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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.
There's been widespread support from the primary sector for the Government's announcement on changes to freshwater farm plans that come under the Natural Environment Bill, which is now set to replace the existing RMA.
When Northland farmer Mark Cameron entered parliament six years ago, the Beehive was a lonely place.
A pause on Waikato Regional Council's (WRC) plan change that sets new freshwater rules for farming could be announced in the coming weeks.
New Zealanders are being urged to be alert following a confirmed positive case of H5 bird flu this week.
OPINION: Farmers are being put on notice by the Green Party.
Minister of Conservation Hon Tama Potaka has appointed Susan O'Regan as Chair of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (QEII) for a three-year term.
Red meat farmers are welcoming Labour’s plan to review the Emissions Trading Scheme and not to campaign on pricing agricultural emissions.
Where any worker in the kiwifruit industry is mistreated, we expect the authorities to take action.
Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers arable chair, Bevan Lill, said Beef + Lamb NZ data indicated that for the last six years, the average arable return on investment was about 0.8% while inflation ran about 4% - so the average arable farm was going backwards at about 3% a year.
Seed and grain companies share the concerns of arable farmers about the viability of their sector, says Seed and Grain New Zealand chief executive Dr Sarah Clark.
The New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) says unnecessary changes to New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) will seriously erode investor confidence and result in significant reductions in forest planting rates.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.
