Comments on: Pigs may yet fly free

By: Kiwipolitico » Blog Archive » All talk, no trousers – Labour’s position on pig farming

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:12:29 +0000

[...] On Thursday last week Brendon Burns, a Labour MP on the primary production select committee, posted on Red Alert about pig farming. More precisely he said he was horrified by sow crates, and he’d had a little dig at the [...]

By: Labrat

Labrat — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:21:07 +0000

“And, btw, MPs are eating free range pork (and chicken.) I asked a question of Bellamys months ago and they have assured me, via their suppliers, that no sow-crate pork is used, none imported and all free range.”

I guess considering Bellamys is tax-payer subsidised that is appropriate. I think the impetus for change is going to be demand driven (that is, what consumers are prepared to pay for free range) and my question here is should the Bellamys model be introduced across the board (subsidies for free-range produce) or perhaps a revenue gathering model (a punitive tax on non free-range). Or perhaps simply legislate against the production and sale of non-free range produce and let producers and consumers bear the costs of change?

By: Anita

Anita — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:56:52 +0000

Brendon,

If you’re on the primary production select committee, which Labour MP would be onto this if you’re not? It sounds very much like you took the opportunity to have a dig at National, but have actually got no more intention of doing anything about this than the Nats.

Have you got Rochelle’s draft bill? If not I’ll make sure you get a copy, it looks like it’s be pretty simple to fix the Animal Welfare Act, which would be a big step forward.

By: bikerkiwi

bikerkiwi — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:21:23 +0000

No need George – It was a simple question. Still waiting for a answer tho’

By: George

George — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:31:09 +0000

Have you talked to your agriculture spokesperson about this?

By: bikerkiwi

bikerkiwi — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:59:00 +0000

Brendon, The fact that Bellamys serves free range pork is not what I was really asking.

My question is do all the Labour MP’s make a decision to do this in their own shopping (with their own money).

If they do for moral reasons – why did they leave situations like this when they were in power for 9 years?

Why just the concern now?

By: Brendon Burns

Brendon Burns — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:45:11 +0000

Might be that other Labour MPs are onto this but I am happy to receive suggestions on amending legislation and have a look.
And, btw, MPs are eating free range pork (and chicken.) I asked a question of Bellamys months ago and they have assured me, via their suppliers, that no sow-crate pork is used, none imported and all free range.

By: George

George — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:41:17 +0000

No answer then?

Feel good rhetoric, but no courage to even stand up here and give a response? If you can’t even answer your lowly blog-critics, why on earth would we have faith that you’re going to stand up and do anything about this issue?

(ps., the people of NZ strongly support this, across multiple opinion polls – you have (and had) what is known as a mandate)

By: Anita

Anita — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Bump!

How’re you going coming up with an actual plan of action?

By: Maynard J

Maynard J — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:49:30 +0000

Oh, and to back up what the others have been saying here, John Campbell pointed out that he had aired footage of the same pig farm about three years ago – where was the horrified reaction and subsequent action then?

What I would really appreciate is an explanation for Labour’s policy at the time – I am sure that some people might not be happy with it (that is because I am assuming there is a use of economic justifications) but it would go a long way to lending credibility to a push from Labour now on the matter.