February 21, 2025 • 40 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Te Radar, Winston Peters, Bruce Cotterill, Emma Higgins, and Chris Luxon.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with one hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience. Grow
with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
To me, I can't take.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Them KNA and good Morning New Zealand. This is the
best of the country. It's brought to you by Rabobank.
(00:33):
We're growing a better New Zealand together. My name is
Jamie McKay. Musical theme for you this morning, going back
in time to nineteen seventy nine. This is a band
called Promises and Baby at Shee Now. The reason I'm
playing songs from nineteen seventy nine is Ai was the
first year commerce student at Otago University. That ages me,
(00:54):
doesn't it. But it was also the year that Winston
Parla Winston Peters should I say, first entered Parliament. We'll
tell you more about that later because he's coming up
on the show, but we're going to kick it off
with Terada Andrew Lumsden, the voice behind the FMG Young
Farmer Contest, also Bruce Cottrell, Herald business columnist and podcaster
(01:17):
Emma Higgins out of a Rabobank. Another relatively good GDT
auction result this week. Good news for farmers on red meat.
And of course we had the farmer confidence survey from
Federated Farmers this week as well. Prime Minister Christopher Luxen
will comment on that we had the OCR announcement this
week as well. Fifty basis points good news there. Now
(01:37):
Winston wants us out of the Paris Climate Accord, but
what does the PM say? And he showed that he
had a good sense of humor over his beef and
lamb New Zealand barbecue fashion crime. It's all on the
best of the country and it's brought to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
The best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Rabobank the voice behind the FMG Young Farmer of the
Year contest. As we count down to the big Grand
Final happening and in the Cargo in early July, well,
one man who will be heading back down south is
Hugh Jackson because a couple of years ago he represented
Otago Southland in the Grand Final, but he's going back
(02:31):
as the winner this time Tarada as the winner of
the whybop wykat Obey a plenty an impressive young man.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
He look he is very impressive. He was down there
in Otago, Southland when they had a very strong club.
Sure what the club was, James Fox was there. It
was great hue. So he's very driven. He came third
in the Grand Final. He came back up to the
family farm on the coast out at Tiakau, so you know,
west West, and he helped with the Grand Final. I
(03:02):
think he was on the committee last year to help
organize that. And he's come through and look he really
he dominated, particularly in the quiz. You know, it's hard
to tell during the day how people are going. But
as soon as we've got the quez, the very first
round photo I D round he smashed out six of
the eight and everyone's sort of sat there a little
a ghas and went, wow, boy, he is here to play.
(03:23):
He's done a lot of work for this and he's
going to be a very strong contender. Popular young guy
from down there as well.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, twenty seven years of age, radar. He's sort of
in the sweet spot, isn't he. You know, like the
three little beers in the porridge, not too hot, not
too cold. He's been to a Grand Final, he's finished third.
A couple of years ago you would have to think
he's got a real start as chance and I'm the cargo.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
Oh look he.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Has, as I say, finished third, helped organize one last year.
He knows what goes on with it. But it's that
mental game on the day. And actually it's the preparation.
And I got the feeling that he had been doing
a lot of preparation for this because he knows what
it's like. Second Stephen Brouns call in Rock. He came
second this time. I think he was second last year
as well. He's a great competitor. It would have been
(04:09):
an interesting conversation on the way home as what. Hailey
was a competitor as well. She took out the Agrisports prize.
She was one of the of the four sort of
section prizes that Hugh didn't when Stephen got second. But
you know, Hailey sort of Hailey beat him in the
in the Agriskills, so that there would have been a
great chat on the way home. Hey, And look it
was a cracker of a regional two. The hall was
(04:32):
for you know what it's like, Jamie, when you walk
into a hall for an evening function and the first
thing you do is you have a little listen and
you listen to that hubbub where this hall was a
buzz with conversation, a lot of club members, a lot
of people were in the beautiful worrying of all. So
it was all in all great regional.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yew and Will Evans finished third. Now I caught up
with you after the first of the regional finals a
couple of weeks ago Northern. Since then we've had Tara
Man or Taranaki Man. What I'm just going off the
top of my head here, Radar, and it's not that
flash these days. But didn't we have a nineteen year
old win that.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
I think he was pretty young actually, I Katahunabo who
from memory till it was hard to remember because I've
got so many winners every week. So yeah, you're going
to have a spread of ages across that interesting. This
week in the FMG Junior we had two women's teams
take out the two spots from Northern. We had two
women's teams take out the spot from tower Man and
(05:27):
this week we finally got a couple of young fellows
in there to compete against a very strong competition that's
coming through in that junior section from those young women
and look their tested it's not only the knowledge, you
know that they've got science and animals and various things.
They've got practical challenges there as well, so it it
bodes well for the competition.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Well, the competition is something like five percent of the
entrance this year are female, which is great. And Emma
Paul bless her, wonderful ambassador that she is for everything
she touches. She really did break the grass ceiling.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Look she did. And actually it's interesting someone made a
little comment, you know, it's great to have that, but
also a little daunting for some others because she she
did do so very well. But yeah, she was there
on Saturday with Chris and the kids, so that was
great to see her back. And you know she pops
in and out and that's you know, that's the nature
of the competition. We saw her brother Tim was at
(06:20):
Northern he'd taken it out the year before and he's
actually on his way down to Otago, Southland. All the
best people go down there and various others, so there's
a huge number of people that come back through and
want to be a part of the competition.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So off to East Coast next and that's the North
Island tied it up and then you take a bit
of a break and what three in a row in
the South Island three regions, Yeah we do.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
What have we got? We're about two two and a half?
Is not this weekend, not week next weekend, the weekend
after we're down and Masterton week off after that, and
then we knock out the three South Island ones weekend
after weekend and then we take a little break. So
nice to be down in the North Way KADOA tell
you want to back down on the way Catto again
this week for the Arts Best Ward MCA bookery show
on the weekend. And I'm hoping that it will have
(07:02):
rained because according that the parents place stayed there of
any why and I'll tell you what, it looked a
bit like Marlboro. It was pretty dry down there. Little
skiff of sort of showers came through to barely settled
the dust. So hopefully that Northway, that whykado Origin gets
a bit of rain this week.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Andrew Lumston, also known as Radar, the voice of the
FMG Young Farmer Regional Contests. Of course the big final
coming up and in Icargo in July. We look forward
to East Coast and then the three South Island regions
will keep in touch.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Brilliant, Thank you, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
The best of the country with Rubbobank, the bank with
local agri banking experts, passionate about the future of rural
communities rubber Bank.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I always enjoy interviewing this man, the Deputy Prime Minister
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. Winston, do you know
why I like interviewing you.
Speaker 6 (07:51):
I have no idea. Maybe you're loving for punishment.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Now I'll tell you why, because, unlike most politicians these days,
I don't have to send questions in advance a day
in advance. You can answer off the cuff. It's almost
it's almost a lost skill in their politicians.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
Well that's sad though, you know that we've got so
much in modern day politics which used to be well
frowned on or not allowed in for the days when
you know, you had to get up and give a
speech and not read you from your notes or read
from your phone. These days a read from your laptop.
(08:29):
This is disgusting stuff we see these days, but it's
allowed to happen and it's not advancing the political discourse
or the purpose of parliamentary debates.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
So what is the etiquette around standing up in the
house And I was in there watching you and Shane
an action last week. What is the etiquette regarding standing
up and making a speech?
Speaker 6 (08:48):
Well, there is that you get the call that you
asked to speaker and thinking it is the calls we start.
But I mean, what is happening now is that people
are getting up and reading from their phone that so
they're not part of you need debate because what was
said before them, they're not referred to it, make no
reference to it, and so they actually just making a
(09:08):
statement which could have been dousted by their own office
or did their party and clearing sometimes it is. So
that's not taking us anywhere, and it's not being referred
to or commented on by the mainstream media. If they
were to be more careful about the media, that is,
they wouldn't have the situation. But they're not saying anything
about it at all.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
How your good self aside, who's the best artor in
the house.
Speaker 6 (09:33):
Ah, there's some very good ones, very talented ones. Trying
to make myself enemies better in the change. You have
a bone speech the other day about this question of
the behavior.
Speaker 7 (09:43):
In the house.
Speaker 6 (09:45):
Admission times, and that's worth watching. There's some very good speakers.
But you know, in former times, people like tour boys
for tremendous better they got all the way from way
down south. You had Muldoon who was very very good
long he was brilliant. Others were not too bad at all.
(10:08):
But I'm trying those days. Oh that be gone.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
I'll tell you. I'll tell you who wasn't too bad
in the house because I find him sometimes a bit
like a deflated balloon in an interview, and that's Chris Sipkins.
But in the house he's regarded as a reasonable speaker
and reasonably quick on his feet. Has he been quick
on his feet to woo you?
Speaker 6 (10:33):
I don't know why you're saying that, because we're campaigning
for the next election, as we did for the last one,
and if you look at the Layer party's record, what
was their record? Well, he said that we did a
whole lot of things that we hadn't done the work on.
We hadn't done the work to make sure that they
were funded probably or would happen. He made that statement
first of all, just recently then we got the job
(10:57):
from the cinder of doing what did he do on
fire and got rid of a whole lot of her
policies right after the elections, so to speak. Now when
you look at the things that way, you've got to
ask yourself it happens, what were you actually doing and
thinking when this is all going wrong? He was the
Minister of Police, you remember, he was the Minister of Education,
he was the Minister of health. And look how many
(11:19):
disasters were going on. Are all under our nose, And
when this COVID inquiry is over, you're going to find
out a whole lot of things that are really bad
that happened and where people were treated so bad badly.
Gas lit out of a job, man Dad out of
a job and they've never quite recovered to him.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Now, I know you're bristle at the suggestion, but are
some of the main street and media. I don't know
if I'm in that or not. Winstone are saying are
saying that, and that's probably fair and let hipkins, there's
no fall I wouldn't think so. The only realistic way
for him to form a government and twenty twenty six
is to woo you because you can't have a stable
government with Tapathi Maori and even the Greens.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Well how long have the take them to work that
out in mainstream media? So they wrote that last few days,
didn't they? How long do they take the mainstream media
to work it out? This is what's so sad about you,
you know, because you've got so many people in the
Party Mara and the Green Party who are not actually
house I said anything like their former leadership used to be.
(12:22):
If I look at the original founders of the Green
Party and compare what's going on now, some of these
people are proudly outright Marxists, they say. So they outright
think that everybody else is just so wrong that what
works with the way they do it. They don't care
what anybody else says. And then you got to Party Mara,
which has got a disgusting record of late, the way
(12:45):
they come to Parliament bare feet, t shirts on, wearing
cowboy hats, and everybody else's basically inferior. They talk about
blood content, they talk about people who've got Maria and
my sham Jones and me as being people who haven't
got the blood quantum that that's required, or a waste
of Mari blood. All that sort of racist, evil sort
of stuff, and they're getting away with it. Well, they
(13:06):
think they are, but I think at the end of
the day that Lampad now has got a big problem
because they look it over there and they know how
on earth can we possibly going to govern with them?
So my answer to them as well, why have you
not condemned how they behaved? Why have we stood there
in silence and allowed these people to behad that way?
And then they're going to handicap your party enormously going forward?
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yep, well God defeated New Zealand if they got the
treasury benches. Okay, Look, I'm hoping to chat to Bruce
Cottrell shortly herald business columnist and podcaster, and he's saying,
and he's a smart guy, he's saying, we should pull
out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
Look. I was on a program quite some time ago
when I was asked this very question, and I said, Look,
the reality is that if we've got China, India, Russia,
and now the US is not part of it anymore
(14:03):
in practical sense, not part of anymore, then what on
earth can we actually do that we've got as seriously
reconsider the position we've taken on Paris, the Paris Accord.
When I was signed by that National Party w Prime
Minister Paul Bennett. You recalled she was sent across there
and they signed up. No one knew what it was
(14:23):
about in Paris in twenty fifteen. But I've said, we've
got to give a reflection. We've got a reconsider what
need's going on here. How much is going to cost
us in a system of international responsibility that far too
many countries are not part of. And how can we
keep on argument it's good for these Zealeran people. I
made that statement. It's funny, you know, some people just
(14:44):
blindness things that when so many reflects on that, they
think you're somehow not playing ball or not doing the
right thing. But as Crodall might be saying, I've made
his article, by the way, but if he's saying, look,
we've got to reflect on what onth we're trying to do.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Now.
Speaker 6 (14:59):
If they these huge economies, massively over sixty five percent
of the world's carbon emission, so to speak, if they're out,
what can we do. That's what we said, That's what
I said back then, and I still say that's what
we're going to do.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Winston Peter's Deputy Prime Minister. I have enjoyed our unscripted chat.
Thank you and thank you for not asking for questions.
Speaker 6 (15:21):
Thank you for much.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yes, the best of the country with Rubbobank. Choose the
bank with one hundred and twenty years global acribusiness experience.
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
So you've heard from Winston Peters and his thoughts on
the Paris Climate Agreement or record. He's a man who
wrote a really good column in The Herald and Saturday's
Business section on that very said same subject. We need
to be out of it, Bruce cottrel Herald columnist podcaster,
tell me about it. Why should we be out of
the Paris Accord?
Speaker 8 (15:52):
Well, Jamie, I think there's a whole lot of things, really,
but first and foremost, we can't afford it. I think
it came with a price tag of twenty three billion
dollars or something between now and now in the end
of this decade. You know why, bother The argument around
climate is changing dramatically. I think the sciences has now
(16:16):
has multiple, multiple viewpoints. And I'm not saying I'm a
climate denier. Of course, the climate's always changing. But whether
or not a little country like New Zealand can do
anything about it is my question. And we've now got
the world's biggest polluters, including most recently the US pulling
out of it, pulling out of the Paris Accord. China
(16:37):
aren't there, India aren't there. So my view is it's
a very very high cost when you consider what that
sort of money could do for our crisis in hospitals, schools, infrastructure,
water treatment and elsewhere.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Well, you're knocking on an open door. But remember Jacinda
said we had to do our bit, we had to
lead on the global stage. What a load of bollocks
that was.
Speaker 8 (17:00):
We don't have to lead anything. We should be a
fast follower. We're a young, innovative country. We have a
whole lot of positive things going here that so many
countries around the world don't have. And so a logical
place for us to be is to be a fast
follower by all means, watch what's going on in the world.
(17:23):
But we don't have to lead stuff. We can't. We're
not influential enough to lead things. But we could be
a fast follower and leverage off what the big countries
around the world are doing.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
What are you going to say to the likes of
Miles hurrle say, if you pull out of the Paris Accord,
we're going to lose our customers like the known and
Nesle Sainsbury's.
Speaker 8 (17:44):
Well will we Well, that's the first question, and the
second thing is, you know I saw lux and say
it was all about our reputation. I just wonder if
you know, if the big polluters aren't there, maybe we
could enhance our mutation within and right now, the biggest
change agent in the world is the USA, and there,
(18:08):
you know, I guess, are changing on all sorts of
fronts cost base their view on the world, and that's
going to lead to dramatic change right across the world,
no matter which way you look at it, and that
actually gives us permission to think about things a different way.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Did you find that interesting? And I know you haven't
heard the interview with Winston Peters which is just aired,
but he said we shouldn't have been in ages ago,
so he's going against the coalition party line. Do you
think Nationals considerably more woke or maybe I should use
a kind of word progressive than Winston's.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
Well, well, look, I think I think Winston's making a
lot of sense at the moment. He hasn't always made
that level of sense throughout his political career, but right
now he's doing a damn good Joel.
Speaker 7 (18:55):
I think.
Speaker 8 (18:56):
Look, you know my column on the weekend, Jamie, it
came from frustration, but partly from what a whole lot
of people are saying. And if you think about this government,
they've got a fantastic mandate. They took on a shambles
and went the bigger the mess. Of course, the more
excuses you've got to get stuck into it and to
fix it up. But we seem just to be rolling along.
(19:17):
We're not doing anything about the debt, we're not doing
enough about key services failing, and so I just don't
think we're making them enough progress. And if the alternative
to being in the Paris Accord is pulling that money
out and spending it on getting our country back on
its feet, That's what I'd rather see us do.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Now.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I see you're calling for more spending cuts. Is that
cutting off your nose to spite your face? Though?
Speaker 8 (19:43):
Well it might be, but you know, government spending is
running at forty two percent of GDP And as Rob
McLeod said on my leaders Getting Coffee podcasts last year,
you know the tax takes only thirty two percent. So
you know, New Zealand's got over forty government of departments
and they have over seventy portfolios for our ministers. Norway
(20:05):
has a similar population to us, and they have eighteen
government departments and twenty portfolios. We are over governs and terrible.
So and look, I don't like the idea of slashing
people's jobs. But as you'll note from the column, one
of the things I suggest, and I do try to
always try to throw a couple of solutions to my columns,
(20:26):
is let's make opportunities for those people and government departments
who might not enjoy their jobs to retrain for other roles.
And we can even in the long term, we can
even pay them to do that. So you know, we
need nurses and teachers and police, and I know that
paid by the government as well, but they're much more
productive roles than driving a desk. But we also need
(20:47):
truckees and project managers and farmers and people for mining
operations and tourism, and government aren't paying those people. And
I said in the column, if you can take twenty
thousand people out of the government and retrain them for
a productive role, then we might have a growth, we
might have a crack at the growth that the Prime
Minister's chasing.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Now, But we also need people to authorize the likes
of the spending the four million dollars on paying these
sperm whale noises to the Cowerie trees to stop the
die back. I would like to get that person and
publicly put them in stocks and throw tomatoes or flog
them at them. Who the hell made that decision?
Speaker 8 (21:22):
Now, Jamie McKay, you know that just by mentioning that,
you're winding me up. But I totally agree. Look, you
know that might be nice to haves if you've got
research institutes trying new things. But again, where do we
need the money to get At the moment? Dunedin needs
a hospital, We know that pretty well. There's a couple
of other cities around the country that need hospitals as well.
(21:45):
We need to do something about our education. We certainly
need to support the tourism operators and the farmers and
the tertiary education providers to try and bring those industries
back to what they were before COVID, because that's actually
the areas that we can recreate. The growth of gender.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
How important is farming in the primary sector. This is
a dumb question because I know the answer, but I
want to hear your take on it. To the economy.
It's our only way out, isn't it?
Speaker 8 (22:12):
Well, absolutely well, not our only way out. I think
tourism can play a rolek.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Yeah, but hang on, hang on, Bruce. Isn't tourism like
a double edged sword. Yes, we bring in money, but
we export a hell of a lot when we go
touring around the world.
Speaker 8 (22:25):
Yeah, well, I'm what I mean is incoming tourism, Jamie,
But no, look, farthing. Farthing to me is number one.
You follow my comumn, so you know that from time
to time I write about the fact that we're too
tough on our farmers and we've got to make it
easier for our for our farmers to be successful. And
that means red getting rid of red tape, that means
(22:46):
dealing with some of the ridiculous compliance things that they
have to abide by. And you know, we've got to
make it easy for people to be successful in this country.
And you know why do you think forty five of
our forty five thousand of our young things left last
year because it's too hard here and it's easier somewhere else.
So we've got to make it easy for people to
(23:07):
be successful, and that includes the people who have the
greatest chance of driving our success. And number one on
that list is our farmers, number twos, our tourism operators.
And then you know Shane Jones Winston's colleagues doing a
good job talking up the operation, the opportunity with mining.
There's all sorts of things we could do, but you know,
we just need a government that gives us position, gives
(23:29):
us permission and resourcing.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Jeez, Bruce Cottrol, you're talking a lot of sense now.
You're a good towernger boy originally. Anyhow, these days based
in Auckland, have you ever thought of perhaps going into
politics being the MP for Twonga as someone else was
in the past. You could be the New Zealand first candidate.
I think you'd have a good shot.
Speaker 8 (23:48):
Yeah, I mean, I thought you knew me better than that.
Speaker 6 (23:50):
I am.
Speaker 8 (23:52):
I am just not patient enough. I like to see
things getting done and the whole thought of sitting in
there for three years and saving an apprenticeship just does
my head and I'm afraid so thank you for the
thank you for the kind offer but I think you
better count me out and lead me to what I'm doing.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Well, you're a bit like me. It's a lot easier
to stand outside the tent and pay you and I
reckon all right. Bruce Cottrell, thank you very much for
your time. Appreciate it. Great column. People can catch it
on the Herald website.
Speaker 6 (24:21):
Thanks Jamie.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Good morning, New Zealand. Welcome back to the Best of
the Country. It's brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing
a better New Zealand together. My name's Jamie McKay. We're
playing songs from nineteen seventy nine this morning, just because
we can. This was number one on New Zealand Radio
on the twenty fourth of May. I think it was. Yes. Indeed,
it was nineteen seventy nine when a young politician by
(24:56):
the name of Winston Peters entered Parliament Beg's and tragedy.
Some people might have thought it was a tragedy. I
think he's done pretty well, to be fair, one of
the great characters of New Zealand politics. Up next, Emma
Higgins from Rabobank senior ag analyst Christopher Luxen to wrap
it and we'll discuss that fashion crime at the Beef
(25:16):
and Lamb New Zealand National Lamb Day barbecue. But talking
about Rabobank, they're going to be at the Northland Field
Days this week coming up. Make sure you swing by
their marquee. Plenty of the local team on site as
well as members of the Rabobank research team. The d
l L staff will also be on hand to discuss
your equipment finance needs. You can find the marquee at
(25:39):
Site F thirteen on Silver Fern Farms Road. And Rabobank
also letting us know that applications are open for two
of their business management programs as the Farm Managers Program
as the Executive Development Program. More about that next week.
If you want to find out more about how you
can enter one of these and get some professional development,
(26:01):
go to rabobank dot co dot NZ. Emma Higgins up next.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank, the bank with
local agribanking experts passionate about the future of rural communities Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Higgins is a senior Rabobank agg analyst. In fact I
think she's the most senior of all AGG analysts Rabobank.
What a title that is, Emma. I'm going to chat
chat to Andrew Murray shortly from Fonterra about last night's
GDT auction. I reckon it was a good result, even
though it was down slightly. I want to hear your
take on it. Good afternoon, Hi, Jamie.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Yeah, look, I think it was a good result too,
good news for farmers. So yes, we did see a
small softening in the GDT index. And you know, when
we look at the power complex, which is really important
for our New Zealand farmers because of the farmgate milk price,
we saw a decline come through for skim milk powder,
so decline of two point five percent. Look, it could
have been worse based on where the futures were pointing
(26:59):
to things. But I think, you know, in terms of
the prices US dollars two seven hundred and fifty four
bucks will take that. I think the big winner really
was homework powder and butter. So homeworkpowder prices saw a
small decline in the index and average price is still
sitting above the US four thousand bucks a ton mark,
(27:21):
which is great news and really I think their lead
story here, Jamie, really comes down to the butter price.
So a lift of over two percent on an index basis,
we're now looking at an average price of US seven thousand,
three hundred and seventy eight bucks, which by my calculations
is actually a new record. Bodes well for farm gatement prices.
(27:43):
Not so good maybe for butter lovers in the supermarket.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Shelves, not to mention the cheese lovers you've just released.
Also at rabobank, and this is probably no surprise a
report saying that New Zealand is the lowest cost producer
of milk in the world.
Speaker 7 (28:00):
Yeah, we are, based on our calculations. So what we
did was we undertook a bit of an exercise to
try and compere production costs on a like for like basis.
It was no mean feat or no easy feet, sorry, Jamie.
What we did was we tried to take the local
production costs from all the various data sources and make
them in a standardized way so that we could unpack it.
(28:22):
And you know, ultimately what happened based on our calculations
is that most regions in the exporting world have actually
seen costs lift across the course of twenty twenty one
in particular through to now. A lot of that, as
we know, is a similar story that our New Zealand's
farmers have been facing were pandemic issues, costs of living issues, etc.
(28:44):
But the long on the short of it is our
New Zealand care we farmers here have come out in
top place, if you can say that, in terms of
having the lowest milk production costs. We've been neck and
neck with Australia for the last several years, but we've
just pit them at the post based on our twin
four data by a couple of cents, so we'll take that.
(29:04):
But I think there's some real lessons in here, Jamie.
It's the fact that on a beverage basis, we've got
the ability on our production systems to strip out costs
in response to milk price volatility. In some of our
counterparts and other production systems, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere
don't necessarily have that lever to pool and that's been
most helpful in this analysis.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
And our further good news a China is the most
expensive as the highest cost milk producer, so we're sending
plenty over there that bodes well for us as well.
Can I just finish on another positive story, because we're
full of positives and farming at the moment after the
farmer confidence survey from Federated Farmers today, Emma, and that
is red meat. We know that beefs go in great
(29:47):
guns at the moment, record prices, But the surprise story
in a lot of ways this year or this farming
season has been laym. It continues to hang in there.
Speaker 7 (29:57):
Look at dares continue to hang in there, and oh
my goodness, we'll absolutely take that right because our sheep
farmers could really use it. Look, I think in terms
of what's happening out there, we're still seeing that broad
based demand story take place in terms of our secondary market,
providing real optionality for exporters. In addition to that, we
are slightly seeing some more positive signals come out of China.
(30:19):
I think if we take a step back, Jamie, the
red met complex is in a much better shape for
twenty twenty five. And if we think about our beef
farmers and also a dairy farmers right because it's a coproduct,
those signals bode well in terms of the supply side,
at least coming out of the United States or the
fact that they don't have a lot of extra supply.
(30:40):
So good news and long way that lasts for twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
On that positive note, we'll leave you, Emma Higgins, always
good to chat on the country.
Speaker 7 (30:48):
Thanks Jamie.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
The best of the country with Robbobank Choose the Bank
with one hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience grow
with Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Stays on the country. Christopher Luxen, Prime Minister, joins us
we'll come back to the fashion crime, but I want
to start with one of the good stories of the day,
the Federated Farmer's confidence serve a prime minister as a government,
you've got this one right, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (31:10):
Look, I'm really proud of the progress we're making in
the agricultural sector. As I've always said, it's going to
power us out of the recession and it's our most
important sector and that's why we've got to back it
and we're going to be all in and so you know, look,
there's no doub about it, Jamie. It's lean been a
really tough you know, fourteen months and this last week
while economically and to see agriculture coming through the way
(31:31):
it is, but we're actually also starting to see manufacturing
activities grown for the first time in two years, services
activities grown for the first time in a year. We've
got touring up twelve percent now.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Yep, okay, So that is going to be helped this
afternoon by a fifty basis point cut in the ocr
But I wonder whether the advent of Trump has dampened
or Trump is them around the world, has dampened the
prospects of further interest rate cuts. What do you think.
I know it's not your job to comment, but throw
us a bone.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
Look, I don't I don't know. Surely, it's a challenging
global environment for sure, and you know we expect some
turbulentce along the way. But look, bottom line, we are
now on our track where we expect, you know, interest
rates to continue to be falling over the course of
the year. I mean one of the economists I saw
Brad Olsen in the metrics, you know, a really good guy,
but yeah, he was saying, by the end of the year,
(32:20):
just on the interest rate cuts alone, there's an extra
forty five million dollars a week's loshing around. The consumers
will actually have new Zealanders. We have to spend in
the economy and so you know, when they spending in
the economy, that then drives more growth. In a way
we kind of go so, you know, just getting those
interest rates down, and I think we're on us to
stay march down, which is important.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Winston wants us out of the Paris climb at the court. Interestingly,
David Seymour and I thought this was a really interesting comment.
He said he thinks at some stage in the future
the cost of being in will be greater than the
punishment for leaving.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
Well, I mean, as you and I spoke the other
day and I appreciated it was a bit of commentary
in the rural sector. It I think it was misunderstood
was that we are going hard on economic growth and
it is in our national interests to be in Paris,
and we're going to always put keys first and we'll
make sure every decision is in our interests. But what
we're not going to do is what the previous government
(33:12):
was doing, which was punishing our farmers. I want agriculture pumping,
I want the economy growing. As I said, I'm not
going to risk that. So you know, we have made
a commitment to twenty thirty five, which actually, as I said,
is good because it brings it back our international promos
back in line with our domestic commitments.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Hey, but can we.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Afford that commitment? Prime Minister twenty four billion dollars? How
are you going to pay for that commitment?
Speaker 5 (33:36):
What are you justifying that?
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Well, no, it isn't it going to cost us twenty
four billion dollars? Correct me if I'm wrong to meet
those targets.
Speaker 5 (33:44):
Well, No, what we're saying is we're not going to
put We're not going to send billions of dollars overseas
to do credits or any of that sort of stuff.
We're going to make sure that we're doing everything we
can to make sure we're aligned on our domestic goals.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
So what's that plant country in pine trees?
Speaker 4 (33:59):
Is it?
Speaker 6 (34:00):
No?
Speaker 5 (34:00):
No, No, we're not going to do that either. As
you said, we've already come out very strongly with you know,
saying we're not going to have whole farm conversions, and
we've been pretty tough on making sure we push back
on pines. I think people have appreciated it in the
agriculture sector. But you know, what we're saying is all
of our cabinets agreed to say, look, it's the New
Zealand's national interests at this time. Withdrawing from and ripping
up international agreements means we wouldn't be a trusted partner
on trade. It means that those countries overseas would make
(34:22):
sure that they would substitute New Zealand product with European product,
and that means that we're going to be poorer. And
when the sector drives ten thousand dollars for every man,
woman and child, we aren't going to put growth at risk.
Growth as poweramount, growth as primary and you know, I
will continue to revisit make sure everything's in our national interests.
But at this time that's exactly the right thing to do.
(34:42):
And as you've seen, it's relatively you know, minimal commitment
as we go out to twenty thirty five. But the
important thing is there's a line the international goals of
what we're on track to do here at home and
we want maximum growth, but we can actually do both,
and we can do it but primary grow it so
our national interests to do so we're going to continue
focus on that.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Hey, I've got a rich history of being involved in
clothing controversies with National Party prime ministers. There was the
gay red top and now there's the beef and Lamb
barbecue fashion crime. And it shows you how out of
touch I am with fashion these days, Prime Minister. I
didn't even notice your fashion crime when I was talking
to you at the barbecue.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
Well, I came out of Parliament and my suit and tie.
I came into your barbecue to promote LAMB and which
I just think is fantastic and I'm just so admiring
of the sector and everything we do and what's been
a pretty tough time. And someone threw me your LAMB
Day T shirt, so I put it on over the
top of my suit and tie and then gave a
bit of a you know, I pumped up you. I
(35:43):
want to make a very strong statement about what I'm
supporting the sector, but the big issues of the day
of being gust and apparently that's a startorial blunder and fashion.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Okay, I'm defending you slightly here because it was quite chilly.
I ended up having to put another layer on at
the barbecue. But did you not think for a moment
to take your jacket off and put the T shirt
over your shirt even well.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
As you know, I was coming out of Parliament and
I was having to go straight back into it again,
so I didn't really have time to do all that.
But I do not care, Jamie. I would do anything
and everything aback our farmers and the fact that that
incident gets talked about. That's all good for our lamb sector.
And as I said, we are the best lamb producers
in the world. It's a good product. And and everyone
(36:22):
in the world deserves to have a garlet getting out
their lips and laughing gear around some lambs.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Yeah, and well done to beef and lamb New Zealand,
and a proud to putting on a wonderful day. It
was very it was very good. Even the Greens turned up.
That's not a bad ass.
Speaker 5 (36:35):
I called the diplomatic incident with the Greens. When you
came up on the plane, Did you spilled water or
something on one of the members of the party.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
No, no, I spelled, I spelled wine. I was reading
my woman's magazine, the New Zealand Woman's Weekly, and I
spilt wine on a local Green mpiece, Scott Wellers. I apologize, Scott. Yeah,
but anyhow, it wasn't a diplomatic incident. It was a mistake.
He was very generous as we mopped it up.
Speaker 5 (36:57):
What are naissance men you are I'm reading the woman's
while you're flying with a shardon name, you know, engaging
with Green members. I mean it's quite something.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
I'm a bit rough around the hey, I'm a bit
rough around the edge. As Prime Minister. I did tell
you that I also sneak to Weepea behind the bushes
and Parliament grounds because no one would give us access
to the toilets. So there you go. That's what you
get with the broken down Southland sheep farmer with the
stave you.
Speaker 5 (37:21):
Next time, See you later, all right, take care of
a great day.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
So yeah, the Best of the Country with Rabobank. Choose
the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Rabobank a Prime Minister Christopher Luxen are wrapping our best
of the country. Good morning. My name's Jamie McKay. The
show's brought to you each and every Saturday morning here
on News Talks. He'd be by Rabobank. We're growing a
better New Zealand together, looking forward to the Super Rugby
later today. My Highlanders up against the Blues I'll chuck
(37:54):
a couple of names at you, Finn Hurley, the young
guy at fallback, Shawn with the open side blanker, a
couple of good self and lads. Keep your eye on them,
And if you want a really good bet at the
tab take the Highlanders Unders famous last words, catch you
back next Saturday.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
They can look out again, all about to to coven S.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Don't my man.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
You were then? I mend enough, nor thay get enough
all what man alow you made you
The best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with one hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience. Grow
with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
To me, I can't take.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Them KNA and good Morning New Zealand. This is the
best of the country. It's brought to you by Rabobank.
(00:33):
We're growing a better New Zealand together. My name is
Jamie McKay. Musical theme for you this morning, going back
in time to nineteen seventy nine. This is a band
called Promises and Baby at Shee Now. The reason I'm
playing songs from nineteen seventy nine is Ai was the
first year commerce student at Otago University. That ages me,
(00:54):
doesn't it. But it was also the year that Winston
Parla Winston Peters should I say, first entered Parliament. We'll
tell you more about that later because he's coming up
on the show, but we're going to kick it off
with Terada Andrew Lumsden, the voice behind the FMG Young
Farmer Contest, also Bruce Cottrell, Herald business columnist and podcaster
(01:17):
Emma Higgins out of a Rabobank. Another relatively good GDT
auction result this week. Good news for farmers on red meat.
And of course we had the farmer confidence survey from
Federated Farmers this week as well. Prime Minister Christopher Luxen
will comment on that we had the OCR announcement this
week as well. Fifty basis points good news there. Now
(01:37):
Winston wants us out of the Paris Climate Accord, but
what does the PM say? And he showed that he
had a good sense of humor over his beef and
lamb New Zealand barbecue fashion crime. It's all on the
best of the country and it's brought to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
The best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Rabobank the voice behind the FMG Young Farmer of the
Year contest. As we count down to the big Grand
Final happening and in the Cargo in early July, well,
one man who will be heading back down south is
Hugh Jackson because a couple of years ago he represented
Otago Southland in the Grand Final, but he's going back
(02:31):
as the winner this time Tarada as the winner of
the whybop wykat Obey a plenty an impressive young man.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
He look he is very impressive. He was down there
in Otago, Southland when they had a very strong club.
Sure what the club was, James Fox was there. It
was great hue. So he's very driven. He came third
in the Grand Final. He came back up to the
family farm on the coast out at Tiakau, so you know,
west West, and he helped with the Grand Final. I
(03:02):
think he was on the committee last year to help
organize that. And he's come through and look he really
he dominated, particularly in the quiz. You know, it's hard
to tell during the day how people are going. But
as soon as we've got the quez, the very first
round photo I D round he smashed out six of
the eight and everyone's sort of sat there a little
a ghas and went, wow, boy, he is here to play.
(03:23):
He's done a lot of work for this and he's
going to be a very strong contender. Popular young guy
from down there as well.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, twenty seven years of age, radar. He's sort of
in the sweet spot, isn't he. You know, like the
three little beers in the porridge, not too hot, not
too cold. He's been to a Grand Final, he's finished third.
A couple of years ago you would have to think
he's got a real start as chance and I'm the cargo.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
Oh look he.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Has, as I say, finished third, helped organize one last year.
He knows what goes on with it. But it's that
mental game on the day. And actually it's the preparation.
And I got the feeling that he had been doing
a lot of preparation for this because he knows what
it's like. Second Stephen Brouns call in Rock. He came
second this time. I think he was second last year
as well. He's a great competitor. It would have been
(04:09):
an interesting conversation on the way home as what. Hailey
was a competitor as well. She took out the Agrisports prize.
She was one of the of the four sort of
section prizes that Hugh didn't when Stephen got second. But
you know, Hailey sort of Hailey beat him in the
in the Agriskills, so that there would have been a
great chat on the way home. Hey, And look it
was a cracker of a regional two. The hall was
(04:32):
for you know what it's like, Jamie, when you walk
into a hall for an evening function and the first
thing you do is you have a little listen and
you listen to that hubbub where this hall was a
buzz with conversation, a lot of club members, a lot
of people were in the beautiful worrying of all. So
it was all in all great regional.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yew and Will Evans finished third. Now I caught up
with you after the first of the regional finals a
couple of weeks ago Northern. Since then we've had Tara
Man or Taranaki Man. What I'm just going off the
top of my head here, Radar, and it's not that
flash these days. But didn't we have a nineteen year
old win that.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
I think he was pretty young actually, I Katahunabo who
from memory till it was hard to remember because I've
got so many winners every week. So yeah, you're going
to have a spread of ages across that interesting. This
week in the FMG Junior we had two women's teams
take out the two spots from Northern. We had two
women's teams take out the spot from tower Man and
(05:27):
this week we finally got a couple of young fellows
in there to compete against a very strong competition that's
coming through in that junior section from those young women
and look their tested it's not only the knowledge, you
know that they've got science and animals and various things.
They've got practical challenges there as well, so it it
bodes well for the competition.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Well, the competition is something like five percent of the
entrance this year are female, which is great. And Emma
Paul bless her, wonderful ambassador that she is for everything
she touches. She really did break the grass ceiling.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Look she did. And actually it's interesting someone made a
little comment, you know, it's great to have that, but
also a little daunting for some others because she she
did do so very well. But yeah, she was there
on Saturday with Chris and the kids, so that was
great to see her back. And you know she pops
in and out and that's you know, that's the nature
of the competition. We saw her brother Tim was at
(06:20):
Northern he'd taken it out the year before and he's
actually on his way down to Otago, Southland. All the
best people go down there and various others, so there's
a huge number of people that come back through and
want to be a part of the competition.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So off to East Coast next and that's the North
Island tied it up and then you take a bit
of a break and what three in a row in
the South Island three regions, Yeah we do.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
What have we got? We're about two two and a half?
Is not this weekend, not week next weekend, the weekend
after we're down and Masterton week off after that, and
then we knock out the three South Island ones weekend
after weekend and then we take a little break. So
nice to be down in the North Way KADOA tell
you want to back down on the way Catto again
this week for the Arts Best Ward MCA bookery show
on the weekend. And I'm hoping that it will have
(07:02):
rained because according that the parents place stayed there of
any why and I'll tell you what, it looked a
bit like Marlboro. It was pretty dry down there. Little
skiff of sort of showers came through to barely settled
the dust. So hopefully that Northway, that whykado Origin gets
a bit of rain this week.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Andrew Lumston, also known as Radar, the voice of the
FMG Young Farmer Regional Contests. Of course the big final
coming up and in Icargo in July. We look forward
to East Coast and then the three South Island regions
will keep in touch.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Brilliant, Thank you, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
The best of the country with Rubbobank, the bank with
local agri banking experts, passionate about the future of rural
communities rubber Bank.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I always enjoy interviewing this man, the Deputy Prime Minister
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. Winston, do you know
why I like interviewing you.
Speaker 6 (07:51):
I have no idea. Maybe you're loving for punishment.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Now I'll tell you why, because, unlike most politicians these days,
I don't have to send questions in advance a day
in advance. You can answer off the cuff. It's almost
it's almost a lost skill in their politicians.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
Well that's sad though, you know that we've got so
much in modern day politics which used to be well
frowned on or not allowed in for the days when
you know, you had to get up and give a
speech and not read you from your notes or read
from your phone. These days a read from your laptop.
(08:29):
This is disgusting stuff we see these days, but it's
allowed to happen and it's not advancing the political discourse
or the purpose of parliamentary debates.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
So what is the etiquette around standing up in the
house And I was in there watching you and Shane
an action last week. What is the etiquette regarding standing
up and making a speech?
Speaker 6 (08:48):
Well, there is that you get the call that you
asked to speaker and thinking it is the calls we start.
But I mean, what is happening now is that people
are getting up and reading from their phone that so
they're not part of you need debate because what was
said before them, they're not referred to it, make no
reference to it, and so they actually just making a
(09:08):
statement which could have been dousted by their own office
or did their party and clearing sometimes it is. So
that's not taking us anywhere, and it's not being referred
to or commented on by the mainstream media. If they
were to be more careful about the media, that is,
they wouldn't have the situation. But they're not saying anything
about it at all.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
How your good self aside, who's the best artor in
the house.
Speaker 6 (09:33):
Ah, there's some very good ones, very talented ones. Trying
to make myself enemies better in the change. You have
a bone speech the other day about this question of
the behavior.
Speaker 7 (09:43):
In the house.
Speaker 6 (09:45):
Admission times, and that's worth watching. There's some very good speakers.
But you know, in former times, people like tour boys
for tremendous better they got all the way from way
down south. You had Muldoon who was very very good
long he was brilliant. Others were not too bad at all.
(10:08):
But I'm trying those days. Oh that be gone.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
I'll tell you. I'll tell you who wasn't too bad
in the house because I find him sometimes a bit
like a deflated balloon in an interview, and that's Chris Sipkins.
But in the house he's regarded as a reasonable speaker
and reasonably quick on his feet. Has he been quick
on his feet to woo you?
Speaker 6 (10:33):
I don't know why you're saying that, because we're campaigning
for the next election, as we did for the last one,
and if you look at the Layer party's record, what
was their record? Well, he said that we did a
whole lot of things that we hadn't done the work on.
We hadn't done the work to make sure that they
were funded probably or would happen. He made that statement
first of all, just recently then we got the job
(10:57):
from the cinder of doing what did he do on
fire and got rid of a whole lot of her
policies right after the elections, so to speak. Now when
you look at the things that way, you've got to
ask yourself it happens, what were you actually doing and
thinking when this is all going wrong? He was the
Minister of Police, you remember, he was the Minister of Education,
he was the Minister of health. And look how many
(11:19):
disasters were going on. Are all under our nose, And
when this COVID inquiry is over, you're going to find
out a whole lot of things that are really bad
that happened and where people were treated so bad badly.
Gas lit out of a job, man Dad out of
a job and they've never quite recovered to him.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Now, I know you're bristle at the suggestion, but are
some of the main street and media. I don't know
if I'm in that or not. Winstone are saying are
saying that, and that's probably fair and let hipkins, there's
no fall I wouldn't think so. The only realistic way
for him to form a government and twenty twenty six
is to woo you because you can't have a stable
government with Tapathi Maori and even the Greens.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Well how long have the take them to work that
out in mainstream media? So they wrote that last few days,
didn't they? How long do they take the mainstream media
to work it out? This is what's so sad about you,
you know, because you've got so many people in the
Party Mara and the Green Party who are not actually
house I said anything like their former leadership used to be.
(12:22):
If I look at the original founders of the Green
Party and compare what's going on now, some of these
people are proudly outright Marxists, they say. So they outright
think that everybody else is just so wrong that what
works with the way they do it. They don't care
what anybody else says. And then you got to Party Mara,
which has got a disgusting record of late, the way
(12:45):
they come to Parliament bare feet, t shirts on, wearing
cowboy hats, and everybody else's basically inferior. They talk about
blood content, they talk about people who've got Maria and
my sham Jones and me as being people who haven't
got the blood quantum that that's required, or a waste
of Mari blood. All that sort of racist, evil sort
of stuff, and they're getting away with it. Well, they
(13:06):
think they are, but I think at the end of
the day that Lampad now has got a big problem
because they look it over there and they know how
on earth can we possibly going to govern with them?
So my answer to them as well, why have you
not condemned how they behaved? Why have we stood there
in silence and allowed these people to behad that way?
And then they're going to handicap your party enormously going forward?
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yep, well God defeated New Zealand if they got the
treasury benches. Okay, Look, I'm hoping to chat to Bruce
Cottrell shortly herald business columnist and podcaster, and he's saying,
and he's a smart guy, he's saying, we should pull
out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
Look. I was on a program quite some time ago
when I was asked this very question, and I said, Look,
the reality is that if we've got China, India, Russia,
and now the US is not part of it anymore
(14:03):
in practical sense, not part of anymore, then what on
earth can we actually do that we've got as seriously
reconsider the position we've taken on Paris, the Paris Accord.
When I was signed by that National Party w Prime
Minister Paul Bennett. You recalled she was sent across there
and they signed up. No one knew what it was
(14:23):
about in Paris in twenty fifteen. But I've said, we've
got to give a reflection. We've got a reconsider what
need's going on here. How much is going to cost
us in a system of international responsibility that far too
many countries are not part of. And how can we
keep on argument it's good for these Zealeran people. I
made that statement. It's funny, you know, some people just
(14:44):
blindness things that when so many reflects on that, they
think you're somehow not playing ball or not doing the
right thing. But as Crodall might be saying, I've made
his article, by the way, but if he's saying, look,
we've got to reflect on what onth we're trying to do.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Now.
Speaker 6 (14:59):
If they these huge economies, massively over sixty five percent
of the world's carbon emission, so to speak, if they're out,
what can we do. That's what we said, That's what
I said back then, and I still say that's what
we're going to do.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Winston Peter's Deputy Prime Minister. I have enjoyed our unscripted chat.
Thank you and thank you for not asking for questions.
Speaker 6 (15:21):
Thank you for much.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yes, the best of the country with Rubbobank. Choose the
bank with one hundred and twenty years global acribusiness experience.
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
So you've heard from Winston Peters and his thoughts on
the Paris Climate Agreement or record. He's a man who
wrote a really good column in The Herald and Saturday's
Business section on that very said same subject. We need
to be out of it, Bruce cottrel Herald columnist podcaster,
tell me about it. Why should we be out of
the Paris Accord?
Speaker 8 (15:52):
Well, Jamie, I think there's a whole lot of things, really,
but first and foremost, we can't afford it. I think
it came with a price tag of twenty three billion
dollars or something between now and now in the end
of this decade. You know why, bother The argument around
climate is changing dramatically. I think the sciences has now
(16:16):
has multiple, multiple viewpoints. And I'm not saying I'm a
climate denier. Of course, the climate's always changing. But whether
or not a little country like New Zealand can do
anything about it is my question. And we've now got
the world's biggest polluters, including most recently the US pulling
out of it, pulling out of the Paris Accord. China
(16:37):
aren't there, India aren't there. So my view is it's
a very very high cost when you consider what that
sort of money could do for our crisis in hospitals, schools, infrastructure,
water treatment and elsewhere.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Well, you're knocking on an open door. But remember Jacinda
said we had to do our bit, we had to
lead on the global stage. What a load of bollocks
that was.
Speaker 8 (17:00):
We don't have to lead anything. We should be a
fast follower. We're a young, innovative country. We have a
whole lot of positive things going here that so many
countries around the world don't have. And so a logical
place for us to be is to be a fast
follower by all means, watch what's going on in the world.
(17:23):
But we don't have to lead stuff. We can't. We're
not influential enough to lead things. But we could be
a fast follower and leverage off what the big countries
around the world are doing.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
What are you going to say to the likes of
Miles hurrle say, if you pull out of the Paris Accord,
we're going to lose our customers like the known and
Nesle Sainsbury's.
Speaker 8 (17:44):
Well will we Well, that's the first question, and the
second thing is, you know I saw lux and say
it was all about our reputation. I just wonder if
you know, if the big polluters aren't there, maybe we
could enhance our mutation within and right now, the biggest
change agent in the world is the USA, and there,
(18:08):
you know, I guess, are changing on all sorts of
fronts cost base their view on the world, and that's
going to lead to dramatic change right across the world,
no matter which way you look at it, and that
actually gives us permission to think about things a different way.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Did you find that interesting? And I know you haven't
heard the interview with Winston Peters which is just aired,
but he said we shouldn't have been in ages ago,
so he's going against the coalition party line. Do you
think Nationals considerably more woke or maybe I should use
a kind of word progressive than Winston's.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
Well, well, look, I think I think Winston's making a
lot of sense at the moment. He hasn't always made
that level of sense throughout his political career, but right
now he's doing a damn good Joel.
Speaker 7 (18:55):
I think.
Speaker 8 (18:56):
Look, you know my column on the weekend, Jamie, it
came from frustration, but partly from what a whole lot
of people are saying. And if you think about this government,
they've got a fantastic mandate. They took on a shambles
and went the bigger the mess. Of course, the more
excuses you've got to get stuck into it and to
fix it up. But we seem just to be rolling along.
(19:17):
We're not doing anything about the debt, we're not doing
enough about key services failing, and so I just don't
think we're making them enough progress. And if the alternative
to being in the Paris Accord is pulling that money
out and spending it on getting our country back on
its feet, That's what I'd rather see us do.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Now.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I see you're calling for more spending cuts. Is that
cutting off your nose to spite your face? Though?
Speaker 8 (19:43):
Well it might be, but you know, government spending is
running at forty two percent of GDP And as Rob
McLeod said on my leaders Getting Coffee podcasts last year,
you know the tax takes only thirty two percent. So
you know, New Zealand's got over forty government of departments
and they have over seventy portfolios for our ministers. Norway
(20:05):
has a similar population to us, and they have eighteen
government departments and twenty portfolios. We are over governs and terrible.
So and look, I don't like the idea of slashing
people's jobs. But as you'll note from the column, one
of the things I suggest, and I do try to
always try to throw a couple of solutions to my columns,
(20:26):
is let's make opportunities for those people and government departments
who might not enjoy their jobs to retrain for other roles.
And we can even in the long term, we can
even pay them to do that. So you know, we
need nurses and teachers and police, and I know that
paid by the government as well, but they're much more
productive roles than driving a desk. But we also need
(20:47):
truckees and project managers and farmers and people for mining
operations and tourism, and government aren't paying those people. And
I said in the column, if you can take twenty
thousand people out of the government and retrain them for
a productive role, then we might have a growth, we
might have a crack at the growth that the Prime
Minister's chasing.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Now, But we also need people to authorize the likes
of the spending the four million dollars on paying these
sperm whale noises to the Cowerie trees to stop the
die back. I would like to get that person and
publicly put them in stocks and throw tomatoes or flog
them at them. Who the hell made that decision?
Speaker 8 (21:22):
Now, Jamie McKay, you know that just by mentioning that,
you're winding me up. But I totally agree. Look, you
know that might be nice to haves if you've got
research institutes trying new things. But again, where do we
need the money to get At the moment? Dunedin needs
a hospital, We know that pretty well. There's a couple
of other cities around the country that need hospitals as well.
(21:45):
We need to do something about our education. We certainly
need to support the tourism operators and the farmers and
the tertiary education providers to try and bring those industries
back to what they were before COVID, because that's actually
the areas that we can recreate. The growth of gender.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
How important is farming in the primary sector. This is
a dumb question because I know the answer, but I
want to hear your take on it. To the economy.
It's our only way out, isn't it?
Speaker 8 (22:12):
Well, absolutely well, not our only way out. I think
tourism can play a rolek.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Yeah, but hang on, hang on, Bruce. Isn't tourism like
a double edged sword. Yes, we bring in money, but
we export a hell of a lot when we go
touring around the world.
Speaker 8 (22:25):
Yeah, well, I'm what I mean is incoming tourism, Jamie,
But no, look, farthing. Farthing to me is number one.
You follow my comumn, so you know that from time
to time I write about the fact that we're too
tough on our farmers and we've got to make it
easier for our for our farmers to be successful. And
that means red getting rid of red tape, that means
(22:46):
dealing with some of the ridiculous compliance things that they
have to abide by. And you know, we've got to
make it easy for people to be successful in this country.
And you know why do you think forty five of
our forty five thousand of our young things left last
year because it's too hard here and it's easier somewhere else.
So we've got to make it easy for people to
(23:07):
be successful, and that includes the people who have the
greatest chance of driving our success. And number one on
that list is our farmers, number twos, our tourism operators.
And then you know Shane Jones Winston's colleagues doing a
good job talking up the operation, the opportunity with mining.
There's all sorts of things we could do, but you know,
we just need a government that gives us position, gives
(23:29):
us permission and resourcing.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Jeez, Bruce Cottrol, you're talking a lot of sense now.
You're a good towernger boy originally. Anyhow, these days based
in Auckland, have you ever thought of perhaps going into
politics being the MP for Twonga as someone else was
in the past. You could be the New Zealand first candidate.
I think you'd have a good shot.
Speaker 8 (23:48):
Yeah, I mean, I thought you knew me better than that.
Speaker 6 (23:50):
I am.
Speaker 8 (23:52):
I am just not patient enough. I like to see
things getting done and the whole thought of sitting in
there for three years and saving an apprenticeship just does
my head and I'm afraid so thank you for the
thank you for the kind offer but I think you
better count me out and lead me to what I'm doing.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Well, you're a bit like me. It's a lot easier
to stand outside the tent and pay you and I
reckon all right. Bruce Cottrell, thank you very much for
your time. Appreciate it. Great column. People can catch it
on the Herald website.
Speaker 6 (24:21):
Thanks Jamie.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Good morning, New Zealand. Welcome back to the Best of
the Country. It's brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing
a better New Zealand together. My name's Jamie McKay. We're
playing songs from nineteen seventy nine this morning, just because
we can. This was number one on New Zealand Radio
on the twenty fourth of May. I think it was. Yes. Indeed,
it was nineteen seventy nine when a young politician by
(24:56):
the name of Winston Peters entered Parliament Beg's and tragedy.
Some people might have thought it was a tragedy. I
think he's done pretty well, to be fair, one of
the great characters of New Zealand politics. Up next, Emma
Higgins from Rabobank senior ag analyst Christopher Luxen to wrap
it and we'll discuss that fashion crime at the Beef
(25:16):
and Lamb New Zealand National Lamb Day barbecue. But talking
about Rabobank, they're going to be at the Northland Field
Days this week coming up. Make sure you swing by
their marquee. Plenty of the local team on site as
well as members of the Rabobank research team. The d
l L staff will also be on hand to discuss
your equipment finance needs. You can find the marquee at
(25:39):
Site F thirteen on Silver Fern Farms Road. And Rabobank
also letting us know that applications are open for two
of their business management programs as the Farm Managers Program
as the Executive Development Program. More about that next week.
If you want to find out more about how you
can enter one of these and get some professional development,
(26:01):
go to rabobank dot co dot NZ. Emma Higgins up next.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank, the bank with
local agribanking experts passionate about the future of rural communities Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Higgins is a senior Rabobank agg analyst. In fact I
think she's the most senior of all AGG analysts Rabobank.
What a title that is, Emma. I'm going to chat
chat to Andrew Murray shortly from Fonterra about last night's
GDT auction. I reckon it was a good result, even
though it was down slightly. I want to hear your
take on it. Good afternoon, Hi, Jamie.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Yeah, look, I think it was a good result too,
good news for farmers. So yes, we did see a
small softening in the GDT index. And you know, when
we look at the power complex, which is really important
for our New Zealand farmers because of the farmgate milk price,
we saw a decline come through for skim milk powder,
so decline of two point five percent. Look, it could
have been worse based on where the futures were pointing
(26:59):
to things. But I think, you know, in terms of
the prices US dollars two seven hundred and fifty four
bucks will take that. I think the big winner really
was homework powder and butter. So homeworkpowder prices saw a
small decline in the index and average price is still
sitting above the US four thousand bucks a ton mark,
(27:21):
which is great news and really I think their lead
story here, Jamie, really comes down to the butter price.
So a lift of over two percent on an index basis,
we're now looking at an average price of US seven thousand,
three hundred and seventy eight bucks, which by my calculations
is actually a new record. Bodes well for farm gatement prices.
(27:43):
Not so good maybe for butter lovers in the supermarket.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Shelves, not to mention the cheese lovers you've just released.
Also at rabobank, and this is probably no surprise a
report saying that New Zealand is the lowest cost producer
of milk in the world.
Speaker 7 (28:00):
Yeah, we are, based on our calculations. So what we
did was we undertook a bit of an exercise to
try and compere production costs on a like for like basis.
It was no mean feat or no easy feet, sorry, Jamie.
What we did was we tried to take the local
production costs from all the various data sources and make
them in a standardized way so that we could unpack it.
(28:22):
And you know, ultimately what happened based on our calculations
is that most regions in the exporting world have actually
seen costs lift across the course of twenty twenty one
in particular through to now. A lot of that, as
we know, is a similar story that our New Zealand's
farmers have been facing were pandemic issues, costs of living issues, etc.
(28:44):
But the long on the short of it is our
New Zealand care we farmers here have come out in
top place, if you can say that, in terms of
having the lowest milk production costs. We've been neck and
neck with Australia for the last several years, but we've
just pit them at the post based on our twin
four data by a couple of cents, so we'll take that.
(29:04):
But I think there's some real lessons in here, Jamie.
It's the fact that on a beverage basis, we've got
the ability on our production systems to strip out costs
in response to milk price volatility. In some of our
counterparts and other production systems, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere
don't necessarily have that lever to pool and that's been
most helpful in this analysis.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
And our further good news a China is the most
expensive as the highest cost milk producer, so we're sending
plenty over there that bodes well for us as well.
Can I just finish on another positive story, because we're
full of positives and farming at the moment after the
farmer confidence survey from Federated Farmers today, Emma, and that
is red meat. We know that beefs go in great
(29:47):
guns at the moment, record prices, But the surprise story
in a lot of ways this year or this farming
season has been laym. It continues to hang in there.
Speaker 7 (29:57):
Look at dares continue to hang in there, and oh
my goodness, we'll absolutely take that right because our sheep
farmers could really use it. Look, I think in terms
of what's happening out there, we're still seeing that broad
based demand story take place in terms of our secondary market,
providing real optionality for exporters. In addition to that, we
are slightly seeing some more positive signals come out of China.
(30:19):
I think if we take a step back, Jamie, the
red met complex is in a much better shape for
twenty twenty five. And if we think about our beef
farmers and also a dairy farmers right because it's a coproduct,
those signals bode well in terms of the supply side,
at least coming out of the United States or the
fact that they don't have a lot of extra supply.
(30:40):
So good news and long way that lasts for twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
On that positive note, we'll leave you, Emma Higgins, always
good to chat on the country.
Speaker 7 (30:48):
Thanks Jamie.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
The best of the country with Robbobank Choose the Bank
with one hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience grow
with Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Stays on the country. Christopher Luxen, Prime Minister, joins us
we'll come back to the fashion crime, but I want
to start with one of the good stories of the day,
the Federated Farmer's confidence serve a prime minister as a government,
you've got this one right, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (31:10):
Look, I'm really proud of the progress we're making in
the agricultural sector. As I've always said, it's going to
power us out of the recession and it's our most
important sector and that's why we've got to back it
and we're going to be all in and so you know, look,
there's no doub about it, Jamie. It's lean been a
really tough you know, fourteen months and this last week
while economically and to see agriculture coming through the way
(31:31):
it is, but we're actually also starting to see manufacturing
activities grown for the first time in two years, services
activities grown for the first time in a year. We've
got touring up twelve percent now.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Yep, okay, So that is going to be helped this
afternoon by a fifty basis point cut in the ocr
But I wonder whether the advent of Trump has dampened
or Trump is them around the world, has dampened the
prospects of further interest rate cuts. What do you think.
I know it's not your job to comment, but throw
us a bone.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
Look, I don't I don't know. Surely, it's a challenging
global environment for sure, and you know we expect some
turbulentce along the way. But look, bottom line, we are
now on our track where we expect, you know, interest
rates to continue to be falling over the course of
the year. I mean one of the economists I saw
Brad Olsen in the metrics, you know, a really good guy,
but yeah, he was saying, by the end of the year,
(32:20):
just on the interest rate cuts alone, there's an extra
forty five million dollars a week's loshing around. The consumers
will actually have new Zealanders. We have to spend in
the economy and so you know, when they spending in
the economy, that then drives more growth. In a way
we kind of go so, you know, just getting those
interest rates down, and I think we're on us to
stay march down, which is important.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Winston wants us out of the Paris climb at the court. Interestingly,
David Seymour and I thought this was a really interesting comment.
He said he thinks at some stage in the future
the cost of being in will be greater than the
punishment for leaving.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
Well, I mean, as you and I spoke the other
day and I appreciated it was a bit of commentary
in the rural sector. It I think it was misunderstood
was that we are going hard on economic growth and
it is in our national interests to be in Paris,
and we're going to always put keys first and we'll
make sure every decision is in our interests. But what
we're not going to do is what the previous government
(33:12):
was doing, which was punishing our farmers. I want agriculture pumping,
I want the economy growing. As I said, I'm not
going to risk that. So you know, we have made
a commitment to twenty thirty five, which actually, as I said,
is good because it brings it back our international promos
back in line with our domestic commitments.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Hey, but can we.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Afford that commitment? Prime Minister twenty four billion dollars? How
are you going to pay for that commitment?
Speaker 5 (33:36):
What are you justifying that?
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Well, no, it isn't it going to cost us twenty
four billion dollars? Correct me if I'm wrong to meet
those targets.
Speaker 5 (33:44):
Well, No, what we're saying is we're not going to
put We're not going to send billions of dollars overseas
to do credits or any of that sort of stuff.
We're going to make sure that we're doing everything we
can to make sure we're aligned on our domestic goals.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
So what's that plant country in pine trees?
Speaker 4 (33:59):
Is it?
Speaker 6 (34:00):
No?
Speaker 5 (34:00):
No, No, we're not going to do that either. As
you said, we've already come out very strongly with you know,
saying we're not going to have whole farm conversions, and
we've been pretty tough on making sure we push back
on pines. I think people have appreciated it in the
agriculture sector. But you know, what we're saying is all
of our cabinets agreed to say, look, it's the New
Zealand's national interests at this time. Withdrawing from and ripping
up international agreements means we wouldn't be a trusted partner
on trade. It means that those countries overseas would make
(34:22):
sure that they would substitute New Zealand product with European product,
and that means that we're going to be poorer. And
when the sector drives ten thousand dollars for every man,
woman and child, we aren't going to put growth at risk.
Growth as poweramount, growth as primary and you know, I
will continue to revisit make sure everything's in our national interests.
But at this time that's exactly the right thing to do.
(34:42):
And as you've seen, it's relatively you know, minimal commitment
as we go out to twenty thirty five. But the
important thing is there's a line the international goals of
what we're on track to do here at home and
we want maximum growth, but we can actually do both,
and we can do it but primary grow it so
our national interests to do so we're going to continue
focus on that.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Hey, I've got a rich history of being involved in
clothing controversies with National Party prime ministers. There was the
gay red top and now there's the beef and Lamb
barbecue fashion crime. And it shows you how out of
touch I am with fashion these days, Prime Minister. I
didn't even notice your fashion crime when I was talking
to you at the barbecue.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
Well, I came out of Parliament and my suit and tie.
I came into your barbecue to promote LAMB and which
I just think is fantastic and I'm just so admiring
of the sector and everything we do and what's been
a pretty tough time. And someone threw me your LAMB
Day T shirt, so I put it on over the
top of my suit and tie and then gave a
bit of a you know, I pumped up you. I
(35:43):
want to make a very strong statement about what I'm
supporting the sector, but the big issues of the day
of being gust and apparently that's a startorial blunder and fashion.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Okay, I'm defending you slightly here because it was quite chilly.
I ended up having to put another layer on at
the barbecue. But did you not think for a moment
to take your jacket off and put the T shirt
over your shirt even well.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
As you know, I was coming out of Parliament and
I was having to go straight back into it again,
so I didn't really have time to do all that.
But I do not care, Jamie. I would do anything
and everything aback our farmers and the fact that that
incident gets talked about. That's all good for our lamb sector.
And as I said, we are the best lamb producers
in the world. It's a good product. And and everyone
(36:22):
in the world deserves to have a garlet getting out
their lips and laughing gear around some lambs.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Yeah, and well done to beef and lamb New Zealand,
and a proud to putting on a wonderful day. It
was very it was very good. Even the Greens turned up.
That's not a bad ass.
Speaker 5 (36:35):
I called the diplomatic incident with the Greens. When you
came up on the plane, Did you spilled water or
something on one of the members of the party.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
No, no, I spelled, I spelled wine. I was reading
my woman's magazine, the New Zealand Woman's Weekly, and I
spilt wine on a local Green mpiece, Scott Wellers. I apologize, Scott. Yeah,
but anyhow, it wasn't a diplomatic incident. It was a mistake.
He was very generous as we mopped it up.
Speaker 5 (36:57):
What are naissance men you are I'm reading the woman's
while you're flying with a shardon name, you know, engaging
with Green members. I mean it's quite something.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
I'm a bit rough around the hey, I'm a bit
rough around the edge. As Prime Minister. I did tell
you that I also sneak to Weepea behind the bushes
and Parliament grounds because no one would give us access
to the toilets. So there you go. That's what you
get with the broken down Southland sheep farmer with the
stave you.
Speaker 5 (37:21):
Next time, See you later, all right, take care of
a great day.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
So yeah, the Best of the Country with Rabobank. Choose
the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Rabobank a Prime Minister Christopher Luxen are wrapping our best
of the country. Good morning. My name's Jamie McKay. The
show's brought to you each and every Saturday morning here
on News Talks. He'd be by Rabobank. We're growing a
better New Zealand together, looking forward to the Super Rugby
later today. My Highlanders up against the Blues I'll chuck
(37:54):
a couple of names at you, Finn Hurley, the young
guy at fallback, Shawn with the open side blanker, a
couple of good self and lads. Keep your eye on them,
And if you want a really good bet at the
tab take the Highlanders Unders famous last words, catch you
back next Saturday.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
They can look out again, all about to to coven S.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Don't my man.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
You were then? I mend enough, nor thay get enough
all what man alow you made you
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.