The Country 12/11/24: Sir David Carter talks to Jamie Mackay

Cup and Show Week gets underway today with the NZ Trotting Cup at Addington, there's the Free for All Friday, Riccarton Saturday, and the A&P Show on Thursday to Saturday. Plus, what does the former Minister of Agriculture and Speaker of the House make of the political world today? And how is he faring on his Banks Peninsula sheep and beef farm?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's head to christ Church Cup and Show week. David Carter,
Sir David Carter, of course, former Minister of Agriculture, former
Speaker of the House, David good Weather in christ Church.
Really looking forward to a big week.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Looking great today Tuesday, of course on at Addington or
what Addington as we call it, and then into the
show Thursday, Friday, Saturday this year, so slight variation to
what we used to do in the past. It was
the previously Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, so people need to be
aware it's Thursday, Friday and then a Saturday day that
through much focused on christ Church people coming to the show.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
And of course Friday is a public holiday candorby anniversary
day in christ Church, so that's normally the day when
all the punters turn up.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
I think Friday will be busy. I think the fact
we've now spread it also and giving the option for Saturday,
I hope we get a great day Saturday and Thursday
of courses, the day what traditionally the farming community come
into christ Church. So we're looking forward to a really
good show. We've got our exhibit numbers up there where
they traditionally were. We've got goods trade sites there. We've

(01:05):
got lots of entertainment. I think it'll be a great show.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Now I get confused, David, and it's easier to get confused.
Are you the christ Church Amp Show, the Canterbury Amp
Show or the New Zealand Agricultural Show.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
The name of the association, the Agricultural and Partial Association,
has never changed. The previous board set it up as
the News Inland Agricultural Show. I'm not sure why this year,
because of the involvement with a professional event organizers helping
us with the show, we're calling it the christ Judge Show.

(01:38):
We'll review this as soon as the show's over, but
I want to get it back to being the Canterbury Show.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
The way well, i'll give you marketing one one. I
don't know who what scholar came up with the idea
of calling it the New Zealand Agricultural Show. It's not you, Cantabrian,
so that one eyed. Of course, you got to call
it the Canterbury Amp Show.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
I think we do. But we'll face that battle well,
and I don't expect it to be a battle actually,
but we'll face that. Jones. Once we've got this show
out of the way, the focus has been on getting
the show twenty four up and running. We've only had
ninety days to do it since I became chair of
the board. We've done it, but then focus has to
move to sustainability of the show into the future.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
It is still the biggest AMP show in the country,
and there are some crackers around the rest of the country.
One Uppercluther's becoming huge. Gisben one of my favorites, or
Poverty Bay. Half the population goes through the gates over
a couple of days. But you are still the mother
of all AMP shows.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
And we've got to rebuild that reputation. It's been knocked
around lately. Of course, the previous board had actually decided
they wouldn't run a show this year. That's what wound
me up. The show has been running for one hundred
and sixty three years. It's been stopped by COVID on
a cup on one occasion, it's been stopped by World Wars.
There was no other reason that I could see why
it should be stopped. That's why I stepped into the

(02:59):
brink and had a very good team working with me.
We've got it back hand running.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Good on you, and I'm heading up on Friday to
broadcast from the Toyota site. We might. I'm sure I'll
catch you there, Sir David Carter. Hey, while i've got
you online, a couple of things. You're a very fit
and active man. You're still running or still got very
much hands on on your property on Banks Peninsula. Are
you starting to dry out a bit?

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Typically starting to buy out? We're not bad here. We
got good range. I guess it was two and a
half three weeks ago, in excess of sixty sixty five miles,
so it's green and often isn't green by the time
we get to the showtime. I've been around the farm today.
We're in good shape at the moment. North Canterbury's been
a lot tougher, and I understand some of their agents
up against the foothills of Canterbury have been dry. I've

(03:48):
all received rain lately, but the likes of North Canterbury
needs a lot more to get it through this summer.

Speaker 1 (03:53):
Hey, put on your former politicians hat. What do you
make of the new leader of the free world and
what he might do and what it might mean for
New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
I think we've got to wait and see. He's a
great campaigner. As we've seen, he says a lot through
a campaign that may not necessarily come to fruition. The
thing that strikes me is they talk about us moving
away from China over recent years. I think that is
a market we need to be very much in tune with.
It's been our savior in the past. It is still

(04:23):
a huge market. We have a very good relationship with China,
and I'd like to make sure that the Government of
the day continues to maintain that relationship because China is
going to be crucial.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Absolutely still is our biggest trading partner. So David Carter, hey,
thanks for your time. Congratulations to you and the team
for getting off your backsides and reinvigorating the show which
wasn't going to happen. And I'm with you at such
an institution on the farming and social calendar for a
lot of people around the country. I'm glad you've got

(04:55):
it up and running again.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
I'll see you on find Out the show. Good on you.