August 5, 2025 • 7 mins
Today's cow cocky/politician panel ponders farming, footy and wilding pines.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today's panel is the Dairy Farmer Politician Panel. Andrew Hoggard, Manuwatu,
dairy farmer, activist MP, Minister of Biosecurity, Grant McCullum, the
National MP for Northland. That's about where it ends, isn't it. Grant, Yes,
thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I'm very happy to be the nest. You've got to
start somewhere mate.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Yes, you've got to start somewhere now, carving. You've got
good day jobs. You two good paying day jobs being politicians.
Do you go back home in the weekends and do
the hard yards carving? Because you're both dairy farmers, I
go beck.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And help us. We're in the calves, so that's my
job on the weekends and it sort of keeps me
sane and I just get to worry about little calves
butting me where I don't want them to butt me
and trying to bot my fingers off.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Well that's the life of a dairy farmer. Okay, So
Andrew Hoggard, he does the hard yards at home on
the weekend. Grant, you've always been a bit of a
queen street farmer, do you bother?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Thank you very much. Actually, up until recently I was
a full time farmer. But no, actually, now that I'm
an electric MP, I spend my time doing my electric
work in the weekends with Andrew being listening in peace. Obviously,
got nothing else to do but to go home fee carbs.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
You realize there's an irony, And you know I said
you've got good paying day jobs. The way the GDT
auction and the payouts are going, you two might have
to quit politics and become full time farmers again.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
It'll pay better.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
You don't need words, No, I'm sure you don't go
in it for the money. Right, I'll start with you,
Andrew putting on your Minister of Biosecurity hat. What about
these wilding pines? Are they an absolute threat? We're spending money,
probably not enough to get rid of them. But there
is a bit of an irony that we're spending all
this money to get rid of plants that sequest a
(01:47):
carbon and then we're growing plants I pine trees on
good food producing land. Maybe we should just let the
wilding pines go.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Well, no, they're very definitely the wrong tree and the
wrong place. Spread like nobody's business. And the problem is
they spread. We go to this areas where it's out
of control all the seed source and that blows onto
farmer's lands and then the peoral farmer is left trying
to pull these bloody things out so they can keep
farming the land. So these ones are an important one
(02:19):
to remove. We don't want them. Their poor quality, they're
no good for timber or anything like that. They're just
an absolute pest. So the irony isn't lost on me though.
There's been many a time when people have been talking
about we could plant these wild employments, sorry normal pints
to sequest a carbon on government land. And then I
look at it and go, is this the same government
(02:40):
landed I'm paying to get rid of pines from.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Yeah, yeah, there is an irony there. And Grant McCallum,
I'll go to you. What's the inside oil on Molesworth.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, they're working through all that. I would ultimately it
will be farmed properly and appropriately, and I'd like to
think that we're going to keep that, keep it as
a functioning station, and keep the And we're working with
the ministers to makes to see if we can make
sure we keep wilding pines under control and keep the
(03:11):
and keep any parasy panes an absolute no, no, no, if
at all because it's an iconic station.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Absolutely agree with you, Andrew, sorry, awhere you go.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
There are a couple of months ago and cattle is
the best best tool for that station, and I would
be extremely disappointed and sentence speaking against it if anyone
was to be suggesting that we're just planting the whole
bloody lot and pines.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Are the subjects for discussion GMO food labeling. Who wants
to start on that one, Biosecurity Minister, I.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Guess well, our food safety minister. Actually, yeah, Look, this
was part of the joint work we do with Australia
and it's basically making sure that the labeling rules are
consistent with the legislation Australias has currently and what will
be legislation which is very similar to the Australian legislation.
So it's just a symbol case of making sure we
(04:00):
don't have labeling rules that are completely at odds with
our actual legislation. Doesn't stop anyone from wanting to label
that no gene editing was used, and you'll there will
still be labeling for genetic modification. But again it's just
about making the consumer have the consumer's got the choice
as to whether they want to look for labels. If
(04:22):
they're not interested, then they don't have to worry about
the cost of all these extra labeling being put on products.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Now, Grant McCallum, we're getting rid of petrol tax.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah, well, actually yes we are that. It was announced
day by the Minister Christ Biships the Transport. We're going
to over time get rid of the petrol tax and
move to road user charge system so you pay by
distance and weight of vehicle, which will make it which
will be fairer for everybody, because what's happening currently is
actually we've got because of the more few efficient vehicles
(04:53):
on the road and the electric vehicles, we're getting less
we've been we've been getting less and less petrol tax,
which and yet we all want to drive on good roads,
so those two equations don't match up. So over time
we're going to work towards a system which will be
fairer for everybody.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
What's the logistics around doing that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, the beautiful thing this STAYE technology will help work
make a big difference there. It won't be a paper
based system, it'll be a left electronic one. And that's
the sudden we'll work through and we will allow the
private sector to help us to develop those tools.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Hey, just to finish on guys, Grant, you sent me
a text while I was speaking to David Seymour, Andrew's
boss of it, earlier in the week, and you were
basically gloating, living vicariously whereever you want to say it
about Simon Parker getting into the All Blacks and your
kind of claim and credit for this because you said
without your without your coaching him as a nine year old,
(05:45):
he wouldn't have made it.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Not quite true. I coached against him. It was quite ironic. Actually,
when he was under the under nines playing is my son.
He was huge even back then, so the opposition coach
played him at half back, so he got the ball
all the time and he ran around with the ball
in one hand. He was a big boy and his
mother blessed her, often carried a verse certificate because all
the parents question we there was under nines because that's
(06:11):
when there were no weight restrictions back then. Of course,
often in country rugby, it's just the way it is.
But no, I'm really pleased for him and for the
for his family because he's worked really hard he's had
a few injury issues over the years and he made
he could be that answer at six. We've been looking
for a bee bruising forward.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
We need a big, raw boned bugger and the number
six jersey. He could be the answer. And final comment
from you Andrew Hogard that the man or two Turbos
had a one perennial wooden spooners.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, that was one of the books. And good on
the turbos. It's not something we usually get to celebrate
in so it's really good to see the Green and
White get over the line and several times and actually
to beat North Harbor. So very start to the season.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Okay, the final camp one.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Here we go the author of the beat South this
weekend in Fong Ray and then I'll just make my
weekend perfectly. Actually, Jamie, what do you reckon?
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Well, I would take you on for a wager, but
I've just run out of time, so I'll see you later.
Thanks for being on the panel team see your lads.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Thank you very much.
Today's panel is the Dairy Farmer Politician Panel. Andrew Hoggard, Manuwatu,
dairy farmer, activist MP, Minister of Biosecurity, Grant McCullum, the
National MP for Northland. That's about where it ends, isn't it. Grant, Yes,
thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I'm very happy to be the nest. You've got to
start somewhere mate.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Yes, you've got to start somewhere now, carving. You've got
good day jobs. You two good paying day jobs being politicians.
Do you go back home in the weekends and do
the hard yards carving? Because you're both dairy farmers, I
go beck.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And help us. We're in the calves, so that's my
job on the weekends and it sort of keeps me
sane and I just get to worry about little calves
butting me where I don't want them to butt me
and trying to bot my fingers off.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Well that's the life of a dairy farmer. Okay, So
Andrew Hoggard, he does the hard yards at home on
the weekend. Grant, you've always been a bit of a
queen street farmer, do you bother?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Thank you very much. Actually, up until recently I was
a full time farmer. But no, actually, now that I'm
an electric MP, I spend my time doing my electric
work in the weekends with Andrew being listening in peace. Obviously,
got nothing else to do but to go home fee carbs.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
You realize there's an irony, And you know I said
you've got good paying day jobs. The way the GDT
auction and the payouts are going, you two might have
to quit politics and become full time farmers again.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
It'll pay better.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
You don't need words, No, I'm sure you don't go
in it for the money. Right, I'll start with you,
Andrew putting on your Minister of Biosecurity hat. What about
these wilding pines? Are they an absolute threat? We're spending money,
probably not enough to get rid of them. But there
is a bit of an irony that we're spending all
this money to get rid of plants that sequest a
(01:47):
carbon and then we're growing plants I pine trees on
good food producing land. Maybe we should just let the
wilding pines go.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Well, no, they're very definitely the wrong tree and the
wrong place. Spread like nobody's business. And the problem is
they spread. We go to this areas where it's out
of control all the seed source and that blows onto
farmer's lands and then the peoral farmer is left trying
to pull these bloody things out so they can keep
farming the land. So these ones are an important one
(02:19):
to remove. We don't want them. Their poor quality, they're
no good for timber or anything like that. They're just
an absolute pest. So the irony isn't lost on me though.
There's been many a time when people have been talking
about we could plant these wild employments, sorry normal pints
to sequest a carbon on government land. And then I
look at it and go, is this the same government
(02:40):
landed I'm paying to get rid of pines from.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Yeah, yeah, there is an irony there. And Grant McCallum,
I'll go to you. What's the inside oil on Molesworth.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, they're working through all that. I would ultimately it
will be farmed properly and appropriately, and I'd like to
think that we're going to keep that, keep it as
a functioning station, and keep the And we're working with
the ministers to makes to see if we can make
sure we keep wilding pines under control and keep the
(03:11):
and keep any parasy panes an absolute no, no, no, if
at all because it's an iconic station.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Absolutely agree with you, Andrew, sorry, awhere you go.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
There are a couple of months ago and cattle is
the best best tool for that station, and I would
be extremely disappointed and sentence speaking against it if anyone
was to be suggesting that we're just planting the whole
bloody lot and pines.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Are the subjects for discussion GMO food labeling. Who wants
to start on that one, Biosecurity Minister, I.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Guess well, our food safety minister. Actually, yeah, Look, this
was part of the joint work we do with Australia
and it's basically making sure that the labeling rules are
consistent with the legislation Australias has currently and what will
be legislation which is very similar to the Australian legislation.
So it's just a symbol case of making sure we
(04:00):
don't have labeling rules that are completely at odds with
our actual legislation. Doesn't stop anyone from wanting to label
that no gene editing was used, and you'll there will
still be labeling for genetic modification. But again it's just
about making the consumer have the consumer's got the choice
as to whether they want to look for labels. If
(04:22):
they're not interested, then they don't have to worry about
the cost of all these extra labeling being put on products.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Now, Grant McCallum, we're getting rid of petrol tax.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah, well, actually yes we are that. It was announced
day by the Minister Christ Biships the Transport. We're going
to over time get rid of the petrol tax and
move to road user charge system so you pay by
distance and weight of vehicle, which will make it which
will be fairer for everybody, because what's happening currently is
actually we've got because of the more few efficient vehicles
(04:53):
on the road and the electric vehicles, we're getting less
we've been we've been getting less and less petrol tax,
which and yet we all want to drive on good roads,
so those two equations don't match up. So over time
we're going to work towards a system which will be
fairer for everybody.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
What's the logistics around doing that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, the beautiful thing this STAYE technology will help work
make a big difference there. It won't be a paper
based system, it'll be a left electronic one. And that's
the sudden we'll work through and we will allow the
private sector to help us to develop those tools.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Hey, just to finish on guys, Grant, you sent me
a text while I was speaking to David Seymour, Andrew's
boss of it, earlier in the week, and you were
basically gloating, living vicariously whereever you want to say it
about Simon Parker getting into the All Blacks and your
kind of claim and credit for this because you said
without your without your coaching him as a nine year old,
(05:45):
he wouldn't have made it.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Not quite true. I coached against him. It was quite ironic. Actually,
when he was under the under nines playing is my son.
He was huge even back then, so the opposition coach
played him at half back, so he got the ball
all the time and he ran around with the ball
in one hand. He was a big boy and his
mother blessed her, often carried a verse certificate because all
the parents question we there was under nines because that's
(06:11):
when there were no weight restrictions back then. Of course,
often in country rugby, it's just the way it is.
But no, I'm really pleased for him and for the
for his family because he's worked really hard he's had
a few injury issues over the years and he made
he could be that answer at six. We've been looking
for a bee bruising forward.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
We need a big, raw boned bugger and the number
six jersey. He could be the answer. And final comment
from you Andrew Hogard that the man or two Turbos
had a one perennial wooden spooners.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, that was one of the books. And good on
the turbos. It's not something we usually get to celebrate
in so it's really good to see the Green and
White get over the line and several times and actually
to beat North Harbor. So very start to the season.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Okay, the final camp one.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Here we go the author of the beat South this
weekend in Fong Ray and then I'll just make my
weekend perfectly. Actually, Jamie, what do you reckon?
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Well, I would take you on for a wager, but
I've just run out of time, so I'll see you later.
Thanks for being on the panel team see your lads.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Thank you very much.
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