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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters often describes NZ as a small and isolated nation situated 'just north of the penguins' but says in terms of global affairs, NZ and other small nations should be judged on the quality of their arguments and not the size of their military.
He has talked about the shift from rules-based trade to where the size and power of a nation override the rules-based system. Over many years, NZ has been recognised as a nation that supports, and needs for its survival, a rules-based trading system.
In recent years, NZ played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) - a trade deal between 12 Asia Pacific economies including Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, NZ, Singapore, and Vietnam.
Peters says while negotiating the arrangement, NZ insisted on and got the significant words "comprehensive and progressive" to be included in the title of the agreement to give it more weight.
Reflecting on the evolution of the NZ economy over the years, Peters expresses disappointment. He says that countries such as Ireland and Australia have got the jump on us over the years. He says in 1981 when in Ireland, he saw a dramatic change in its development.
"In many ways, we have left ourselves behind. If we had been as clever as Ireland was then, we would be in a much better position than we are today," he told Rural News.
As Foreign Minister, Peters seems to spend as much time in his office. When Rural News pointed out his age - 80 - Peters laughed and pointed out he learned at an early age how to burn the candle at both ends.
"I was brought up on a farm and I had to milk the cows before I went to school and when I got home in the evening, I had to milk them before I did my homework, and that hard work in my early life has helped me deal with the hard work and long hours that I do as a politician," he says.
Peters also muses that older people should be encouraged to stay working, because they know what they are doing and don't mind working long hours.
"For us being five minutes early for work is being on time and being on time is late," he says.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
OPINION: Milking It reckons if you're National, looking at recent polls, the dream scenario is that the elusive economic recovery finally roars to life.
If voters see some growth and wages rising faster than prices, the government could say they've "fixed" things as they ride into the next election.
Back here on Earth though, the economy they inherited is a basket case, and the long-term headwinds are fierce.
Political commentator Liam Hehir says, "dreams are not plans" and if the turnaround doesn't come in time, National may have no choice but to go negative.
"Everybody wants to fight on the economy if they can. But when neither side has a compelling story, the contest shifts to other issues. That's not new. In fact, it's the stuff of politics everywhere, always."
OPINION: Nothing it seems can be done in the short term to get Donald Trump to change his mind about removing the unfair 15% tariffs that he’s imposed on New Zealand exports to the US.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says the US tariff decision appears to be based on a calculation of trade deficits, with countries running a surplus with the US moved to the higher rate.
Former special agricultural trade envoy Mike Petersen says meat exporters are going to have to be nimble and agile to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise in the chaos of the tariff crisis.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
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