July 28, 2025 • 7 mins
The Labour Party’s trade spokesman joins us to talk about food costs, the Tasman floods, and on-farm safety.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And don't think we're going to head straight to our
man who was a parliamentary rugby team legend on the
open side flank. I presume that was a position he
always played, of course, from the west coast. Damien O'Connor, Damien, welcome, How.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Are you greatmy so nice to have you replacing your
older brother. Yeah, Jamie, Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
He remains a remarkable Nick Kevin. How much older he
is than me. I've got to hand it to him.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
It is amazing. Yes, yeah, yes, the good life does.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
That's what the good life exactly exactly. Hey, let's talk
food costs. That old chestnut only going in one direction, unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Look it is and pro Fonterra in the firing line
last week and a bit of an own goal like ues.
I think that Miles probably could have been prepared for
media when he had his meeting with Nichola Willis. Nicholas
stirred this up, really put the heat on both him
and herself. Kind of blame cost of living on butter Look,
(01:01):
it's one of those things that thankfully, through global commodity
prices we're all going to benefit from, but there are
some impacts back here at home, and of course it's
not just the price of butter. It's a lot of
other things. Electricity rates that are squeezing people. They're feeling
a bit agitated, and of course the price of butter.
(01:21):
It is a base but act for most of our diets,
and that's been in the firing line. And I guess Frontier,
of the biggest company, they were always going to have
to explain it. And Miles probably could have done better
by just giving a few clear lines when he came
out of that meeting and would have probably moved on.
(01:41):
But nonetheless it's kind of bouncing around still.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yeah, look, I agree with you in terms of like
I would like to have had Miles for ten minutes
before he walked down that alleyway past the one used
reporter and as you say, two or three sixth lines
and you put it to bed.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, well it is I mean the issues of of
our food system and you know, the domestic costs and
the supermarkets and all that, that's a bigger, wider issue.
Fontier is not responsible for all of that, but it is.
You know, the biggest players in town are always going to,
you know, have to take some responsibility, and I know
Fontier does do some good work helping people who you
(02:19):
know probably can't afford all the food that they need,
and so you know, they might have to step up,
continue to step up. And I think that's what you
call social license. The banks don't sponsor lots of things
because they love giving away money. He realizes a social
license that they have to earn as well.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I think it was a football match, our own goals.
I guess it had been Nichola Willis minus one, miles
Horrace minus minus one too, you know, So yeah, I think.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
That's a good complete. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Room for improvement, Yeah, room for improvement. Tasman floods and
we've got a bit of rain coming in again too.
The whole weather watch thing just continues on Damien.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Look it is and these things aren't going to go away.
And I guess people have been saying for twenty thirty
years that, you know, as climate shifts, changes warms, call
it what you like, we likely to have these events
that are more acute and certainly impacted the Tasman, the
Modolacre Valley in particular, Weighty Valley. You know, big dump
(03:20):
of rain came down and affected a whole lot of
people who you know are in the floodplain areas, and
I guess that's one of the things that we learned
from cycling Gabrielle. You know, if you're on a floodplane,
then it's going to flood at some stage. And we
put up stock banks and we feel more secure and protective.
But ultimately, you know, nature has its way. And I
guess what happened in Moderlaco. Over many years there was
(03:42):
a lot of tobacco growing in those floodplaines. They were
annual crops. You took a chance, and every now and
then they get hammered. Now I've got a lot of
you know, good investment in permanent structures around peers and
apples and hops and blueberries, and of course some of
those poor growers of hammered and its tragic. Hopefully they'll
get through it and hopefully they don't get hammered again
(04:04):
in the next day or so.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, sometimes the old television screen can conceal more than
it reveals. I mean, is the devastation more widespread than
we perhaps seeing it from Auckland or Palmerston author wherever
you're watching it from.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Well down the Model Acre Valley, it's pretty intense, you know,
and up all the way up back through tackle wear. No,
I think the TV has portrayed it pretty accurately, and
for some it's really devastating. Some people living homes, they
might be tiny homes, they've shifted them there. They've literally
been swept off their foundations and they've lost everything.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yeah, I want to talk to this. Children on farms,
child labor, farming, chores, whatever you call it. I mean,
I'm all for health and safety on the farm. You know,
I grew up in a generation where where every summer
there was those terrible stories of you know, silent incidents
and PTOs not being covered and goodness knows what. But
this general risk regulations and practicing farm safety, this is
(05:03):
an issue that ice Brook van Velden is raising and addressing.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Look, I haven't got the details of it, and I
suspect she may not be over all the details. Anyone
who's grown up on a farm probably has an idea.
There are some inherent risks. You know, if you're working
with animals and machinery, it is very risky. We do kill, unfortunately,
and maim too many kids and our adults on our farms,
(05:28):
so we do have to try harder. Don't think anyone
sets out to do that. It's just that, you know,
I guess people if you go back fifty years, people
were more practical. There were more people who came from
the regions, from rural areas. They were probably used to
these dangers. Now you've got a world of virtual reality,
you have people coming from the cities into farm environments
(05:51):
not aware of those dangers. So we do have to
try harder to have some better safety guidelines. But there
is a reality, of course, is as it say, with
an animal or machine, it's not always predictable.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I don't I just don't think we need to worry
too much about collecting the eggs from the trucks. I
think that's some of those as well.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I haven't. I haven't seen that, and I've just got
to you know, whether it's beat up by by politicians
or by by media. No, I think there's some recently
pragmatic things that should be done. I was just lucky
enough to have an adventure tourism business before anyone invented regulations.
We were lucky, you know, we got by, but you know,
(06:33):
as things move on, we had to realize that there
needs to be clear guidelines.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah, beat up by a politician or a media Damian,
I do not know what you are talking about, but
I know one thing you do know what you're talking
about is footy. I just want to ask you quickly
about will the Fortress of Eden Park remained intact as
of early September When we've got to take on those
South Africans and their bomb squad.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Well, that's going to be a great, great contest, and
I think, you know, I think we should. I kind
of like the way that ther blects have kind of
evolved in some creative playing, and you know, the new
rules a bit frustrating for people like the Australians at times,
but anyway, that's the way it goes. So keep out figures,
(07:13):
cross good stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Damon O'Connor, Thank you very much, much appreciated.
And don't think we're going to head straight to our
man who was a parliamentary rugby team legend on the
open side flank. I presume that was a position he
always played, of course, from the west coast. Damien O'Connor, Damien, welcome, How.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Are you greatmy so nice to have you replacing your
older brother. Yeah, Jamie, Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
He remains a remarkable Nick Kevin. How much older he
is than me. I've got to hand it to him.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
It is amazing. Yes, yeah, yes, the good life does.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
That's what the good life exactly exactly. Hey, let's talk
food costs. That old chestnut only going in one direction, unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Look it is and pro Fonterra in the firing line
last week and a bit of an own goal like ues.
I think that Miles probably could have been prepared for
media when he had his meeting with Nichola Willis. Nicholas
stirred this up, really put the heat on both him
and herself. Kind of blame cost of living on butter Look,
(01:01):
it's one of those things that thankfully, through global commodity
prices we're all going to benefit from, but there are
some impacts back here at home, and of course it's
not just the price of butter. It's a lot of
other things. Electricity rates that are squeezing people. They're feeling
a bit agitated, and of course the price of butter.
(01:21):
It is a base but act for most of our diets,
and that's been in the firing line. And I guess Frontier,
of the biggest company, they were always going to have
to explain it. And Miles probably could have done better
by just giving a few clear lines when he came
out of that meeting and would have probably moved on.
(01:41):
But nonetheless it's kind of bouncing around still.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yeah, look, I agree with you in terms of like
I would like to have had Miles for ten minutes
before he walked down that alleyway past the one used
reporter and as you say, two or three sixth lines
and you put it to bed.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, well it is I mean the issues of of
our food system and you know, the domestic costs and
the supermarkets and all that, that's a bigger, wider issue.
Fontier is not responsible for all of that, but it is.
You know, the biggest players in town are always going to,
you know, have to take some responsibility, and I know
Fontier does do some good work helping people who you
(02:19):
know probably can't afford all the food that they need,
and so you know, they might have to step up,
continue to step up. And I think that's what you
call social license. The banks don't sponsor lots of things
because they love giving away money. He realizes a social
license that they have to earn as well.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I think it was a football match, our own goals.
I guess it had been Nichola Willis minus one, miles
Horrace minus minus one too, you know, So yeah, I think.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
That's a good complete. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Room for improvement, Yeah, room for improvement. Tasman floods and
we've got a bit of rain coming in again too.
The whole weather watch thing just continues on Damien.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Look it is and these things aren't going to go away.
And I guess people have been saying for twenty thirty
years that, you know, as climate shifts, changes warms, call
it what you like, we likely to have these events
that are more acute and certainly impacted the Tasman, the
Modolacre Valley in particular, Weighty Valley. You know, big dump
(03:20):
of rain came down and affected a whole lot of
people who you know are in the floodplain areas, and
I guess that's one of the things that we learned
from cycling Gabrielle. You know, if you're on a floodplane,
then it's going to flood at some stage. And we
put up stock banks and we feel more secure and protective.
But ultimately, you know, nature has its way. And I
guess what happened in Moderlaco. Over many years there was
(03:42):
a lot of tobacco growing in those floodplaines. They were
annual crops. You took a chance, and every now and
then they get hammered. Now I've got a lot of
you know, good investment in permanent structures around peers and
apples and hops and blueberries, and of course some of
those poor growers of hammered and its tragic. Hopefully they'll
get through it and hopefully they don't get hammered again
(04:04):
in the next day or so.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, sometimes the old television screen can conceal more than
it reveals. I mean, is the devastation more widespread than
we perhaps seeing it from Auckland or Palmerston author wherever
you're watching it from.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Well down the Model Acre Valley, it's pretty intense, you know,
and up all the way up back through tackle wear. No,
I think the TV has portrayed it pretty accurately, and
for some it's really devastating. Some people living homes, they
might be tiny homes, they've shifted them there. They've literally
been swept off their foundations and they've lost everything.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yeah, I want to talk to this. Children on farms,
child labor, farming, chores, whatever you call it. I mean,
I'm all for health and safety on the farm. You know,
I grew up in a generation where where every summer
there was those terrible stories of you know, silent incidents
and PTOs not being covered and goodness knows what. But
this general risk regulations and practicing farm safety, this is
(05:03):
an issue that ice Brook van Velden is raising and addressing.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Look, I haven't got the details of it, and I
suspect she may not be over all the details. Anyone
who's grown up on a farm probably has an idea.
There are some inherent risks. You know, if you're working
with animals and machinery, it is very risky. We do kill, unfortunately,
and maim too many kids and our adults on our farms,
(05:28):
so we do have to try harder. Don't think anyone
sets out to do that. It's just that, you know,
I guess people if you go back fifty years, people
were more practical. There were more people who came from
the regions, from rural areas. They were probably used to
these dangers. Now you've got a world of virtual reality,
you have people coming from the cities into farm environments
(05:51):
not aware of those dangers. So we do have to
try harder to have some better safety guidelines. But there
is a reality, of course, is as it say, with
an animal or machine, it's not always predictable.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
I don't I just don't think we need to worry
too much about collecting the eggs from the trucks. I
think that's some of those as well.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I haven't. I haven't seen that, and I've just got
to you know, whether it's beat up by by politicians
or by by media. No, I think there's some recently
pragmatic things that should be done. I was just lucky
enough to have an adventure tourism business before anyone invented regulations.
We were lucky, you know, we got by, but you know,
(06:33):
as things move on, we had to realize that there
needs to be clear guidelines.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah, beat up by a politician or a media Damian,
I do not know what you are talking about, but
I know one thing you do know what you're talking
about is footy. I just want to ask you quickly
about will the Fortress of Eden Park remained intact as
of early September When we've got to take on those
South Africans and their bomb squad.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Well, that's going to be a great, great contest, and
I think, you know, I think we should. I kind
of like the way that ther blects have kind of
evolved in some creative playing, and you know, the new
rules a bit frustrating for people like the Australians at times,
but anyway, that's the way it goes. So keep out figures,
(07:13):
cross good stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Damon O'Connor, Thank you very much, much appreciated.
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