Tuesday, 02 July 2024 11:55

Back off!

Written by  The Hound

OPINION: The inquiry into rural banking practice was welcomed at Fieldays, but Groundswell NZ added a proviso that this must include banks' treatment of agricultural emissions.

"Banks are becoming de facto enforcers of the same kinds of emissions policies that have been rejected by the voting public... banks are wanting farmers to comply with emissions policies based on outdated models".

It's a good point: problems with credit access may be caused by banks wanting to reduce the emissions disclosures in their lending portfolio reports, when the models they use don't reflect the developing science on agricultural emissions, and the Primary Production Committee's inquiry should include this in its remit.

Groundswell suggests you go to backoffbanks.nz and tell MPs to include emissions in their inquiry.

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Anyone in the primary sector will know about the clowns covering the countryside in the red tape we all have to wade through.

Spare a thought then for media outfit Stuff who were threatened with fines up to $200,000 by a snivelling civil servant from the MoH for illustrating a quiz question with a photo of part of the cover of a 45-year-old copy Playboy.

As Stuff notes, “It wasn’t the Playboy cover which caused offence. No, it was the back page which… featured an advert for a cigarette brand”.

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The Hound

True Reflection?

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