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OPINION: Your old mate notes that the Dutch Pro-Farmer Party recently swept the elections in the country, very much upsetting the status quo.
The surprise victory is widely seen as a protest vote against Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government and some of his policies, including a goal to slash nitrogen emissions.
The Farmer Citizen Movement - known by its Dutch acronym BBB - won 15 seats in the 75-seat upper house of the Dutch national parliament, level with the bloc formed by left-of-centre Labour and Green parties.
This will now compound problems for Rutte in his attempts to drastically slash pollution from the country's agriculture, industry and transport sectors to protect vulnerable natural habitats.
The BBB's electoral success underscore a deep-rooted resentment of mainstream politics in The Netherlands that spreads far beyond the party's farming power base.
Perhaps NZ politicians should take note!
OPINION: This old mutt well remembers the wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth by former West Coast MP and Labour Agriculture Minister Damian O’Connor when Chineseowned Yili took over the troubled dairy company Westland Milk a few years back.
OPINION: Your canine crusader gets a little fed up with the some in media, union hacks, opposition politicians and hard-core lefty whiners who claim the answer to all the country’s current financial woes is to tax the rich even more.
OPINION: Readers of this column will know that your old mate has been a long-time critic of $55 million of taxpayers’ money handed out to ‘favoured’ media outlets via the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF) through NZ on Air by the previous government.
OPINION: The Hound reckons school teachers like nothing better than to complain constantly about how tough things are for them and that their generous holidays are all spent ‘marking school work and preparing for next term ahead’.
OPINION: The new government has clearly signalled big cuts across the public service.
Solar generation company, Lodestone Energy is now delivering energy from its second solar farm, Rangitaiki in the Bay of Plenty.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being urged to their say in the upcoming levy referendum to enable Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) to continue its work for the sector.
James and Debbie Stewart from Dairylands in Manawatu impressed judges and took out the 2024 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award.
Manawatu farmers Will Hinton and Kali Rangiawha have scooped the 2024 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year.
More bull breeders are using genetic tools according to the latest research.
Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.
OPINION: This old mutt well remembers the wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth by former West Coast MP and Labour…
OPINION: Your canine crusader gets a little fed up with the some in media, union hacks, opposition politicians and hard-core…
