Tuesday, 26 June 2012 09:10

More safeguards needed : O’Connor

Written by 

Fonterra' s vote on Trading Among Farmers means more safeguards are needed in the proposed legislation to protect farmer control and ownership, Labour's Primary Industries spokesperson Damien O'Connor says.

"When the law changes voted on by farmers today first came in front of Parliament, we (Labour) said protections need to be locked into law because putting them into Fonterra's constitution is not enough," O'Connor says.

"Our fears have been realised with constitutional amendments to lock in farmer ownership only receiving 72.8% of the vote. Changing the constitution requires a 75% vote so they haven't been adopted.

"The result is that farmers have voted for trading among farmers, but even though there were more votes for the protection measures they haven't passed.

"If trading among farmers goes ahead without Labour's proposed amendment, control of Fonterra and its profits could pass to non-farmers and potentially out of New Zealand," O'Connor says.

More like this

Featured

Open Country opens butter plant

When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Political colours

OPINION: Your old mate welcomes the proposed changes to local government but notes it drew responses that ranged from the reasonable…

True agenda

OPINION: A press release from the oxygen thieves running the hot air symposium on climate change, known as COP30, grabbed your…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter