OPINION: Your canine crusader was aghast to read that the prices of zucchini and cucumbers rose more than 30% in July – because imports from Australia continuing to be banned due to a plant virus.
OPINION: This old mutt had to have a giggle at the dig Feds recently made at the Green Party in the run up to this year’s election.
OPINION: Your old mate reckons if you ever needed proof of just how little influence Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has, just look at his inability to get a dispensation for much needed overseas machinery operators for agricultural contractors for this season.
OPINION: The Hound was not surprised, but disappointed, to see that some lefty-liberal judge has ruled in favour of multi-national, tax dodging, professional fundraising organisation Greenpeace being reinstated as a charity.
OPINION: Former agriculture minister and speaker of the house, David Carter, who is retiring from politics at this year’s election, has had a long running feud with another long-serving (soon to be former, post the election?) MP, Winston Peters.
OPINION: This old mutt wonders why multi-national, tax-dodging, fundraising organisation Greenpeace always gets a free pass from the police.
OPINION: Your old mate understands that there is quite a bit of nervousness around sheep farming circles that another levy will again be imposed on the country’s long-suffering woolgrowers.
OPINION: Your canine crusader suggests that any farmers or rural folk contemplating voting for the Greens at the upcoming election should have a close look at exactly who is endorsing the party and its policies.
Your canine crusader has been a long-time critic of NZ governments – of all stripes – who, for the past 20-30 years, have ranked the agricultural portfolio so low down the Cabinet placings.
Your old mutt was not surprised to see the NZ Dairy Industry Awards hastily remove the title of this year’s competition winner Nick Bertram, following his politically incorrect tweets being made public.
OPINION: Your old mate nearly choked on his dog biscuit when he read that the Hawkes Bay Regional Council is going to investigate more freshwater storage sites in the region.
OPINION: A mate of the Hound’s recently contacted this old mutt to report his deep concerns that AgResearch’s fancy new $45 million building at Lincoln did not back our wool sector.
OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that dairy farming company, Sidogg Investments Limited, which was recently fined $281,250 in the Ashburton District Court – after a worker was crushed in an on-farm accident by a trailer – has a strong link to dairy sector royalty.
OPINION: Your old mate wonders why there has not been a whole lot of gnashing of teeth and wailing from the xenophobes – more commonly known as failing political party NZ First – about a Canadian pension fund buying a major stake in New Zealand’s biggest corporate dairy farmer, Dairy…
OPINION: A mate of the Hound’s reckons the self-proclaimed champion of the provinces, and mouth of the North, Shane Jones, needs to be little more careful about how he publicises the way he spends taxpayer money.
OPINION: This old mutt has always believed that any hopes of a possible free trade deal – that is any good – between NZ and the EU were about as elusive as an honest politician.
OPINION: WorkSafe and workplace safety legislation dominate the daily operations of the private sector, including farms.
OPINION: Your canine crusader notes that media outfit Stuff, which was bought for the princely sum of $1 (with many believing it overpriced at that), recently carried an expose about companies in the kiwifruit sector claiming the wage subsidy.
OPINION: Greenpeace is again on the attack, targeting its favourite enemy – Fonterra.
OPINION: Milk bottles in Australia’s smallest state – ACT – are carrying the faces of missing people.
OPINION: So this Government spends $572,000 on a kids’ playground at Parliament grounds but when it comes to helping drought-stricken farmers in Hawke’s Bay, it can fork out only $500,000.
OPINION: The National Business Review has highlighted a major issue with the possible move to online annual general meetings.
OPINION: The Hound understands that National’s newly minted agriculture spokesman David Bennett is in a long-distance relationship with Bridget McKenzie, a senator from Victoria in the Australian Federal Parliament.
