The Country 24/06/25: Lawrence Meredith talks to Jamie Mackay

The EU Ambassador to New Zealand has been listening intently to Michael Every and gives his response to the Rabobank Global Strategist.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, So listening intently to what Todd McKay, the Rabobank
Global strategist had to say, was Lawrence Meredith, who was
the EU Ambassador to New Zealand. Lawrence, great to meet
you in person. I've been wanting to check to you
for a while. What did you make of what he
had to say? I jokingly call Michael an alarmist? Is

(00:20):
he an alarmist?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well? Looked at this from the point of view of
the European Union. Prime Minister Luxeon has just met Prosident
von de Lyon this morning and they've been strongly reaffirming
a commitment to free trade. So our perspective is indeed
quite different from the one you just heard from Michael.
So hell, Well, we believe that if you look over
the last couple of centuries, since Michael took a historical view,

(00:45):
you see overall prosperity has strongly grown on the basis
of free trade and the European Union, like New Zealand,
believes that the future is an investing in free trade
and the rules based international order. And that's what's just
been confirmed in Brussels between Prime Minister Luxeon and President
Ursula undertone.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Todd McLay gave the opening address before we heard from
Michael every today and one thing he was adamant about
was that we cannot afford to pull out of the
Paris Climate Agreement. You obviously would concur with that.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, I would strongly agree with that, because ninety seven
percent of the world's scientists say climate warmings of fact,
so we need to deal with it. Then there's a discussion,
a very legitimate discussion about how to deal with that.
And I'm a Yorkshire Irishman from a dairy farming village,
so I also believe, like Todd that it's really important
that we find the right solutions adapted to our respective

(01:39):
economies and taking account of farmer's husbandry of the landers
are So if.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
These big European food companies, producers nessly and on, these
sort of people kick us to touch, who do they
replace us with? Who else is out there doing it
better than us?

Speaker 2 (01:54):
I don't think there's any discussion of that. I think
it's rather the opposite that you've got strong commitment to
meeting that zero by twenty fifty and producing very high
quality products in the process. So what we've seen over
the last year and Minister McLay was equally adamant on
this is that thanks to the European Union New Zealand
Free Trade Agreement, there's an increase to New Zealand export,

(02:17):
as many of whom are in the Summit today, of
a billion dollars and that's a twenty eight percent increase
in just twelve months.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
What do you say to my argument around the greenhouse
gas emissions argument, I say there's no more ruminance on
the planet than there was in nineteen ninety. In fact,
probably go back another century before that there may not
have been more ruminants. So the problem is not ruminants
emitting methane. It's man burning fossil fuel that is the problem.
That's the area that we need to cut back on. Surely.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Well, the European Union strategy for meeting climate and that
zero by twenty fifty is very heavily predicated first and
foremost on reducing our demand for energy energy efficiency. This
enormous scope for that number one umber two, as you
rightly suggest cutting base emissions from the most energy intensive industries.

(03:06):
But there is also a role and here we're going
to hear from Dr John Roach after lunch about innovation,
which is a really strong factor in New Zealand agriculture
as in European Union.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Avers Well, I put it to you ken Europe and
New Zealand maintain large stock numbers and meet NIT zero
by twenty fifty.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Maintaining livestock numbers. I think it's a different it's bringing
in that innovation. And I had the pleasure of being
at Field Days last week and there was fantastic innovation
both across New Zealand agriculture but also EU Agritech was
showcasing its best and we're both working together. I come
from Ireland, which we're working very much on similar pasture
and agriculture, and Island and New Zealand cooperating on how

(03:48):
best to tackle the methanees emission. So I think we're
making very substantial progress and I'm confident A Todd said
that in the coming twenty five years we're going to
hit that in at zero by twenty fifty.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
I think this is your first diplomatic posting. Am I
right in saying that? Yeah? But in a previous life
you've been under some troubled areas. You were involved in
Russia Ukraine.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
I'm a Russian speaker, and that's been an area of
specialization to nearly all my career. So I'm really delighted
that the Prime Minister and w Prime Minister of just
and Foreign Minister Peters have just announced strong additional support
for Ukraine because New Zealand lately Ouropean Union strongly stands
with Ukraine.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Sakia Starmer, your labor leader, and of course Prime Minister's
been well, he's been a bit of a standout, to
be fear on the global stage. He's not so popular
at home, not with Yorkshire Irish dairy farmers.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
Listen, what's important here?

Speaker 1 (04:48):
I know you can't doss the boss so.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Well, I'm Irish, so let's let's start here. What's really
important is all those countries who do stand with Ukraine.
I've experienced this situation and anybody who stands for a democracy,
the rule of law and sovereignty is supportive of what's
happening in Ukraine. It's completely unacceptable that Russia invaded sovereign Ukraine,

(05:15):
and the European Union and New Zealand, together with many
other who support the rule of law and democracy stand
with Ukraine.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Okay, just finally, Lawrence Meredith, you EU and best at
to New Zealand. We were having a coffee during the
break and we got as you do talking fuddy. You're
a huge rugby fan. Are you going to cross the
Tasman have a look at the Lions while they're over there.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Well, I'm not going to cross the Tasman for that,
but I'm definitely going to see the All Blacks fronts
and that's going to be a cracking game.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
That's only the warm up, that's the entree you need
to go to the All Blacks against the spring Box
and early September at Eden Park. That is the game, well,
not of the century, certainly the best game of fuddy
between the two World Cups.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
Well, I have to say, growing up as a rugby
manor an outside center, the most exciting thing is to
watch the All Blacks in action. And last time you
won out against Ireland, but you know, always next time,
So we'll see what happens in the France and Springboks again.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
Lawrence merrit as eum Bestor of New Zealand, lovely to
meet your