April 15, 2025 • 6 mins
The Prime Minister talks about trade, tariffs and Trump, addresses his differences with Winston Peters, and updates the process to limit wholesale farm to forestry conversions.
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):
Welcome back to the Country Weekly. On a Wednesday, we
catch up with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher
Luxen joins me.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Now, good afternoon, good afterday, Rowan, and how are you today?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Very well, thank you. You're on a very important mission
off to New Plymouth. How are things going there?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Well, look, I mean it's an area that's been quite devastated,
to be honest, with the oil and gas ban, and
we're going to overturn that legislation so we can encourage
people to invest in particularly finding domestic gas. That's been
some of the challenges that you saw last year was
that people who rely on gas because there isn't really
an alternative that's strong enough for heating, running mills and
(00:36):
all sorts of things, they got caught with a lack
of supply of gas last year. That drove them energy challenges.
So we're going I'm down there again, just wanting to
see what's going on, and obviously very shortly we'll have
our new legislation coming through that will overturn the oil
and gas ban.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Now trade tariffs and trump any developments at 'urine since
we last chatted a week ago.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
No, really, it's just about making sure look we stay
really cool, calm and collected about it. We don't believe
that tariffs and trade wars are good thing for the
global economy at all. But we have a very positive
constructive relationship with the US. Will continue to advocate for
New Zealand very strongly. But we also are a small
country and we need to trade with as many people
as we possibly can. And over the last sixteen months,
(01:20):
that's why I've been bouncing around the world. Just this year.
I've been in Vietnam and the UAE and India and
about to go to the UK, and we'll do a
trip to China as well this year. But I mean,
all of that is designed so that we actually make
sure that we are signaling strongly to these markets that
we're back in business. Coming out of COVID way too slow,
we're now back in business and we want to do
(01:41):
business with these parts of the world. So you know,
it's an end of let's keep a very positive constructive
relationship with the US. Many of our exporters still see
huge opportunity there in spite of the ten percent tariff
at this point, but also let's grow everywhere else we
can to.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Are you and Winston Peters on the same page.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yet it absolutely we've always been on the same page.
I think there was a total media beat up. To
be honest with it, you know, the bottom line is
we're staying call gunmantlect that. I think everybody saw our
behavior last week and said that's pretty good. That it's
a good response. And likewise, when I've been talking to
other world leaders, that's been my message to them as well,
just how are they processing the tariffs? Making sure they
(02:21):
stay cool and calm. Thirdly, look at what we can
do to deepen the relationships we've got with bilaterally with
these different countries that we've been building these relationships with.
And then also just reminding the different trading blocks that exists,
whether that CPTPP or the EU, not to go and
impose tariffs on each other and continue to affirm the
rules based system that we've been working to.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yesterday we saw a report into agricultural emissions come out.
Long story, Sure they've dropped since twenty seventeen. A lot
of that beef and land New Zealand are saying is
down to stock out trees in when is this going
to stop? Like in December last year, Todd mc players,
Minister of Forestry, announced sweeping changes to limit wholesale farm
(03:05):
to forestry conversions. Where's that legislation act?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
That'll be law as I understand it by October this year,
which will be really good. So what happens is and
I know for listeners will be going ouchie. It seems
to take a lot of time. The reality is that
in order to pass the law in New Zealand under
our parliament and through our democracy, you need to first
and foremost write the first bill that actually captures what
you want to do. You then got to go out
to it's called a select committee where the public and
(03:31):
others can make comments for up to six months, and
then you bring it back to the House for us
what's called a second reading, and then it gets improved
upon in any drafting errors and the actual law and
the clauses in the document get perfected, and then it
goes back essentially for a third reading, and then it
becomes law ultimately. So it's a process, whether it's been
getting patches, whether it's seeing things like farm conversions that
(03:53):
we're working our way through as quickly as possibly can.
But I think the proposals we announce last year are
really really sensible. But I just also say to you
the emissions track is really quite exciting. I think by
twenty thirty, we imagine that farming will actually have its
emission will have met you know, ten percent reduction in emissions,
which is great. But that's all got to come off
the back of and has been coming off the back
(04:15):
of a technology story as well. And we've got a
four hundred million type of investment going into R and
D just in the agricultural sector around methane emission. So
you know, you're seeing more and more practices that are
minimizing a mission than I think. Agriculture is on quite
a good track. But what we're not going to do
is what the last lot did, which is, you know,
threatened to put agriculture in mets. That's gone, heywok economa gone,
(04:39):
and a lot of other silly legislation that was getting
in the way. We just keep repealing and getting those
barnacles off the boats that farming can get as fast
as it possibly can.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Speaking of the Last Lot on Useterday's show, Damien O'Connor
told me the government sending confusing messages on the egg
front around labor, carbon, nitrates, environmental management. Is this the case?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
No, not at all. I don't really take any lectures
from labor or Damien O'Connor on agriculture. Thank you very
much give us the mess that we were left and
we've inherited. But the bottom line is very simple. As
the last government piled on a huge amount of regulation
and legislation on farmers basically said farmers were villains, and
we just disagree completely. We deeply value farmers. They make
(05:23):
a massive contribution to the ill and it's the backbone
of this country and we're not going to have that.
And so that's why we've been working so hard at
just getting rid of dumb regulations, whether it's winter grazing.
You know, there's been a whole beach of stuff that
we're going through, SNA's wetlands, the RMA reforms that we've
got coming. All of that stuff as all designed to
make sure farmers can get back to farming and get
(05:44):
Wellington out of farming.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
You are Alster Gallipoli on Saturday. I am incredibly jealous.
What are you expecting from the trap?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Well, I'm doing two things. Really, I'm going out on
the weekend to the UK so that I can so
that I can make sure that I can build that
relationship with the King and also with promise to Kistarma,
and that's an important relationship for New Zealand, a long
standing one, but also one with the EU, with the
UK FTA that's important for us. And then yes, yes,
dropping into Gallipoli, which would be really special. I mean
(06:15):
I've never been there before. It's the one hundred and
tenth commemoration and by all accounts, you know, really moving
moment and so you know, really looking forward to being there.
And as a kid who's loved military history and studied
that campaign a lot, I'm really excited to be going there.
But in representing New Zealand, there'll be a bunch of
keys there, you know that travel there as they always
(06:35):
have done, and I think it's gonna be a very
very special moment.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah and Dad, well all the best over there. Thank
you so much for your time and hikes. Fulle will
still manage to catch up with you next week.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Sounds great, Rowanie, you have a great week.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Take care,
Welcome back to the Country Weekly. On a Wednesday, we
catch up with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher
Luxen joins me.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Now, good afternoon, good afterday, Rowan, and how are you today?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Very well, thank you. You're on a very important mission
off to New Plymouth. How are things going there?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Well, look, I mean it's an area that's been quite devastated,
to be honest, with the oil and gas ban, and
we're going to overturn that legislation so we can encourage
people to invest in particularly finding domestic gas. That's been
some of the challenges that you saw last year was
that people who rely on gas because there isn't really
an alternative that's strong enough for heating, running mills and
(00:36):
all sorts of things, they got caught with a lack
of supply of gas last year. That drove them energy challenges.
So we're going I'm down there again, just wanting to
see what's going on, and obviously very shortly we'll have
our new legislation coming through that will overturn the oil
and gas ban.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Now trade tariffs and trump any developments at 'urine since
we last chatted a week ago.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
No, really, it's just about making sure look we stay
really cool, calm and collected about it. We don't believe
that tariffs and trade wars are good thing for the
global economy at all. But we have a very positive
constructive relationship with the US. Will continue to advocate for
New Zealand very strongly. But we also are a small
country and we need to trade with as many people
as we possibly can. And over the last sixteen months,
(01:20):
that's why I've been bouncing around the world. Just this year.
I've been in Vietnam and the UAE and India and
about to go to the UK, and we'll do a
trip to China as well this year. But I mean,
all of that is designed so that we actually make
sure that we are signaling strongly to these markets that
we're back in business. Coming out of COVID way too slow,
we're now back in business and we want to do
(01:41):
business with these parts of the world. So you know,
it's an end of let's keep a very positive constructive
relationship with the US. Many of our exporters still see
huge opportunity there in spite of the ten percent tariff
at this point, but also let's grow everywhere else we
can to.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Are you and Winston Peters on the same page.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yet it absolutely we've always been on the same page.
I think there was a total media beat up. To
be honest with it, you know, the bottom line is
we're staying call gunmantlect that. I think everybody saw our
behavior last week and said that's pretty good. That it's
a good response. And likewise, when I've been talking to
other world leaders, that's been my message to them as well,
just how are they processing the tariffs? Making sure they
(02:21):
stay cool and calm. Thirdly, look at what we can
do to deepen the relationships we've got with bilaterally with
these different countries that we've been building these relationships with.
And then also just reminding the different trading blocks that exists,
whether that CPTPP or the EU, not to go and
impose tariffs on each other and continue to affirm the
rules based system that we've been working to.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yesterday we saw a report into agricultural emissions come out.
Long story, Sure they've dropped since twenty seventeen. A lot
of that beef and land New Zealand are saying is
down to stock out trees in when is this going
to stop? Like in December last year, Todd mc players,
Minister of Forestry, announced sweeping changes to limit wholesale farm
(03:05):
to forestry conversions. Where's that legislation act?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
That'll be law as I understand it by October this year,
which will be really good. So what happens is and
I know for listeners will be going ouchie. It seems
to take a lot of time. The reality is that
in order to pass the law in New Zealand under
our parliament and through our democracy, you need to first
and foremost write the first bill that actually captures what
you want to do. You then got to go out
to it's called a select committee where the public and
(03:31):
others can make comments for up to six months, and
then you bring it back to the House for us
what's called a second reading, and then it gets improved
upon in any drafting errors and the actual law and
the clauses in the document get perfected, and then it
goes back essentially for a third reading, and then it
becomes law ultimately. So it's a process, whether it's been
getting patches, whether it's seeing things like farm conversions that
(03:53):
we're working our way through as quickly as possibly can.
But I think the proposals we announce last year are
really really sensible. But I just also say to you
the emissions track is really quite exciting. I think by
twenty thirty, we imagine that farming will actually have its
emission will have met you know, ten percent reduction in emissions,
which is great. But that's all got to come off
the back of and has been coming off the back
(04:15):
of a technology story as well. And we've got a
four hundred million type of investment going into R and
D just in the agricultural sector around methane emission. So
you know, you're seeing more and more practices that are
minimizing a mission than I think. Agriculture is on quite
a good track. But what we're not going to do
is what the last lot did, which is, you know,
threatened to put agriculture in mets. That's gone, heywok economa gone,
(04:39):
and a lot of other silly legislation that was getting
in the way. We just keep repealing and getting those
barnacles off the boats that farming can get as fast
as it possibly can.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Speaking of the Last Lot on Useterday's show, Damien O'Connor
told me the government sending confusing messages on the egg
front around labor, carbon, nitrates, environmental management. Is this the case?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
No, not at all. I don't really take any lectures
from labor or Damien O'Connor on agriculture. Thank you very
much give us the mess that we were left and
we've inherited. But the bottom line is very simple. As
the last government piled on a huge amount of regulation
and legislation on farmers basically said farmers were villains, and
we just disagree completely. We deeply value farmers. They make
(05:23):
a massive contribution to the ill and it's the backbone
of this country and we're not going to have that.
And so that's why we've been working so hard at
just getting rid of dumb regulations, whether it's winter grazing.
You know, there's been a whole beach of stuff that
we're going through, SNA's wetlands, the RMA reforms that we've
got coming. All of that stuff as all designed to
make sure farmers can get back to farming and get
(05:44):
Wellington out of farming.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
You are Alster Gallipoli on Saturday. I am incredibly jealous.
What are you expecting from the trap?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Well, I'm doing two things. Really, I'm going out on
the weekend to the UK so that I can so
that I can make sure that I can build that
relationship with the King and also with promise to Kistarma,
and that's an important relationship for New Zealand, a long
standing one, but also one with the EU, with the
UK FTA that's important for us. And then yes, yes,
dropping into Gallipoli, which would be really special. I mean
(06:15):
I've never been there before. It's the one hundred and
tenth commemoration and by all accounts, you know, really moving
moment and so you know, really looking forward to being there.
And as a kid who's loved military history and studied
that campaign a lot, I'm really excited to be going there.
But in representing New Zealand, there'll be a bunch of
keys there, you know that travel there as they always
(06:35):
have done, and I think it's gonna be a very
very special moment.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah and Dad, well all the best over there. Thank
you so much for your time and hikes. Fulle will
still manage to catch up with you next week.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Sounds great, Rowanie, you have a great week.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Take care,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
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!