Farming Leader Katie Milne Steps into Politics for National
Former Federated Farmers president Katie Milne is National’s candidate for the West Coast- Tasman seat in this year’s general election.
National is leaving behind last week’s rough and tumble of beltway politics – and the aftermath of the Jami-Lee Ross scandal – to take the pulse of rural New Zealand.
Simon Bridges has launched the party’s ‘Have Your Say’ listening campaign for Rural New Zealand, describing it as “the next step in National’s 2020 election policy development process”.
“Having the right policies in place to help rural communities thrive is vitally important. So we are keen to hear from the grassroots on issues that may evolve into policies to turbocharge rural and provincial NZ.”
Bridges says National is doing the work in opposition so it will have the plans and policies in place should the party “earn the right to govern again in 2020”.
He accuses the current Government of failing to do this homework and blames this for the “180 working groups, potential new taxes and other rushed policies creating huge uncertainty implemented in the past year”.
Bridges says rural NZers deserve to be heard.
“That is why National has launched an online portal to give them an easy way to share their views. National MPs will also be out in their regions talking directly to rural NZers.”
A potential showdown between the top two Federated Farmers leaders looms at the farmer lobby's annual meeting later this month.
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.

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