Labour Caucus Portfolios Reshuffled Ahead of 2026 Election
Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins has announced a reshuffle of the party's caucus portfolios.
OPINION: At the recent NZ Dairy Industry Awards, opposition leader Chris Hipkins made a surprise appearance.
And to his credit, Hipkins agreed to a brief interview with the awards media officer, Anne-Marie Case-Miller.
Asked what he was doing at the awards night, given that it’s not election year, Hipkins said he’s not sure he would have many votes in the room, made up of 620 dairy farmers, industry leaders and supporters.
“But it’s genuinely to celebrate success and speak to people who are doing amazing things within the dairy sector.”
The Government was represented at the awards by Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson. Unlike previous years, there was no sign of the PM, Agriculture Minister or other Associate Ministers. However, Nicola Grigg only missed out after her flight was cancelled due to bad weather.
The Government has announced changes to stock exclusion regulations which it claims will cut unnecessary costs and inflexible rules while maintaining environmental protections.
Technology and the use of artificial intelligence are increasingly part of life, both on the farm and off it.
Ashleigh Gordon and Leilani Lobb have been named as the two finalists for Dairy Women's Network's (DWN) 2026 Regional Leader of the Year Award.
Animal and Plant Health New Zealand (APHANZ) says the approval of a new fungicide seed treatment is a positive, however growers will be hoping the final approval is completed ahead of the spring season.
North Canterbury farmer Adam Williamson has been appointed DairyNZ's associate director for 2026-27.
Fonterra farmers are set for a multi-billion-dollar payout this week.