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ACT MPs Mark Cameron (right) and Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard make their way to the House with gumboots.
Last week's Parliament sitting saw another first – a few Government MPs wearing gumboots in the House during Question Time.
ACT MP Mark Cameron obtained special permission from the Speaker, Gerry Brownlee, for rural MPs to do this.
Cameron says it’s a show of solidarity with farmers and the rural sector, and an acknowledgement of the pressures on the sector.
“This includes from laws and regulations originating in our Parliament,” he says.
Cameron hopes to make this an annual tradition.
OPINION: While we're on the topic of lumberjacks, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard has no doubt used a chainsaw hundreds of times, but your old mate reckons he would’ve still been sweating on getting it right when cutting down a pine in front of the cameras, as he did above Queenstown during a recent pre-Budget announcement around extra funding for wilding pine control efforts.
Wilding pines are the wrong tree in the wrong place, and they need to go, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard.
OPINION: For thousands of Southland farmers, this week would have tipped them into the non-compliant category when it comes to following regional freshwater plan rules. But the Government has stepped in to give them the clarity they deserve.
Southland farmers staring down a May deadline to submit freshwater farm plans under current regional plan rules have been given an 18-month reprieve by the Government.
Federated Farmers says the Government's announcement of $79 million in funding for wilding pine control marks a major breakthrough.
FarmIQ Systems has developed a free land management app to help remove barriers to New Zealand farmers and growers adopting digital tools.
Rural Women New Zealand has announced the winners of the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards.
Horticulture NZ says the funding boost to improve state highway resilience will support growers and strengthen the transport links they rely on to get produce to market.
Gallagher has appointed Rob Clayton as Chief Executive of its global Animal Management business to lead the next stage of growth across key markets.
A Waihi dairy farmer, Keith Torrens, has been convicted and fined $39,000 for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent following a prosecution taken by Waikato Regional Council.
Taranaki's sunshine and energy sector expertise are powering a new approach to renewable energy, with the launch of BlueGreen Frontiers.
OPINION: Reckless action by Greenpeace in 2024 forced Fonterra to shut down a drying plant for four hours, costing the co-op…
OPINION: The global crusade against fossil fuel is gaining momentum in some regions.
