawing neediness of such ICE owners by installing speakers under their vehicles rear where exhaust pipes would otherwise be, and play the vibrant sounds of Harleys at full-throated acceleration, the song of a 12 cylinder straight pipe racing boat engine or a tourist space rocket at take-off. That should convince these ICErs that EV owners are real men.
The power supplies for them alone currently (giggle) cost about as much as my wee suzuki UZ50.
But that sort of thing, yeah. Just a matter of time, I'm hoping.
Mind you, the last suzuki I had ran for something like 7 years without me bothering to put in any oil, so the current one could well see me into retirement now I'm bothering with basic maintenance lol
McFlock – these guys in the valley used to be good at various kinds of tinkering. Their website seems geared to installing ebike kits nowadays, but they may still do custom work too. It may even be possible to turn your suzuki into an electric moped and still ride on a car licence? Though, you might be more limited as to power options than a newbuild:
For vehicles first registered prior to 1 May 2011
A moped includes a motor vehicle with three wheels, a power output not exceeding 2kW and a maximum speed of 50km/h.
They look very interesting; over $2K can be street legal compliant, a scooter that looks like a grunty little Harley, good range and top speed for town use.
The cyclists on our walkways are enjoined to let the pedestrians know they are coming up behind, certainly. I guess a cyclist on a road trusts all cars to give it sufficient berth when passing and likewise the driver trusts the cyclist will check behind when moving its line across the road width. I've never yet heard a cycle bell as a walker though- shouted warnings, yes, but not a bell.
How many cyclists have a bell and rear vision mirrors nowadays?
I hope the tenant appeals this decision. $700 for this level of harassment from a landlord is less than what’s awarded when the bond’s not lodged with Tenancy Services. Ridiculous.
"A 1972 MIT study predicted that rapid economic growth would lead to societal collapse in the mid 21st century. A new paper shows we’re unfortunately right on schedule."
“BAU2 and CT scenarios show a halt in growth within a decade or so from now,” the study concludes. “Both scenarios thus indicate that continuing business as usual, that is, pursuing continuous growth, is not possible. Even when paired with unprecedented technological development and adoption, business as usual as modelled by LtG would inevitably lead to declines in industrial capital, agricultural output, and welfare levels within this century.”
Study author Gaya Herrington told Motherboard that in the MIT World3 models, collapse “does not mean that humanity will cease to exist,” but rather that “economic and industrial growth will stop, and then decline, which will hurt food production and standards of living… In terms of timing, the BAU2 scenario shows a steep decline to set in around 2040.”
“The necessary changes will not be easy and pose transition challenges but a sustainable and inclusive future is still possible,” said Herrington.
The best available data suggests that what we decide over the next 10 years will determine the long-term fate of human civilization."
We in the south are in for a seriously damaging rain event. Let’s run a book on how many hours on from the protest it will take for the first “ agriculture spokesman “ to go on tv and demand more money from the government for reinstatement.
My pick is in the single figures, about 6. Hypocrits Without Shame.
A farmer (also called an agriculturer[?]) is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock.
It amounts to a polluters charter to do as they please to our waterways and head in the sand climate change denialism.
This inchoate protest in the face of overwhelming public rejection of their demands has to be seen in the context of the collapse of the National party as a viable political opposition. These people clearly feel they no longer have a mechanism to hijack public policy in their favour.
Damien O’Connor’s warning about not being too cocky like tourism had beed was very apt
Tourism’s cockiness destroyed any social license or goodwill the industry had with the New Zealand public. Being on the receiving end of the public’s wrath in our gallery over the last year hasn’t been pleasant.
Farmers risk a similar loss of social license that’s probably only going to polarise the situation even more
A point missed by most is that farm utes etc are tax depreciated by 20% per annum, therefore after 5 years owners have not paid any tax on earnings equal to the cost of the vehicle. This is not available to anybody else owning a vehicle including most of the people who work for them.
Every one of the utes in that protest is running on subsidised fuel to the tune of whatever tax rate the owner is on, which for most is fuck all because of all the accumulated depreciation on every bit of gear they own.
They are hypocrites because they amount to the most wealthy group of state beneficaries in the country.
Not up on this stuff, but isn't the tax going to hit the pseudo tradesmen who have the bright shiny double-cabs for mum to drop them and the kids off at work and school then claim rebates?
The farm like any other business that is registered for gst is only collecting this tax for the govt and the pays out to them. The end unregistered (you and me) pay the gst to the ird. and gst costs or charges are not the companies, and there are mechanisms within the tax system to account for private benefits gst portion, so the gst rebate has no benefit to the farm.
And for those comments below an example of where there is personal use, if the Ute is used to transport the family to and return the airport for a holiday, or the Ute is used to tow the boat to the crib for a holiday.😉
but if as you have stated only that portion of income generating activity is applied to the asset then the same applies to the end user argument with regard to the GST applied to said asset….which as I noted upthread is all moot because both the income generating activity v private benefit and subsequent tax implications are widely ignored.
"This is not available to anybody else owning a vehicle" – you are wrong same as not taking into account personal use , but don't let that get in the way for your argument, hate to read an argument based on straw !!!!
What do you think happens to those vehicles used for any business . e.g trucks, buses, tractors etc
Do you also not understand about costs incurred to earn a profit being deducted, and when the vehicle is sold then any depreciation recovered is taxed.
Also the personal use is not deductible "Examples include gasoline, oil, fuel, water, rent, electricity, telephone, automobile upkeep, repairs, insurance, interest and taxes. Farmers must allocate these expenses between their business and personal parts. Generally, the personal part of these expenses is not deductible"
ps you claim to be a farmer I am reminded of William Joyce when I read that
and then theres the real world….where personal use is seldom separated out, or it is 'legitimised' and the fact that the enforcement is seldom applied.
Will these things really matter 30 years from now? [thanks to pat for that link]
Hold on to hope, best of luck, and don't take your eye off the ball
The best available data suggests that what we decide over the next 10 years will determine the long-term fate of human civilization. Although the odds are on a knife-edge, Herrington pointed to a “rapid rise” in environmental, social and good governance priorities as a basis for optimism, signalling the change in thinking taking place in both governments and businesses. She told me that perhaps the most important implication of her research is that it’s not too late to create a truly sustainable civilization that works for all.
One vehicle and associated running costs is fully deductible, any further vehicle that is used at anytime for farm or job related tasks is deductible on a percentage basis.
Farm workers driving to work don’t get any deductibles, it can be 50kms here and back for some so I pay extra to cover fuel costs for those who work for us.
If you don’t think the deductibility regime isn’t rorted Herod you are dreaming and talking out your arse.
Just had a look at the photos from the protests and I’m pretty sure most of those tractors are brand new and have come straight off a dealers yard, the giveaway is the wheels, it doesn’t take many hours on a farm until they look secondhand.
Yes, I’m inside looking at an iPad, but after 8 hours in the pissing rain I’m at least allowed a cup of tea, tax deductible of course!
The government/ird have viewed commuting to and from work as private travel – as it occurs outside work hours. And the same applies to all workers not just those working on farms. And in the city the further out you live the cheaper property is but the more expensive it is to travel in terms on time and running costs, and ask our great leaders why public transport priorities are for the inner sections of the city and on the margins PT is marginal to non-existent at best.
And I am not that naive to believe that this is being rorted.
Adrian is a farmer. I've been on his property. I've known the man for over twenty years- an independent, forceful thinker and a bloody hard worker. His very decent rosé is far less red than his politics.
Is it just me or can anyone else see the irony of this. On the day farmers have a Howly bag protest over water and climate change issues, climate change delivers yet another red warning event on the West Coast. This within weeks of a similar event in South Canterbury. Both are prominent dairy farming areas. Farmers are evacuating ahead of flooding and I expect they will hold their hand out for government assistance, just like the last lot. Howl of protest accompanied by howling rain. It’s almost justice!
I thought there was no more money available (same was said by the government regarding the teachers) until there was more, $408m more. Glad to see the government starting to listen and show some appreciation towards this well deserving sector. Pity we had to go thru this process with the government staring down the nurses. These nurses deserve everything they get and IMO still more is required.
When people highlight that the NZ govt doesn't have a financial constraint this is what is meant. When the govt says there are no funds for that its nothing about budgets or accounts its just their way of saying no we don't want to fund that.
Perhaps now the govt will be able to fully fund Starship with the extra $15m ($7m has been pledged of this) that was short to allow the extra need beds to be added. Especially with the outbreak of this RVS. The only way to achieve any $$ from the govt is to embarrass them into action. Pity that they could not see an obvious need.
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If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Climate denial is dead. Renewable energy denial is here. As “alternative facts” become the norm, it’s worth looking at what actual facts tell us about how renewable energy sources like solar and wind are lowering the price of electricity. As ...
SIR GEOFFREY PALMER is worried about democracy. In his Newsroom website post of 27 January 2025 he asserts that “the future of democracy across the world now seems to be in question.” Following a year of important electoral contests across the world, culminating in Donald Trump’s emphatic recapture of the ...
The Government hasn’t stopped talking about growth since the Prime Minister made his “yes” speech at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce last week. But so far, the measures announced would seem hardly likely to suddenly pitch New Zealand into the fast-growth East Asian league. The digital nomad announcement hardly deserved ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Gail Duncan, Chairperson of the St Peter’s on Willis Social Justice Group, one of the organisations invited to submit on the Bill, says the Government’s actions are unprecedented. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amani Kasherwa, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland In late January, a rebel group that has long caused mayhem in the sprawling African nation of Democratic Republic of Congo took control of Goma, a major city of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University An ad falsely depicting independent candidate Alex Dyson as a Greens member.ABC News/Supplied The highly pertinent case of a little-known independent candidate in the Victorian seat of Wannon has exposed a gaping ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Nik/Unsplash You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health. Researchers have examined the science behind this myth again, and ...
Everything you missed from the third day of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard four hours of oral submission. Read our recaps of day one of the hearings here, and day two here. Parliament was quiet on Friday for the third day of hearings on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University Tijana Simic/Shutterstock The news last week that three people in Sydney were hospitalised with botulism after receiving botox injections has raised questions about the regulation of the cosmetic injectables industry. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jens Blotevogel, Principal Research Scientist and Team Leader for Remediation Technologies, CSIRO Mino Surkala, Shutterstock Lithium-ion batteries are part of everyday life. They power small rechargeable devices such as mobile phones and laptops. They enable electric vehicles. And larger versions store ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Learning & Teaching Innovation, Flinders University Netflix Netflix’s new limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar, tells the story of the elaborate cancer con orchestrated by Australian blogger Annabelle (Belle) Gibson. The first episode opens with Gibson’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Scientist, Monash University Greece’s government has just declared a state of emergency on the island of Santorini, as earthquakes shake the island multiple times a day and sometimes only minutes apart. The “earthquake swarm” is also affecting other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Western Australian state election will be held on March 8. A Newspoll, conducted January 29 to February 4 from a sample ...
She’s back behind the wheel, and this time, she wants to find out what it is that makes us tick. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. After a prolific career on stage and screen, 83-year-old Miriam Margolyes is on the road again. ...
A new poem by Jordan Hamel. Real Poet Every word earned its place and so did he, so should you. Real poet lives in the capital but writes himself into the Mackenzie country golden hour, man of the paper land, he neglects to mention his pollen ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Understanding Te Tiriti by Roimata Smail (Wai Ako Press, $25) No better time to get ...
The committee has published this list to inform the public about its work, and to give clarity to submitters who have contacted the committee asking if they will be invited to make an oral submission. ...
Alex Casey and Gabi Lardies dissect their Laneway 2025 experience. Gabi Lardies: Hi Alex :))))))) Congratulations on not getting sunburnt. Everyone I talked to at Laneway yesterday was braving the sun for one thing. Charli XCX. How was your brat experience?Alex Casey: We will talk about the rest of ...
The US President's suggestion, which sparked enormous debate globally, has been labelled as a threat, not a proposal, by the Federation of Islamic Associations. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine McCarthy, Senior Lecturer in Interior Architecture, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Interior of Auckland South Men’s Prison.Getty Images Prisons are not colourful places. Typically, they are grey or some variation of a monochrome colour scheme. But increasingly, ...
FICTION1Tree of Nourishment (Kāwai 2) by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99)Interesting to note that the author of the biggest-selling New Zealand novel in Waitangi Week is Māori (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tai, and Ngāti Kahungunu).2 Kāwai: For Such a Time as This (Kāwai 1) by Monty Soutar (David ...
Remembering the renowned New Zealand writer, who died on February 5, 2025. The Stopover When the trout rise like compassion It is worth watching when the hinds come down from the hills with a new message it will be as well to listen. – Brian Turner Poet, environmentalist, sportsman, journalist, ...
Survivors can choose to have former High Court judge Paul Davison assess their individual claims to tailor payments to their personal circumstances. ...
Are we too modest when it comes to celebrating our putrid plant life?She’s beauty. She’s grace. She smells like a decaying corpse and lurks in the backrooms of Auckland Zoo, wallowing tragically in a bucket. In recent weeks an Australian corpse plant named Putricia has captured the noses and ...
Politicians from the coalition government received a frosty reception at Waitangi this year, but Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says the pōwhiri that received so much attention was just one part of many events throughout the week. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Allen, Postdoctoral research associate, Griffith University A humpback whale mother and calf on the New Caledonian breeding grounds.Mark Quintin All known human languages display a surprising pattern: the most frequent word in a language is twice as frequent as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Keogh, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University Jordan Mailata is an Australian-born NFL star who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles as an offensive left tackle. This position favours very tall, heavy and strong athletes who ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nigel Tucker, Research Associate in Environment and Sustainability, James Cook University TREAT volunteers planting treesTREAT Like ferns and the tides, community conservation groups come and go. Many achieve their goal. Volunteers restore a local wetland or protect a patch of urban ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karyn Healy, Honorary Principal Research Fellow in Psychology, The University of Queensland Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock The start of the school year means new classes, routines, after-school activities and sometimes even a new school. This can be a really exciting time for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released a discussion paper this week on investment tax breaks. The study looks at whether tax incentives, such as instant ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Naomi Zouwer, Visual Artist and Lecturer in Teacher Education, University of Canberra Galleries and art museums can be intimidating and alienating even for adults. Imagine it from a child’s point of view. Stern security guards in uniforms stationed the doors, bags checked, ...
The clock is ticking in the great chain chase. 2025 is an election year in New Zealand. Not the general variation, obviously, but the local form. If you’re thinking of running, nominations open in just five months, and your chances are good – about 50% across the various races; in ...
Kieran McAnulty making the case for agriculture reform.
Sorry about the cut and paste, couldn’t figure out how to link to Facebook.
”Anyone who knows me well knows that I am passionate about the Primary Sector. They know both sides of my family have farmed for generations, and that both my parents continue to work in the sector. They also know that I entered politics in part to work towards sustainable rural communities.
I won’t be joining tomorrow’s protests. The sentiment behind them does not represent the whole sector and undermines the hard work of so many farmers who are keen to get ahead of the curve.
Now is not the time to tread water. Maintaining the status quo or, God forbid, going backwards will not deliver for rural communities.
We are a trading nation. Our prosperity depends on consumers choosing to buy our products. We have leveraged the 100% pure, clean and green image that we have cultivated over decades in order to extract the best price possible for our products.
But we mustn’t assume that demand will continue as is. We have never targeted the cheapest markets – we have always sold to the most discerning customers in the world. They want quality, so they choose our products.
However, markets change. And so too does consumer demand. The markets we are targeting want to know that if they are buying products from the bottom of the globe they can do so with a clear conscience. Consumers want to know their purchases are environmentally sustainable, that they are climate friendly, with high animal welfare standards and that the workers in the industry get a good wage with good conditions.
We have led the world in this. Our farmers are the most efficient producers in the world. But, we aren’t as ahead of the pack as we used to be.
We know there is a lot of change coming. And we know it is tough. We know there is concern about the pace of change. The Government hears that and has shown a willingness to amend things in order to make it work. We will continue to do so.
We don’t agree with those who say it isn’t the Government’s job to lead on this.
If we stop moving forward to address the impacts of climate change, allow further degradation of our fresh water and don’t do more to address animal welfare standards, there is no way we will meet this Government’s goal of working with the sector to achieve a $40b increase in export value.
Because that’s what is at stake. We either get ahead of the curve and reap the benefits, or we slowly fall behind.
We used to debate the ‘why’ – in 2003 the Government proposed a levy to invest in research on reducing methane emissions. That was protested and was scrapped. Now many – including those protesting tomorrow – are calling for such a fund.
The ETS was introduced as a compromise following protests against a carbon tax. Now many are saying the ETS is flawed and a carbon tax would be better.
I’m proud that as a country we have moved on from that. We no longer debate the ‘why’ and have moved on to discussing the ‘how’.
I acknowledge the constructive work of industry bodies like Dairy NZ and Beef and Lamb, and the efforts made by companies like Fonterra. They understand what needs to be done. Yet the group behind tomorrow’s protests have criticised them for it. So many of the farmers I engage with every week are on board with what needs to be done and are getting on with it. My bet is many of them will be disappointed by tomorrow’s protests.
I am disappointed too. Not necessarily because of the issues they are protesting – I discuss those with people every day. I am disappointed because of what I fear it will do. There is truth to the concept of an urban- rural divide. Some in urban areas don’t give enough credence to those farmers that have been doing their bit over many years. And farmers resent them for it. This is not where we need to be as a nation.
So much work goes into trying to bring often urban-based environmental groups and farmers together, encouraging them to learn about each other’s perspectives. It is in meeting and learning where we develop respect for those we don’t really know. And we were making progress.
It is my fear that tomorrow’s protests will undo this good work. It’ll make farmers look stubborn and resistant to change, which on the whole they are not. It’ll make them look like climate change deniers, which most of them aren’t. There will no doubt be someone that does or says something that will hurt the image of the farmers I know, and potentially, it’ll hurt how those overseas view us.
The markets we are trying to enter have much stricter environmental and climate standards than us. They will look at our protests and wonder why we are opposing proposals that aren’t as harsh as those they have in their own countries. These are the very same people in the very same markets we want to sell more of our products to.
So I won’t be joining the protests tomorrow, but I will continue to back the majority of farmers who want the best price for their products, the best for the environment and the best for our country.”
So do you have an actual opinion, or are you just good for a rip and dump?
Thanks for the affirmation.
In total agreement with Kieran McAnulty. Especially when he makes the point how our markets are getting more picky about from whom they buy. As an agricultural trading nation, farmers should be wanting to give markets offshore reasons to buy from us, not reasons not to.
On a personal level, I used to be able to catch trout in the Ruamahanga River. Probably not so much now.
Yeah, saw that on fb last night, good forward thinking leadership that’s shared by a lot of farmers
But the pull of the rugby club locker room ‘wadrrrya’ is still strong.
Their slogan
No farmers
No growers
No food
should really be
No change
No markets
No farmers
Which is what McAnulty is saying simplified to a slogan
Yip bunch grizzling wind bags, that can't handle change, imho
Apart from the ute tax ,I still think for a public good tax to be fair it has to be avoidable, and the ute tax is not for farmers.
The ute tax is avoidable now, you just don’t buy a new ute for a couple of years when there will be alternatives, unfortunately they probably won’t be Toyota.
Think it’ll be a very different picture in a couple of years
A placard on a bridge down here says "I live in New Zealand not Aotearoa, stop ramming Māori (sic) down our throats" & an anti communism one.
Good to see some sense being spoken….thanks for posting McAnulty's piece.
Given at least one of the organisers of today's protests was a candidate for the crank Advance NZ party I look forward to seeing Judith being filmed on her tractor with someone waving an anti-vax banner behind her.
With the Groundswell ad inviting; "Bring your tractor, ute, and the dogs", the hopes of the Dunedin supporters for a calm event may be in vain:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/hopes-howl-protest-will-strike-right-note
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/125759839/what-are-aotearoas-farmers-actually-protesting-about-this-friday
Though with the weather today, no one is going to be looking at the signs much except as improvised umbrellas. If you howl in a gale, does it make a sound?
. If you howl in a gale, does it make a sound? great question.
It does but like pissing in the wind it's not fun and might back fire.
The weather in Dunedin has cleared up a lot since dawn, so the rain is probably most of the way to Chch (& west coast!) by now. At least it's not another cabin feverish school holiday.
Links from mobile not working today, so I will probably ease off commenting until I am back at my laptop. ODT had coverage of event- featuring a one month ultimatum for the government to knuckle under (no specific consequences threatened for not doing so though). Also some minor assault of a counterprotester – but the Octagon has HD cameras everywhere, so it will be interesting to see how that pans out.
dickhead did it in front of an odt camera. Snuck up from a blind spot and snatched it. And another brave man held a profarming sign in front of her face when she was talking to the camera. Looked pleased with himself for being so innovative, too.
She was having none of it. Good for her.
Naturally the police were out in force taking pics and ticketing tractors without warrants for road travel.
I was thinking about that.
Don't forget checking that all the cockies had their odometers on, tracking their fuel use for RUC. lol as if.
The deluge currently hitting the West coast is coming in from the north, and has been since yesterday.
Unless my geographic and meteorology knowledge has taken a hit, I doubt any weather you had in Dunedin this morning has headed up our way.
Stay safe on the roads today everyone and keep away from those wild-eyed farmers hooning in their Utes.
Re one of the organisers being a candidate – Advance NZ is deregistering as a political party as of today. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/07/jami-lee-ross-political-party-advance-new-zealand-deregistering.html
It is not often I have been in the majority
Small majority believe there is still time to avert climate disaster – survey
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/05/small-majority-believe-there-is-still-time-to-avert-climate-disaster-survey?
"Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will chair the "informal leaders' retreat" over video-conference late Friday night – the first time the Asia Pacific bloc has held such talks ahead of its regular November event. United States President Joe Biden, China President Xi Jinping, and Russia President Vladimir Putin have all confirmed their participation."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/447012/hopes-something-significant-will-come-from-apec-meeting-chaired-by-ardern
Xi & Putin must have gleaned some basis of common interest in the preliminary plan of the teleconference agenda. I applaud the PM's initiative and hope her scheme includes a proactive design – the pandemic thus far seems to have induced mostly reactive responses by nations.
"In a statement issued on Monday, Ardern said she would invite the leaders to discuss "immediate measures to achieve more coordinated regional action to assist recovery". She later told reporters not to expect any significant breakthroughs or announcements out of the discussion."
Yeah, best to minimise expectations. I presume her officials have proposed possible regional co-ordinations and perhaps advance negotiation has prompted similar suggestions from other administrations. Seems history will be made tonight if sufficient common ground is established.
"Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman said it was a "bold initiative" for New Zealand to convene such a meeting and spoke to Ardern's clout on the world stage."
Any player is only as good as their latest performance – in the minds of the audience & other players – so hers tonight will depend on the quality of the thinking and planning involved. Good to see her advancing Aotearoa's leadership capacity anyway.
""She's in quite a strong position to point out to great powers like China and the United States… they need to co-operate more, because the alternative model of rivalry and name-calling has not worked." Patman said he expected Ardern would urge the economies to take a collaborative approach in the face of the global pandemic, in particular regarding vaccines."
He's right to remind us that collaborative endeavour ought to accompany competition between nations. Those in younger generations with a global outlook will be encouraged by a renewal of the balance between the two.
Bold move Prime Minister Ardern.
Imagine marching in aspiration for New Zealand to become like Somalia or India.
Credible validation. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/15/kremlin-papers-appear-to-show-putins-plot-to-put-trump-in-white-house
I might do a post on the weekend about this. There are two jaw dropping passages in the article:
“There is a brief psychological assessment of Trump, who is described as an “impulsive, mentally unstable and unbalanced individual who suffers from an inferiority complex”.
There is also apparent confirmation that the Kremlin possesses kompromat, or potentially compromising material, on the future president, collected – the document says – from Trump’s earlier “non-official visits to Russian Federation territory”.
The paper refers to “certain events” that happened during Trump’s trips to Moscow. Security council members are invited to find details in appendix five, at paragraph five, the document states. It is unclear what the appendix contains.
“It is acutely necessary to use all possible force to facilitate his [Trump’s] election to the post of US president,” the paper says.”
And Trump’s response:
“This is disgusting. It’s fake news, just like RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA was fake news. It’s just the Radical Left crazies doing whatever they can to demean everybody on the right.
“It’s fiction, and nobody was tougher on Russia than me, including on the pipeline, and sanctions. At the same time we got along with Russia. Russia respected us, China respected us, Iran respected us, North Korea respected us.
“And the world was a much safer place than it is now with mentally unstable leadership.”
Had to laugh.
You missed the '/sarc' attribute
Since Luke Harding's hilarious fiction featuring Manafort and his visit to Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy there's not much reason to believe anything Harding writes is not incredible.
FYI
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/12/06/assa-d06.html
Absolutely on point there Brigid. How anyone can take seriously anything that Luke Harding writes is beyond belief. With regard to the Manafort visit to Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy words to the effect that we are to believe the most surveilled building in the most surveilled city with cctv on all surrounding buildings and no one noticed Manafort entering??!
https://www.salon.com/2018/12/07/the-manafort-assange-meeting-that-wasnt-a-case-study-in-journalistic-malpractice/
We've all heard about casual racism
How about casual fascism?
In the US the far right have linked their cause, to the cause of the oil companies, with the belief, (encouraged by big oil), that climate change is a conspiracy spread by Leftists to destroy the American way of life.
Just like the unprovoked attacks on blacks and Asians by white supremacists. There have been many documented unprovoked attacks on Americans who choose to drive electric cars.
Apart from many acts of vandalism of parked electric cars, and screamed abuse and obscene gestures, one way Right Wing conspiracy theorists have attacked electric car owners is the practice known as ICEing. ie organised blocking of electric charging stations by large SUVs and other Internal Combustion, ICE vehicles preventing electric car owners recharging their batteries.
Anti-Tesla pickup truck drivers take over a Supercharger station again
https://electrek.co/2019/01/01/tesla-pickup-truck-drivers-supercharger-protest/?
Apart from low level intimidation like ICEing there have been numerous unprovoked shooting attacks on electric cars.
Another tactic used by these extremists, is altering your exhaust to pour smoke to blind electric car drivers or anyone else they take offence at. Like 'ICEing' this practice is also common enough to have a name, and is known as 'Rolling Coal'.
If this wasn't a serious manifestation of a malfunctioning society and mind-set, I'd suggest that EV owners placate the attention-drawing neediness of such ICE owners by installing speakers under their vehicles rear where exhaust pipes would otherwise be, and play the vibrant sounds of Harleys at full-throated acceleration, the song of a 12 cylinder straight pipe racing boat engine or a tourist space rocket at take-off. That should convince these ICErs that EV owners are real men.
fun fact. the current ford mustang I.C.E. is so quiet that it has a noise generator to give it the V8 rumble.
My Leaf is known to my friends as the Black Ninja. It too has a noise generator; at low speeds only, for pedestrian safety. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle_warning_sounds
I'm waiting for an affordable electric motor scooter 50cc-equivalent to come out, $2-3k mark.
Silent but deadly 😉
Ubco ,kiwi built,
The power supplies for them alone currently (giggle) cost about as much as my wee suzuki UZ50.
But that sort of thing, yeah. Just a matter of time, I'm hoping.
Mind you, the last suzuki I had ran for something like 7 years without me bothering to put in any oil, so the current one could well see me into retirement now I'm bothering with basic maintenance lol
McFlock – these guys in the valley used to be good at various kinds of tinkering. Their website seems geared to installing ebike kits nowadays, but they may still do custom work too. It may even be possible to turn your suzuki into an electric moped and still ride on a car licence? Though, you might be more limited as to power options than a newbuild:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/vehicle-types/motorcycles-and-mopeds/information-for-moped-riders/
https://dunedinelectricbikes.nz/conversions/
cheers
https://kiwihoverboard.co.nz/product/gaea3-eec-fat-tyre-e-scooter-road-legal/?
They look very interesting; over $2K can be street legal compliant, a scooter that looks like a grunty little Harley, good range and top speed for town use.
Definitely in the ballpark – 20 degree hill climb might be an issue (especially with my fat butt), but definitely getting there. Very interesting.
As a cyclist the quiet cars are terrifying, seemingly come out of nowhere. Maybe, they too, need a little bell to ring?
The cyclists on our walkways are enjoined to let the pedestrians know they are coming up behind, certainly. I guess a cyclist on a road trusts all cars to give it sufficient berth when passing and likewise the driver trusts the cyclist will check behind when moving its line across the road width. I've never yet heard a cycle bell as a walker though- shouted warnings, yes, but not a bell.
How many cyclists have a bell and rear vision mirrors nowadays?
I hope the tenant appeals this decision. $700 for this level of harassment from a landlord is less than what’s awarded when the bond’s not lodged with Tenancy Services. Ridiculous.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/renting/125751215/auckland-landlord-harassed-tenant-to-the-point-he-needed-antianxiety-medication
Yes some people should not be landlords. Without hearing all the facts from both sides, it does seem like the landlord got off too lightly.
Here's the decision here. The TT got the intentional nature of the unlawful entry wrong, too – an error often made by adjudicators.
https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/TTV2/PDF/6827729-Tribunal_Order_Redacted.pdf
Some are wondering if the farmers’ “howl” will harm their image:
The poster boy on the right is named, Robbie "Gooserooter" Shefford, according to his Facebook page.
https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-business/howl-protest-thousands-farmers-prepare-march-through-47-towns-and-cities.
ASB have company…didnt take long.
https://www.interest.co.nz/personal-finance/111298/new-zealands-largest-home-loan-lender-follows-asb-its-own-rate-hike-so
"A 1972 MIT study predicted that rapid economic growth would lead to societal collapse in the mid 21st century. A new paper shows we’re unfortunately right on schedule."
https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3xw3x/new-research-vindicates-1972-mit-prediction-that-society-will-collapse-soon
“BAU2 and CT scenarios show a halt in growth within a decade or so from now,” the study concludes. “Both scenarios thus indicate that continuing business as usual, that is, pursuing continuous growth, is not possible. Even when paired with unprecedented technological development and adoption, business as usual as modelled by LtG would inevitably lead to declines in industrial capital, agricultural output, and welfare levels within this century.”
Study author Gaya Herrington told Motherboard that in the MIT World3 models, collapse “does not mean that humanity will cease to exist,” but rather that “economic and industrial growth will stop, and then decline, which will hurt food production and standards of living… In terms of timing, the BAU2 scenario shows a steep decline to set in around 2040.”
“The necessary changes will not be easy and pose transition challenges but a sustainable and inclusive future is still possible,” said Herrington.
The best available data suggests that what we decide over the next 10 years will determine the long-term fate of human civilization."
We in the south are in for a seriously damaging rain event. Let’s run a book on how many hours on from the protest it will take for the first “ agriculture spokesman “ to go on tv and demand more money from the government for reinstatement.
My pick is in the single figures, about 6. Hypocrits Without Shame.
Disclosure, I’m a farmer.
I thought you had a vineyard
Divide and conquer eh?
The seven demands of the farmers protest is an exceptionalist wonder –
https://groundswellnz.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GROUNDSWELL-position-statement.pdf
It amounts to a polluters charter to do as they please to our waterways and head in the sand climate change denialism.
This inchoate protest in the face of overwhelming public rejection of their demands has to be seen in the context of the collapse of the National party as a viable political opposition. These people clearly feel they no longer have a mechanism to hijack public policy in their favour.
good point about the collapse of National.
The list is incredibly self-serving. It also looks like 'trust us, because we're very important'. Hubris.
Damien O’Connor’s warning about not being too cocky like tourism had beed was very apt
Tourism’s cockiness destroyed any social license or goodwill the industry had with the New Zealand public. Being on the receiving end of the public’s wrath in our gallery over the last year hasn’t been pleasant.
Farmers risk a similar loss of social license that’s probably only going to polarise the situation even more
what have the public been saying to you at the gallery?
Yeah, I suspect the farmers are misjudging the public mood here. Might be messaging Labour more?
A point missed by most is that farm utes etc are tax depreciated by 20% per annum, therefore after 5 years owners have not paid any tax on earnings equal to the cost of the vehicle. This is not available to anybody else owning a vehicle including most of the people who work for them.
Every one of the utes in that protest is running on subsidised fuel to the tune of whatever tax rate the owner is on, which for most is fuck all because of all the accumulated depreciation on every bit of gear they own.
They are hypocrites because they amount to the most wealthy group of state beneficaries in the country.
Exactly…the tax is a complete red herring
Not up on this stuff, but isn't the tax going to hit the pseudo tradesmen who have the bright shiny double-cabs for mum to drop them and the kids off at work and school then claim rebates?
Only in initial outlay….it will all be written off (depreciated) against income, not to mention the GST rebate
The farm like any other business that is registered for gst is only collecting this tax for the govt and the pays out to them. The end unregistered (you and me) pay the gst to the ird. and gst costs or charges are not the companies, and there are mechanisms within the tax system to account for private benefits gst portion, so the gst rebate has no benefit to the farm.
And for those comments below an example of where there is personal use, if the Ute is used to transport the family to and return the airport for a holiday, or the Ute is used to tow the boat to the crib for a holiday.😉
but if as you have stated only that portion of income generating activity is applied to the asset then the same applies to the end user argument with regard to the GST applied to said asset….which as I noted upthread is all moot because both the income generating activity v private benefit and subsequent tax implications are widely ignored.
"This is not available to anybody else owning a vehicle" – you are wrong same as not taking into account personal use , but don't let that get in the way for your argument, hate to read an argument based on straw !!!!
What do you think happens to those vehicles used for any business . e.g trucks, buses, tractors etc
Do you also not understand about costs incurred to earn a profit being deducted, and when the vehicle is sold then any depreciation recovered is taxed.
Also the personal use is not deductible "Examples include gasoline, oil, fuel, water, rent, electricity, telephone, automobile upkeep, repairs, insurance, interest and taxes. Farmers must allocate these expenses between their business and personal parts. Generally, the personal part of these expenses is not deductible"
ps you claim to be a farmer I am reminded of William Joyce when I read that
and then theres the real world….where personal use is seldom separated out, or it is 'legitimised' and the fact that the enforcement is seldom applied.
Get real a farmer with a utility/truck can have 100% deductibility and so too a tradie with his or her sign written on it.
FYI, Adrian has been commenting here for 9 years AFAIK and is on record as being a farmer. You were saying?
You queried his “claim” and you still doubt him, it seems; I confirmed that AFAIK the “claim” was kosher, Herodotus. Don’t have a go at the messenger.
Not a real farmer eh?
Will these things really matter 30 years from now? [thanks to pat for that link]
Hold on to hope, best of luck, and don't take your eye off the ball
One vehicle and associated running costs is fully deductible, any further vehicle that is used at anytime for farm or job related tasks is deductible on a percentage basis.
Farm workers driving to work don’t get any deductibles, it can be 50kms here and back for some so I pay extra to cover fuel costs for those who work for us.
If you don’t think the deductibility regime isn’t rorted Herod you are dreaming and talking out your arse.
Just had a look at the photos from the protests and I’m pretty sure most of those tractors are brand new and have come straight off a dealers yard, the giveaway is the wheels, it doesn’t take many hours on a farm until they look secondhand.
Yes, I’m inside looking at an iPad, but after 8 hours in the pissing rain I’m at least allowed a cup of tea, tax deductible of course!
The government/ird have viewed commuting to and from work as private travel – as it occurs outside work hours. And the same applies to all workers not just those working on farms. And in the city the further out you live the cheaper property is but the more expensive it is to travel in terms on time and running costs, and ask our great leaders why public transport priorities are for the inner sections of the city and on the margins PT is marginal to non-existent at best.
And I am not that naive to believe that this is being rorted.
Adrian is a farmer. I've been on his property. I've known the man for over twenty years- an independent, forceful thinker and a bloody hard worker. His very decent rosé is far less red than his politics.
godsomeone tried to cancel god. Wasn't me.
Not me

🤠
Which god?
small g implies any of them.
Would be quite happy to see Mammon cancelled.
not a real god, but someone sure got the humans confused.
are any of them real?
Only the socially constructed ones are real. The absolute ones cannot be known by man.
so all of them
could be a bit problematic in a multi cultural society
No kidding! There is much confusion about Babylonian confusion.
Mammon getting in the way again
If you can't tell the difference between Gaia and humans feeling greed, I probably can't help you.
The one true God
I wish Gaia were the one true God.
Is it just me or can anyone else see the irony of this. On the day farmers have a Howly bag protest over water and climate change issues, climate change delivers yet another red warning event on the West Coast. This within weeks of a similar event in South Canterbury. Both are prominent dairy farming areas. Farmers are evacuating ahead of flooding and I expect they will hold their hand out for government assistance, just like the last lot. Howl of protest accompanied by howling rain. It’s almost justice!
I thought there was no more money available (same was said by the government regarding the teachers) until there was more, $408m more. Glad to see the government starting to listen and show some appreciation towards this well deserving sector. Pity we had to go thru this process with the government staring down the nurses. These nurses deserve everything they get and IMO still more is required.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nurses-lift-strike-notices-after-revised-pay-contract-offer-now-for-members-to-decide/ZYAUGWC23N56ZQUQFPYUTQF7D4/
When people highlight that the NZ govt doesn't have a financial constraint this is what is meant. When the govt says there are no funds for that its nothing about budgets or accounts its just their way of saying no we don't want to fund that.
Perhaps now the govt will be able to fully fund Starship with the extra $15m ($7m has been pledged of this) that was short to allow the extra need beds to be added. Especially with the outbreak of this RVS. The only way to achieve any $$ from the govt is to embarrass them into action. Pity that they could not see an obvious need.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300274447/starship-hospital-launches-15m-fundraising-campaign-amid-critical-icu-occupancy