I am going to the Field Days tomorrow at Mystery Creek. I have my helmut and guess I will be bombarded with views on the ETS and taxes that farmers pay. Labour has a stall in the rural lifestyle section so I look forward to meeting with a range of Kiwis who attend this great event. The hundreds of exhibitors display the range of activities that are proud to connect with rural NZ. The diversity of innovation and science based participants is always inspiring. What I do hope to discuss with as many as I can will be the proposals by the National Government to start selling our State Owned Enterprises and privatize ACC. Both these outrageous acts will result in greater costs and risks for people who live a long way from mainstream power and health facilities….. Farmers and their families. No doubt John smiling key will do his best to charm and distract attendees from these issues but I get the regular feedback that inspite of the good times for agricultural returns, farmers and business leaders are tiring of the lack of a vision, a plan or solid leadership for New Zealand. The best efforts of National Party spin doctors cannot hold back the growing unease over the weak and erratic actions of the National Government. I look forward to a couple of robust days in the heart of rural New Zealand
Go Damien!
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When you see a helicopter arrive you just know who will be on board !
Damien, will be a tough few days at the field days for sure, will be hard to gain any traction when fundamentally Labour do not comprehend that Primary Production is the backbone of the NZ economy….
I agree it will be tough. Labour lost its rural/provincial support at the last election and appears to be picking on farmers lately – which has the flow-on effect of picking on everyone else in provincial communities.
welcome to the waikato damien. i’m sure you’ll be great
I watched a TV programme recently which had a Waikato cooperative farming community looking after their waterways and keeping them clean. That’s the initiative you want to be championing.
Stand your ground mate, you’re a coaster and no people do it tougher…hmmm, maybe the Cantabs.
You don’t need a helmet — they aren’t all that tough in south-south auckland.
Good on you for turning up at Field-days – all political parties should be represented. Although I suspect at this event you may be a little lonely. Not exactly Labour’s core supporters. But also you are probably the best person in Labour to be in attendance (although Farmer Phil of Clevedon may also be comfortable there as well mixing with fellow farmers)
Interesting to note (and good to see) Labour stands around the place – I saw Grant’s stand at the Chaffers Sunday Market this week – not any interest by the market punters mind you – but at least he was there which is more than I can say for the National candidate.
good to see the stop asset sales signs are being kept away from roads.
Out of interest Damien, where are the Field days being held? Dont you mean Fieldays – http://www.fieldays.co.nz/
I gues it shows how out of touch the Labour party is with the rural community when you dont know what the event is called, and insulting the rural community with candidates like Rick Barker is not doing to help the cause either {Rick and Damien can handle your cheap personal jibes, so this comment is not edited, but to be clear Rick represented an electorate with a large rural community, Tukituki, for a number of years and is well versed in rural issues, Grant}
{deleted, please do not make personal inferences like that, Grant}
Damien, a lot of farming people here are disgusted that National do not seem to care that selling our farmland to overseas buyers. Our farmland is our greatest asset to get the economy moving and like the power companies, National don’t care who owns it.
NOT all farmers are National Party voters, and not all people in rural areas vote National either. Farmers did okay under the last Labour Government. I can’t see that paying for only 10% of Emissions is going to break the agricultural back of New Zealand. There are already a number of farmers keeping their emissions under control
Go well Damien. Labour has a lot to say to the Rural Sector, including the R & D tax credit that is Labour policy, and far superior to anything Nats are doing. Not every farmer belongs to the Feds, and considering their soon-to-be-ex President is flirting with the ACT Party, I would think a number of them are rather embarrassed at the moment.
The nonsense of Asset Sales [which a vote for National & Act will guarantee] is something every sensible farmer is querying.
Wendy – I think you are being optimistic is you think for one second farmers will vote for anyone other than National especially on the question of asset sales. Flush with all their cash they will be buying up shares in the quality companies that we will soon have an opportunity to purchase shares in.
At the Field-days I have no doubt the masses of visitors will love the opportunity to see / speak / hear what John Key has to say. He is afterall the most popular Prime Minister ever – and the people of NZ Know it (as much as Labour hate that fact it is true)
Labour venturing amongst farmers, that would be like the Pm visiting a foodbank… oh hang on…
Nationals ETS policy is appalling .. the Labour/Green combined policy will be a killer
“Flush with all their cash they will be buying up shares in the quality companies that we will soon have an opportunity to purchase shares in.”
Wait, why are they always saying they have no money then?