The Country 17/10/25: Jo Luxton talks to Jamie Mackay

We catch up with Labour’s agriculture spokeswoman. She shares her memories of the Gisborne Show, comments on Labour’s lack of agriculture policy, and discusses the government’s new methane reduction target.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now. The Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon was supposedly going to
kick off the show, but I noticed he had time
for a lesser rural broadcaster this morning who shall remain unnamed.
But he hasn't turned up on time, so we'll sort
him out. We'll just get the opposition to kick off
the show. And she's a bit of a local these
days here in Gisbone is Joe Luxton, Labour's egg spokesperson.

(00:21):
I wonder when we'll get some egg policy, Joe. But
thank you for filling in for the Prime minister, because
you realize my old mate Grant McCullum standing over there
and he is champing at the bit or is it
chomping at the bit to get on air and fill
in for the Prime minister? But I thought you were
a better option.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Absolutely thank you and if you're not fast, your last.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Right, absolutely so. Mid Canterbury formerly used to be the
local MP down there. These days you're a list MP
and you're up here. Yeah, yes, this coming home for you.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
It's coming home. I grew up here, so it's lovely
to really love you to be home. Being back since
February and this AMP show was one of the favorites.
You know, as a young person growing up, always went
home sun burnt.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
So he's the sunscreen.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
Well, I've got the Joe Luxton branded sunscreen. I might
have to put some on. It's a beautiful day here
in kidsman. I've heard varying stories about this show. Someone
told me this morning there's forty thousand people in this region.
Thirty thousand of them come through the gates over the
next two days today and tomorrow. I guess some of
them are some of them are repeat offenders, as it were,

(01:25):
turning up on a Friday and a Saturday. But that's
an amazing stat isn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Oh, it's feboless, and it just speaks to how amazing
the show is.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
In your one hundred and fifty years. It's pretty special.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Alright, Oh, the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's arived, right,
But because he was giving me a bit of stick
this morning about on a lesser broadcaster show, he'll have
to wait his turn for a minit right, No, that's right.
But talking about waiting, shoe, I'm waiting. I'm really waiting
for some lag lag. Let's try that again, some labor

(01:54):
ag policy. Because there's been a real lag. There hasn't
been any Well, we're probably.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
At the same place that we were when National was
in opposition to Jamie. So we will release policy, I
promise you. But we've got plenty of time before the election.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
To do so.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Well, what did you make of the big announcement over
the past Was it last week or it was Sunday?
I think I've been out of the country. You've got
to excuse me. I'm trying to catch up on all
this on the reduced emissions targets, Like instead of twenty
four to forty seven percent by twenty fifty, we are
now fourteen to twenty four That seems much more reasonable

(02:28):
and sane and fair and sustainable.

Speaker 3 (02:31):
It's certainly a.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Big change to what had been agreed unanimously except for
Act in Parliament a while ago. We're really keen to
see and understand the advice and evidence that the government
has received in order to come to this decision. We
are really keen to work in a bipartisan way. We
did ask for a meeting with Minister Maclay and Minister

(02:53):
Watts had a meeting with them to ask where things
were at, with a genuine offer of working in.

Speaker 3 (02:59):
A bipartisanship way.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
They said at the time, this is back and I
think July they said, oh, we're still working through things,
haven't taken anything to cabinet. Look, well, we'll come back
to you in a couple of weeks. We've got a
phone call on Sunday just before the announcement, so that's
not consultation and that's not working in bipartisanship. However, we
did go back after that meeting and say, look, where
will work with you with what you decide, as long

(03:21):
as you don't change the legislation.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
So they've changed the legislation.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
So we do need to see and understand the advice
before we take it.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
From a personal point of view, do you agree that
these new emissions targets are much more sensible and realistic.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
Look, I'm not the issue. I'm not a signed.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
You wander around the country, you talk to farmers, you're
the egg spokesperson. It's your job to know this and
have an opinion on it. So what is your opinion.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
I don't think they're particularly aspirational, and I do have
some concerns around how this will be viewed overseas, where
we do send all of most of our product to
end people overseas and companies overseas are requiring more and
more in the way of emissions reductions, so I am
a little bit concerned about it.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
From that perspective.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
What does the rest of the day hold for you,
Joe Luxton home coming?

Speaker 2 (04:11):
The home coming, Oh well, we've got a stall here inside.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
So I'll be at the stall. I'll be here for
a couple of.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Days, both days, and we're just going to be getting
out and having yacks and yarns.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
To people and it'll be really good. Okay.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
He lovely to meet you. Thanks again, not to meet you,
of course I've met you. Thank you for the Joe
Luxton sunscreen.