November 2, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Phil Duncan, Emlyn Francis, David Seymour, Todd Clark, and John McOviney.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie mckuae. Thanks to Brent You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Good Amie Zellen, Welcome to the Country. The show is
brought to you by Brandton Jamie MacKaye. A bit of
a Lamas Morris set for our first guest, Phil Duncan.
November is a new month and it started very promisingly.
It couldn't be any worse than October or September. Actually,
we're going to talk a little bit about the weather today,
so Phil Duncan on that one, plus a bit of
(00:56):
a movie review for you because I went to Pike River.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Night.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Anyhow, onto the more important issues of the day. The
weather's been a shaker, not only in the Deep South
but also in Canterbury. I'm going to track down thanks
to Jeremy Rooks. All credit to him, a colvid and
dairy farmer who's been smacked hard by the terrible wins
they had in that part of the country. Emlyn francis
(01:22):
very shortly on the Country. David Seymour has his regular
Monday fortnightly slot. Who's calling the shots in the Coalition
government is it Seymour who was acting Prime Minister till
Luxon got back or is it Winston? And what does
he make of the capital gains tax? And what does
he make of Winston banging on about Fonterra and the
Alliance group. Todd Clark, You're going to love this story.
(01:44):
He's at Lexington based a US correspondent, but for his
sins he went to Chicago for the weekend. Yeah, he
was there watching the All Blacks that magnificent fifty five
minutes of the first half of the worst game of rugby.
I think I've ever seen the first half any and
John mcavinnie waititomo sheep and beef farmer on farming sharing
(02:06):
and generators. Has this been a bit of a wake
up call for us? Should we all be buying generators?
And what have you got to spend on the generator?
If you want one to pow you want power? Should
I say one of those big kickass stairy rotary sheds.
We've got all that to do before the end of
the hour. Let's kick it off with the weather.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Weather on the country, with farmlands, with clothing to keep
you cool, dry and protected this summer.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Phil Duncan a bit of Alanas Morris set just for
you Have. Do you ever go to the movies?
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Not much of these days.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
No, Well, I went to the movies with the program
director The Last Night because Pike River, Melanie Lynskey world famous,
Robin Malcolm world famous in New Zealand, Lucy Lawless kind
of world famous as well. And I must say it
was quite a moving movie, but very politically orientated. John
(03:01):
Key came across as a gormless sort of character, whereas
when well, it wasn't him, they had someone acting in
his role. But when it came to Jacinda, guess who
played Jacinda.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Herself?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yes, yes, she came out looking a million dollars. So
there you go. Well see, I won't ask Seymour what
he thinks about that. Anyhow, onto the issues of the day.
October was awful. It finished on a real low with
those terrible, terrible winds in the storm. But gee, we're
off to a flyer with November fell. I only want
good news.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Yeah, you know, quite often I say to people, mother
nature doesn't know it's the first of the month, and
so don't expect it to change like a switch. And
yet literally that's kind of what's happened much of New Zealand.
High pressure finally in control, a lot of dry weather,
a lot of sunny weather, and apart from probably Hawkes Bay,
most of the regions around the country will be loving
this change.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Now.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
The interesting thing looking at kind of a long range pattern,
we've got a lot more high pressure to move through
this week and probably next week as well. But it's
worth noting two things. Number One, the Southern Ocean is
still very active and stormy, as you would expect only
a couple of months out of winter. But the other second,
perhaps more important feature, is all the low pressure that
is over Australia over the next two weeks. So there's
(04:18):
a lot of low pressure at our latitude, and so
what that means is once these highs move away from us,
there is a good chance that we could get another
low So I think November is going to be fairly
normal so this time of the year, except that we
we're going to see production in the severe weather events
and we're not completely finished with the cold snaps. There's
very likely to be another one within the next couple
(04:39):
of weeks, but certainly not seeing severe weather of forecasts
around the country like we were seeing just over the
last few months.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Well, we've needed this break in the weather because September
and October we're truly awful depending on where you lived
in the country. We're going to be heading to canterp
excuse me, North Canterbury shortly. All the pivot Eerra gate
is not all of them, but a lot of them
a been blown over and bent and buckled. They're starting
to get quite dry there. But when I look at
Minnewa oops, I mean Earth Sciences n Z Drought Indicator
(05:09):
map that stands out like a sore thumb. And you
mentioned it Hawk's Bay.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yeah, very dry. It has had a little bit of
rain relief just here and there, but it has been
dry and the windy, very windy weather and some very
hot days as well, pushing close to thirty degrees has
really dried out the surface of the soil. It's had
a very dry year around parts of Hawk's Bay, especially
sort of around the Hastings area plus or minus thirty
minutes of driving that's the area that's been particularly dry.
(05:37):
Now we long range there is somewhere weather coming true
into the country, including maybe eastern parts of the Northland,
but there is more high pressure than low pressure, which
means I think we're going to see places drying out
more so over the next couple of weeks than we've
seen over the last couple of weeks. But you know,
there are a couple of areas of low pressure to
keep an eye on, and the other feature is lonning.
(05:58):
You we may actually get a London announced this month
or or in December. It doesn't look like it's going
to be very strong or last very long, but you
couple that up with the low pressure in Australia and
we may well get something out of the tropics or
subtropics that could help in those pets.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Well, sorry, Larnina, correct me if I'm wrong. Would be
good for the traditionally drier parts of the country, ie
the east coasts of both islands.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
If it's a grunty one, you know, if it's just
a meanderingly Larnini that's sort of borderline, sort of producing
loads to the north, they might not have the energy
to reach this far south. But if it's if we
get some really good areas of low pressure north of
New Zealand, then absolutely what you're saying is right because
it encourages high pressure further down over Southland, they'll be
loving that, and then you end up with easterlyes at
(06:45):
the top of the country, which can then drive and
rain to those areas. That's the formula. But I get
nervous with Londoningia because there's a lot of headlines that
say when it forms, we get rain, and it really
isn't as simplistic as that.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well, Southland needs a high to sit over it for
about a month and nothing else to help on the
recovery down there. Look, look, just finally, and I don't
want to be alarmist on this, but if you're on
the East Coast and we're heading to North Canterbury shortly,
as I said, they're starting to dry out. But foe
warned is forearms. Should you be farming towards a dry season?
(07:18):
I suppose you always do in those parts of the country.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Yeah, I mean Eastern New Zealand is traditionally an area
that dries out. But Hawks Bay is a bit dryer
than it usually would be to this time of the year,
at least some parts of Hawk's Bay, not all of it. Yeah,
I would be a little bit cautious about how dry
it's going to become, because I do think we're seeing
higher temperatures. We've got a good chance of getting more
heat coming from the north and from out of Australia.
(07:42):
And we're not done with the windy weather. I mean,
while it's really lovely this week in a number of places,
it is still going to be a bit windy even
today in some places, so we're not finished with the
wind yet. November is still spring, so I think I
would be leaning towards dryer rather than wetter in the
East at this early stage.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Well, Duncan, thanks as always for your time. I'm going
to roll out with a bit of Alanas Morrisset just
for you. Perfect see cell Duncan. They're from weather Watch. Okay,
let's head to one of those dry places, dry windy places,
North Canterbury. Be quiet, Alana, she's in my year. She's
(08:20):
too loud. Emlin Francis is the guy's name. Got a
couple of dairy farms in the Culvert And area. You
might have seen some of the the photographic evidence if
you want. I think there was like a shout about,
a big shout about that was just completely flatten the
whole length of it. And that's up in that region,
(08:40):
and of course The other problem is, as I mentioned,
the pivot irrigators, they normally lean them into the wind
to stop them blowing over, but this was a freakish
sort of wind and there's all sorts of damage there.
We'll have a look at that one. David Seymour on politics.
Todd Clark, a US correspondent went to Soldier Field on
the weekend for the Rugby the Poor Bugger and John
(09:01):
McAvennie on generators sharing and sheep and beef farming in
White Homo. So for the past week or ten days
(09:27):
we've been concentrating on some of the damage because it's
been in a state of civil emergency in Southland and
Southwest Otago. But of course the other region that was
really hammered was Canterbury, particularly North Canterbury, the culvid In area.
Let's go to the cold Face and talk to one
of the farmers yet another friend of Jeremy Rooks. I
didn't realize he had that many Emmlin Francis dairy farmer,
(09:51):
couple of farms up there. How bad was it, Emlin.
Speaker 5 (09:54):
I've never seen one like it. Joey, it was next.
I couldn't believe it. Where I was driving around with
our daughter and there was trees just exploding. Hindsight, it
says we prep shouldn't have been driving around with them my daughter,
But yeah, it was unbelievable, like one hundred year old
trees just exploding halfway up. It was next level.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
I've seen a picture I think from the culvert and
area where there's a shout about them. The whole thing
has just laid flat. How far is that from your place?
Speaker 5 (10:18):
Just up the road? I think, yeah, just along the road.
We were actually driving up, but we decided to guess
that when the third or fourth three started falling down
across the road, we thought perhaps it was foolish and
went to our farm another direction.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
The trees are one thing. You can grow some new
ones allbit that takes a lot of time and again
you've got to chop them up. But from a financial
point of view, the damage done to the pivot irrigators,
how did you fare? And how is the region fared?
Speaker 5 (10:45):
I mean absolutely, We've got one of our farms got
an absolute hiding. It has six set of pivots on it,
one of which is just a small three hectare spinner
and that's the only one that stowed up. So we
have a contract will on that farm, six hundred and
fifty cows and all the pivots are down, and I
really don't envisage water a tool. I'll be really, really
thrilled if we have water the side of Christmas.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Really and you're getting very dry at the moment. This
could not happen at a worse time.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
Timing was pretty ship yeah, like cows are peaking, we're
just starting mating, potentially harvesting supplement, all that sort of thing.
You know, it's pretty catastrophic, pretty catastrophic. There was a
video one of our staff took from inside our smugger
room at the cow shed, and I think it made
the stuff for made the news. It was there was
(11:29):
a checkery paddock just absolutely flogging. It was. We had
a French girl working for us who was terrified. It's
absolutely terrified.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I'm hearing reports that some of the farmers haven't got
insurance on their pivot irrigators because the insurance companies won't
ensure them, and even if they do, it's too expensive.
What about you.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
We're okay now, but I suspect that that will be
a conversation that will happen down the track and we're
also the small fund that took Hiding Mound considering summer
or you know something, pole springers. We haven't a loot
of a strategy session this week with some consultants, and
we'll just just do the mess. I mean, if you
capitalize the capitalize the insurance premiums and the insurance excesses
(12:11):
of the time, you can probably justify buying some more
money to put poles in and that don't blow down.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
How do you get up from the ground and dust
yourself off after an event like this, Like you say,
you've been farming in that area for thirty years, you've
never seen wind like it. I mean, there's nothing to
say that you might see wind like it again next season.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Yeah true, I mean not. What you just do is
you play what you worry about what you can control.
So you know, we've we've got all the trees out
of the way, so guys they've got access. We've got
any power that was broken fixed up. We've got you
know of fences fixed and get insurance underway and the
pivot repair of guys underway and the rest of it.
You know. I mean, I don't worry about many things,
(12:54):
and you just you know, you worry about what you can
entron and just and that gives your power if you're
if you're achieving something you can can achieve, then you're
making progress in that direction.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Are you having any community events like that? But a
networking gathering a few bears because a problem shared. It's
an old cliche, I know, but a problem shared is
a problem halved.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
Oh there's no there is that. Our local fed for
the farmers Girl has been awesome organizing, I think at
Farceurs last week which I couldn't get to. But then
it's also another one. I think this form altso a
community barbecue, get together through the fat and tell what stories.
I think that's really important, Like you say, just to
share the burdens.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Emmlin Francis, thank you very much for some of your
time to appreciating their thoughts. Go out to you guys
in the North Canterbury region, like Southland and Southwest Otago,
you've been hit hard, but at least you've got the
Canterbury Show or the christ Show to look forward to.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
Ah yeah, but I mean you go along there and
kick tires. It's you know, there's we've actually got a
couple of pigs at home, which you've entered in the
bar and the bar's more for the more for the
un colors that go along and drink, try and find
a wife.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Find a wife and the ball pen. Now, of course
you know turn up on the Thursday because we're launching
the twenty twenty five Mackay's are and the Emerson's Tiny Pub.
I'll look forward to meeting you there perfect no say
much got on you, Mlyn. Yeah, that's open invite to anyone.
I wonder how much Mackay's are there bringing with them.
But we've got the tiny pub there. It's the official launch.
(14:24):
What a place to launch it. And the boar Pen
if you haven't been along to that one, it's an
experience not to be missed at the christ Church or
Canterbury amp show. Young Cantabrian's at their very very best.
Sometimes at their very very worst a bit later in
the day, but it is a lot of fun. Oh
(14:44):
to be young. Now up next, David Seymour. Before the
end of the air, Todd Clark. I was sitting watching
the rugby My god, that first half was insufferable and
I get a text from him. He's at Soldier Field.
Our us correspondent. It's taken his whole family there. I
wonder what he made of the test and John mcavinnie
(15:05):
I'm sharing in generators. David Seymour is the act Party
leader and deputy Prime Minister. In fact, I thought today
I might be getting the acting prime minister, but Christopher
(15:27):
Luckson's back in town. But here's a question for you,
David Seymour, who's rarely calling the shots in the coalition government.
Is it Luxe and you or is it Winston?
Speaker 6 (15:38):
It's actually a combination of the three, and that's why
it's worked so much better than our worst enemy's greatest fears.
We've been very effective. We've got a huge amount of done.
We're fixed a lot. That's not to say that we're
finished or that everything's perfect, but actually I think that
we've worked pretty well together.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Well, you don't agree on the Fonterra and as votes,
you and Christopher Luxen are in agreement. But Winston as
he yelling at clouds, barking at cars.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Look, I'll let him speak for himself, but it's pretty clear.
Right the farmers dated eighty five and a half percent
to fourteen and a half is pretty resounding. I mean,
it was much more resounding than the abs versus Ireland,
even though that was pretty good. And even if the
farmers voted to go the other way, I'd still respect
(16:29):
their choice because I'm not the one who gets up
at five am to milk the cows. I haven't earned
the right to have a say the way Mark Cameron
or Andrew Hogart are. And even though they are in
my caucus as a politician, I wouldn't dream of telling
them how to vote. So you know, it's up to them.
It's their call. Good on them, and the government was
never going to intervene. Yeah, but what Winston was up
to is up to Winston.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Now.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
The gloves starting to come off ahead of the election.
I note that he had to correct his Prime Minister
on social media, changing an eye to a wee.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
Again, I'll let him speak to that. I mean, I
generally find that you know your best to stay off
Twitter generally, but especially at night.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
What do you make a chippy's capital gains tax? I
call it the Clayton's CGT, the capital gains tax when
you're not really having one. It's very mild. And then
strangely he's decided to use the proceeds to take from
the rich and give to the rich.
Speaker 6 (17:26):
Well, there's so many things wrong with it. You know,
it's not really funding the doctor's visit because it won't
bring in revenue for a few years, whereas presumably if
they won the election, they'd want to offer doctor's visits
straight away. So that's a total weird hearing. Even if
it was for the doctor's visits, we already have free
visits for under fourteen's Community service cards. Holder low and
(17:47):
come people get highly subsidized, if not free visits, So
really you'd be filling in the blanks giving three free
doctors visits for older, wealthier people and a con me
where actually it's availability and getting appointments that's the issue.
It would probably make that a little bit worse. So
you know, there's really nothing to really commend what he's doing.
(18:10):
But for me, that's all detail. The real question is
is this a country where we believe that our potential
is unlimited and the challenge is to create the conditions
where people achieve or do we believe it's a country
with a finite amount of wealth and resources, and the
(18:32):
task of politicians is to find someone that's got something
take it off them and give it to something else,
because if it's the second one, I'm out. I want
a country that is based on prosperity and creativity and
innovation and unlimited potential, not voting for people to take
off someone else.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Okay, but putting on your fairness and equity had is
there a fair argument? I mean, I think this capital
gains tax, the policy is completely wrong around this particular proposal.
But is there an argument for broadening the tax space.
Speaker 6 (19:05):
We got one of the lowest rate, broadest based tax
systems in the world. I'd rather that the rates are
a bit lower, But we have a very good tax
system and actually, to the extent, New Zealand has a
success and in many ways it is I suspect one
of the things that we've done is choose to be
like Switzerland. It's all these people say, oh, there'll be
(19:26):
the only countries that don't have a capital gainst tax
in New Zealand and Switzerland. I say, that's great, let's
be like Switzerland, not like the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
What do you make of Apek and everyone basically dancing
to Trump's tune? Is that just the food chain?
Speaker 6 (19:43):
Well, I don't want to speak for other world leaders
who know you characterize as dancing to Trump's tune, they
probably wouldn't appreciate that characterization. I'm not going to buy
into it. All I would say is that I think
Chris has done a good job, as he always does.
He loves being overseas, loves meeting with other world leaders.
(20:03):
I think that's because he's very good at Our government
is renewing our connections with the rest of the world
after they were frankly neglected for a few years. And
you know, I would say what's in it for New
Zealand rather than trying to be a political commentator. Maybe
I'll do that in a future life.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Is Trump a bully?
Speaker 6 (20:23):
Well, I mean I've never met the guy. You know,
he's a very assertive leader of the United States as
he sees it. He's got a mandate to rebalance trade
and defense spending, and he's going about doing that, and
we have to respect that and then ask the question
what's best for New Zealand. That is re maintaining strong
relationships with as many countries as possible, both for security
(20:45):
and for trade.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yeah, but I mean what's best for New Zealand? It
would be if Trump didn't have a teriffs.
Speaker 6 (20:51):
Well, that may be true, but he's been elected by
the American people to put in place the policies that
he believes are best for his country. Unless your suggestion
is New Zealand should start rigging American elections, not a
lot we can do about it. So our goal is
to get on with who the American people elect and
build a positive relationship.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
David Seymour, thank you very much for your time.
Speaker 6 (21:11):
As always, thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Twenty seven away from one you are with the country. Yeah,
we talked to some of the political leaders on this show.
Chippy was due to be on this week. Hello, Michelle Watt,
you've wandered in here minus she wallat. Is this just
a cunning way to get me to buy all the coffees?
Speaker 7 (21:32):
Well, I get accused of this quite often by my
husband actually leaving my wallet behind, but this is an
actual real thing.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I've read you lost it this morning, and to be fair,
you were buying me a coffee, so I feel bad
about it now. It's a pink wallet lost outside the
b n Z right in the middle of town. Here,
Come on, you low life. If you've got it, there's
nothing of value in there. There's nothing value. No, no,
there's a debit card and you've put a block on that,
so hand it, hand it in. So anyhow, you were
(22:01):
you were making a comparison because Chippy has stood me
up this week. He was due to be on I
think on Thursday, but he's too busy. Anyhow, I'll probably
have to get Damien or Joe or someone on to
add some balance.
Speaker 7 (22:16):
Yeah, well, what was my joke that, Chris. It's a
bit like a loveless marriage.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
And you're between men and Chippy.
Speaker 7 (22:21):
Yeah, you're and Chippy and then you and Damien are
like the you know, the couple on the road to
divorce but not quite there yet.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
What do you mean, like a squabbling old couple.
Speaker 7 (22:30):
Yeah, yeah, there's love there.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
There is a bit of love there, but it's it's
tested every time we chat. Anyhow, here's some texts coming
in about Lucy Lawless. Someone ians doesn't like Lucy called
a Lucy clueless it's a wonder you didn't heave up
your popcorn and reference to me watching the Pike River movie,
which was quite good, I'll tell you who. And Lucy
(22:55):
Lawless is an out and out Green supporter. Interestingly, I
don't dream it's over crowded. How the Elphin's a big
fan of the left as well, that features in the movie.
But Lucy Lawless is a very very good Helen Kelly,
you know, and regardless of what you think about left
and right in politics and trade unions, I'm not a
(23:15):
fan of them, but she was a very very strong woman,
that Helen Kelly, the late Helen Kelly. So you know,
Melanie Lynskey, Robin Malcolm, Lucy Lawless. It is a good
cast the Pike River movie, and you get your cinder
for a bonus. Almost I almost did throw up the
popcorn because I'm thinking they'd got this bloke, as I
(23:35):
said earlier in the show, playing a gormless John Key.
They made him look like he was totally useless, and
then all of a sudden they're off to Wellington to
get a petition signed and Jacinda pops up. In real life.
Speaker 7 (23:47):
They give it a secret, didn't they, Because I didn't
even know.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
She's I didn't neither, So you can go and judge yourself.
Up next Rural News and Sports News. Welcome back to
the Country. The show's brought to you by Brandt. Very
shortly Michelle Worth the latest and rural news. We'll have
a look at sports news for you as well. But
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(25:13):
It just makes sense.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
What the country's world news with Cod Cadet New Zealand's
leading right on lawn bower brand visit steel for dot
co dot nz for your locals doggist.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Okay, Michelle, what are you got seeing? You haven't got
a wallet anymore? Pink pink while it outside the bn
Z corner of More Place and George Street, handed in
if you've pinched it.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
This is going to be ongoing for the whole week.
I feel so and rural News. I was just looking
up the whaler Go Cup over the weekend. It's quite
hard to find the results. If anyone can send me
the results, flip them to me on Facebook and Messenger
or something through Facebook page, be great. But it looks
like Australia retained the whaler Go cut, which really.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Supprises we don't like that. Maybe we don't. That's fake
news as Trump.
Speaker 7 (25:58):
What do you got on rural news? O her on
your Southern Hawk's Bay Mum Laura Bradley created at sharing
history when she reached the open Sharing final at the
Wild Upper Spring Shares and only her second competition in
the top grade. She is thought to have become the
first woman to reach an open sharing final in the
North Island and one a fewer than ten worldwide. The
only other woman to reach an open sharing final in
(26:19):
New Zealand in the last fifteen years was Sarah Houston
of Havelock in twenty twenty two when she came forth
at the Nelson AMP show. So great news there and
sharing and you've got some sports news there. Jamie sport
on the.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Country with AFCO one hundred percent. Ke we owned. That's rare.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Oh sorry about that FCO. There's a Dame no Lene
story here, but that's a bit of a dog's breakfast.
It's like the first half of the All Blacks Test.
Soldier Field Kiwi's league captain James Fisher Harris is pleased
to have ensured retiring playmaker Karen Forn's last international match
on home saw was a win and he wants to
provide another farm farewell for the halfbacks final game in
(26:57):
Black this weekend's specific Champion and Ship final in Sydney.
The availability of injured All Blacks Scott and Jordi Barrett
for this weekend's Test against Scotland and Edinburgh will be
decided overnight. And India is celebrating a first ever women's
fifty over Cricket World Cup title, beating South Africa by
fifty two runs in the final at Mumbai. Talking about
(27:20):
Soldier Field, we're heading to Chicago next, Todd Clark is
at the airport so here. I was yesterday morning watching
the rugbyfore my sins with Jeremy Rooks and Dunedin when
I get a text from another of my regular correspondents,
in fact, my Kentucky based US correspondent, Todd Clark, who,
(27:42):
for his sins, was at the game at Soldier Field
in Chicago, watching the All Blacks live for the first time. Todd,
I don't want to be the bearer of bad news,
but you couldn't have picked a worst game to watch.
What did you and your family make of it?
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Goody, Jamie. It was still big fun for us because,
as you said, it was our first Test match and
so we thought it was awesome. But the with no experience,
My wife and the boys had their girlfriends along too,
and so they were asking, is this what a normal
test match is like? And I said, oh, I hope not.
(28:17):
In there was a as you all know, there was
just a crazy amount of stoppage and sitting around waiting,
you know, three minutes in. It reminded me of American
football to some degree.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Well, it did remind me of American football. In fact,
I was keeping a keen eye on it. The first
three minutes of the game took I think eleven minutes.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Oh, it seemed sitting in the stadium, it seemed like
it took twice as long as that it was. I
was worried we were going to go through a whole
test match and actually see him play for ten minutes.
It was painful.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
It was absolutely painful. The last quarter okay, salvaged the game,
but that first half would go down on history. In
my mind is a long time all Black fan and
support and watch as perhaps the worst forty minutes of
rugby I've ever seen. Anyhow, never mind, we'll move on
from that one now. Talking about stoppages, Todd Clark, You're
at Ohare Airport in Chicago, making your way home, huge airport,
(29:14):
and the stoppages are affecting you, not on the field
of play, but getting through security. And this is all
to do with Trump's shutdown.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Well it's a good Republican. I'm not going to let
you put it on Trump, but the yeah, so they
for over thirty days, our government has been shut down,
and one of the things that's shut down through that
is all government employees and so the TSA are security
at the airport's it's my understanding that they're they're just
here sort of under their own goodwill. I guess they
(29:47):
expect to be paid for their as you said earlier,
for their sins once the government's opened back up. But
it's a it's a complete standoff at this point. It's
no end in sight. And we won't get into who's
the blame. But not only that, but our USDA. All
(30:09):
of those things are closed, and so anything on the
farm that we needed to report or go through the USDA,
we're not able to because it's they're not allowed to
go to the office in the USDA standpoint, the FSA offices.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Now USDIS US Department of Agriculture.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
I assume, yep, it is in one of the agencies
under that that I would work with as FSA Farm
service agency.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Okay, well, good luck getting home from Chicago to Lexington, Kentucky,
where you're based. Todd Clark, what's happening on the farm
at the moment. You're heading into your winter as we
head into our summer.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
That's correct. And finally after a couple of months of
no rain, it's started to rain again, and so at
this point it's sensibleuilding and cattle checking. And unfortunately we're
having to feed a little bit of hay already due
to the draft that we came out of this summer.
But cattle prices are hanging in there. But our president
(31:15):
tweeted a couple of things a couple of weeks ago,
talking about he was going to fix the cost of
beef in the supermarket, which caused the next day prices
to come down dramatically. But the supply is not there
regardless of his tweets, and so prices have rebounded since then.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
I think I read Todd Clark that your beef numbers
are the lowest I've been since nineteen fifty eight. Obviously
you've had drought issues, but there must be other contributing factors.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
There is just a lack of profitability year on year
on end. And the other thing is the next generation
really doesn't want to do what we would call cow
caass and so if you don't have anyone doing that,
you can't produce the animals to to finish eventually for me,
(32:02):
and that's going to have to change too. But there
is a little bit of an uptick, but with the
prices that we've had, you would expect enough tick or
a little bit of an interest in beef.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Well, I know from spending some time with you in
the States, you've got two strapping lads or either of
them going farming.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
The oldest farms with me, and he loves cattle. So
for us, it's all good news if the president will
quit tweeting. But the middle one he's into insurance like
his mother, so that's good. It takes all different types
to make the world go around.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Well, if the president, if your president would stop tweeting,
it might do the world a favor. But anyhow, I
want to get political with you because you're a diet
in the Wall Republican Todd Clark, thanks for some of
your time from oh here at airport in Chicago, heading
home from the Rugby test. Safe travels, mate, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Go the avs.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Here's a whomo sheep and beef farmer also the chief
executive of steel Fort John. Before we talk about sheep
and beef farming, I want to talk to you about generators.
I know that you sell lawn Master generators, but as
I understand it, not big enough to power a dairy shed.
Is that a market you're thinking of getting into.
Speaker 8 (33:23):
Yeah, well, funnily if you should say that, Jamie, because
you know gens it's all branded law Master, but we
only do up to about seven or eight killing one
and that's not big enough to power a dairy shed.
So they need to be significantly larger than that. But
you know, I to our general manager the other day
(33:44):
that you know something that we should be looking at
because the product is outstanding that we've got and we
should look to expand it into you know, supporting the
you know, the program in New Zealand for dairy farmers
and if we can find the right speed then we
should get into that market. But you know, we want
to be know there's outdoor power equipment in New Zealand
(34:07):
and that's what steel Ford and nornmost of it does,
So let's do it once and do it properly.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
How are things on the White Tomos sheep and beef farm,
because I know, or was it a couple of three
weeks ago you guys had some fairly serious rain. No
doubt you've recovered from that. No droughts in your direction
at the stage.
Speaker 8 (34:25):
No excuse me, Jamie, it's you know, it's been probably
one of the worst springs. I know in August, September
has been you know, even even halfway through October has
been average. I mean, it's come right this week, but
it's been very, very poor screen. And I'm always amazed.
We've just finished talking and we're about the same numbers
(34:49):
as we were last year. And I'm always amazed how
those little lambs and the rain and the cold, you know,
they get born and then they stand up and take
a drink from mum and away they go. It's incredible,
you know, they're so hardy, these sheep that we breathe
in this country. And I'm you know, I'm always amazed
how well the stock do.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
What are you going to do with all your money
this year?
Speaker 8 (35:12):
John, Yeah, well I hope you don't worry. We'll be
spent on the farm. Tell you what I've even taken
much out in the last ten years from when we've
been up at my time.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
Mate, Well that's fair. You've got a pretty good paying
day job, so that's fair enough. But on a serious vein,
let's put it into context. We've got the Fonterra announcement,
No doubt you're up to speed on that one. There's
going to be a lot of money, in fact, three
point two billion alone off the Fonterra thing back into
the rural communities. How do you reckon it's going to
be spent.
Speaker 8 (35:43):
Well, you know, there's a lot of farmers around, dairy farmers,
pretty pragmatic sort of people, and I would say that
if they get that sort of three fifty to four
hundred k so first of them will be looking at
paying some dead back. Then they'll probably put it into
you know, product, and they'll put it into cows, they'll
put it into fertilizer, they'll put it into things that
(36:06):
make them have a better business. And I know that,
you know, Winston's a bit critical of Frontierra and he
likes that vertically integrated system. But you know, I would
have thought that the Miles Harralds of this world would
have investigated that pretty fully. In the arrangement that they've
made to sell to that French company will only be
(36:28):
good for the New Zealand aery farmer. You know, they've
got an incredibly good range of companies that sell their product.
You a lot bigger than Fontira, So I would say
it's only going to be good for the New Zealand
dairy farmer.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Yep, stick to you and knitting, stick to what you
do best. Just a final one you guys at steel
Fort slash lawn Master getting behind. I think he's an
outstanding young New Zealander, Jack Fagan, see what on all round?
Are that young blokers?
Speaker 8 (37:00):
Well, I met Jack on a couple of occasions, and
I've talked to him on a few more than that,
but I met him basically through your stand at the
field days when we were there, and I met David,
his father, and he's a really nice young guy. So
he wants a little bit of help in terms of
his expenses to tour around New Zealand and do what
(37:20):
he does, and he's just come back from overseas. We've
helped him out financially and he's going to be at
the field day. So you see law master on the
back of his shirt and you know, we just want
to do our bit for the rural community. And I
actually put it on him that I've got a couple
of grandsons that i want to get them to learn
how to share. And he said to me, I'll come
out and give you a half day out there and
(37:41):
give you give the boys a pointer, and which I
think is fantastic. You know, if they learn from the best. Hopefully,
it's a great discipline to have to know how to
share a ship. You've done a few in your day, haven't.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Yeah, I'm a farmer hacker, but yeah, I can get
the wall off all right. I think it's a great skull.
And if you fall upon tough times John Locke gets
sacked from your radio job, you can always go back,
get on the end of a hand piece, do a
bit of lamb crutching. Great money, great bear money. Heading
into Christmas. Gotta go mate, Thanks for some of your time.
Speaker 8 (38:09):
No, it's all kids.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Good on your John on that wraps today's show. Yes,
it's not the world's oldest profession, but it's the most
honest sharing.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Go you good things, catch all the latest from the land.
It's the country podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent,
the starkest of the leading agriculture brands,
Catch all the latest from the land. It's The Country
Podcast with Jamie mckuae. Thanks to Brent You're specialist in
John Deere construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Good Amie Zellen, Welcome to the Country. The show is
brought to you by Brandton Jamie MacKaye. A bit of
a Lamas Morris set for our first guest, Phil Duncan.
November is a new month and it started very promisingly.
It couldn't be any worse than October or September. Actually,
we're going to talk a little bit about the weather today,
so Phil Duncan on that one, plus a bit of
(00:56):
a movie review for you because I went to Pike River.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Night.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Anyhow, onto the more important issues of the day. The
weather's been a shaker, not only in the Deep South
but also in Canterbury. I'm going to track down thanks
to Jeremy Rooks. All credit to him, a colvid and
dairy farmer who's been smacked hard by the terrible wins
they had in that part of the country. Emlyn francis
(01:22):
very shortly on the Country. David Seymour has his regular
Monday fortnightly slot. Who's calling the shots in the Coalition
government is it Seymour who was acting Prime Minister till
Luxon got back or is it Winston? And what does
he make of the capital gains tax? And what does
he make of Winston banging on about Fonterra and the
Alliance group. Todd Clark, You're going to love this story.
(01:44):
He's at Lexington based a US correspondent, but for his
sins he went to Chicago for the weekend. Yeah, he
was there watching the All Blacks that magnificent fifty five
minutes of the first half of the worst game of rugby.
I think I've ever seen the first half any and
John mcavinnie waititomo sheep and beef farmer on farming sharing
(02:06):
and generators. Has this been a bit of a wake
up call for us? Should we all be buying generators?
And what have you got to spend on the generator?
If you want one to pow you want power? Should
I say one of those big kickass stairy rotary sheds.
We've got all that to do before the end of
the hour. Let's kick it off with the weather.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Weather on the country, with farmlands, with clothing to keep
you cool, dry and protected this summer.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Phil Duncan a bit of Alanas Morris set just for
you Have. Do you ever go to the movies?
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Not much of these days.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
No, Well, I went to the movies with the program
director The Last Night because Pike River, Melanie Lynskey world famous,
Robin Malcolm world famous in New Zealand, Lucy Lawless kind
of world famous as well. And I must say it
was quite a moving movie, but very politically orientated. John
(03:01):
Key came across as a gormless sort of character, whereas
when well, it wasn't him, they had someone acting in
his role. But when it came to Jacinda, guess who
played Jacinda.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
Herself?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yes, yes, she came out looking a million dollars. So
there you go. Well see, I won't ask Seymour what
he thinks about that. Anyhow, onto the issues of the day.
October was awful. It finished on a real low with
those terrible, terrible winds in the storm. But gee, we're
off to a flyer with November fell. I only want
good news.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Yeah, you know, quite often I say to people, mother
nature doesn't know it's the first of the month, and
so don't expect it to change like a switch. And
yet literally that's kind of what's happened much of New Zealand.
High pressure finally in control, a lot of dry weather,
a lot of sunny weather, and apart from probably Hawkes Bay,
most of the regions around the country will be loving
this change.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Now.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
The interesting thing looking at kind of a long range pattern,
we've got a lot more high pressure to move through
this week and probably next week as well. But it's
worth noting two things. Number One, the Southern Ocean is
still very active and stormy, as you would expect only
a couple of months out of winter. But the other second,
perhaps more important feature, is all the low pressure that
is over Australia over the next two weeks. So there's
(04:18):
a lot of low pressure at our latitude, and so
what that means is once these highs move away from us,
there is a good chance that we could get another
low So I think November is going to be fairly
normal so this time of the year, except that we
we're going to see production in the severe weather events
and we're not completely finished with the cold snaps. There's
very likely to be another one within the next couple
(04:39):
of weeks, but certainly not seeing severe weather of forecasts
around the country like we were seeing just over the
last few months.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Well, we've needed this break in the weather because September
and October we're truly awful depending on where you lived
in the country. We're going to be heading to canterp
excuse me, North Canterbury shortly. All the pivot Eerra gate
is not all of them, but a lot of them
a been blown over and bent and buckled. They're starting
to get quite dry there. But when I look at
Minnewa oops, I mean Earth Sciences n Z Drought Indicator
(05:09):
map that stands out like a sore thumb. And you
mentioned it Hawk's Bay.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yeah, very dry. It has had a little bit of
rain relief just here and there, but it has been
dry and the windy, very windy weather and some very
hot days as well, pushing close to thirty degrees has
really dried out the surface of the soil. It's had
a very dry year around parts of Hawk's Bay, especially
sort of around the Hastings area plus or minus thirty
minutes of driving that's the area that's been particularly dry.
(05:37):
Now we long range there is somewhere weather coming true
into the country, including maybe eastern parts of the Northland,
but there is more high pressure than low pressure, which
means I think we're going to see places drying out
more so over the next couple of weeks than we've
seen over the last couple of weeks. But you know,
there are a couple of areas of low pressure to
keep an eye on, and the other feature is lonning.
(05:58):
You we may actually get a London announced this month
or or in December. It doesn't look like it's going
to be very strong or last very long, but you
couple that up with the low pressure in Australia and
we may well get something out of the tropics or
subtropics that could help in those pets.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Well, sorry, Larnina, correct me if I'm wrong. Would be
good for the traditionally drier parts of the country, ie
the east coasts of both islands.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
If it's a grunty one, you know, if it's just
a meanderingly Larnini that's sort of borderline, sort of producing
loads to the north, they might not have the energy
to reach this far south. But if it's if we
get some really good areas of low pressure north of
New Zealand, then absolutely what you're saying is right because
it encourages high pressure further down over Southland, they'll be
loving that, and then you end up with easterlyes at
(06:45):
the top of the country, which can then drive and
rain to those areas. That's the formula. But I get
nervous with Londoningia because there's a lot of headlines that
say when it forms, we get rain, and it really
isn't as simplistic as that.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well, Southland needs a high to sit over it for
about a month and nothing else to help on the
recovery down there. Look, look, just finally, and I don't
want to be alarmist on this, but if you're on
the East Coast and we're heading to North Canterbury shortly,
as I said, they're starting to dry out. But foe
warned is forearms. Should you be farming towards a dry season?
(07:18):
I suppose you always do in those parts of the country.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Yeah, I mean Eastern New Zealand is traditionally an area
that dries out. But Hawks Bay is a bit dryer
than it usually would be to this time of the year,
at least some parts of Hawk's Bay, not all of it. Yeah,
I would be a little bit cautious about how dry
it's going to become, because I do think we're seeing
higher temperatures. We've got a good chance of getting more
heat coming from the north and from out of Australia.
(07:42):
And we're not done with the windy weather. I mean,
while it's really lovely this week in a number of places,
it is still going to be a bit windy even
today in some places, so we're not finished with the
wind yet. November is still spring, so I think I
would be leaning towards dryer rather than wetter in the
East at this early stage.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Well, Duncan, thanks as always for your time. I'm going
to roll out with a bit of Alanas Morrisset just
for you. Perfect see cell Duncan. They're from weather Watch. Okay,
let's head to one of those dry places, dry windy places,
North Canterbury. Be quiet, Alana, she's in my year. She's
(08:20):
too loud. Emlin Francis is the guy's name. Got a
couple of dairy farms in the Culvert And area. You
might have seen some of the the photographic evidence if
you want. I think there was like a shout about,
a big shout about that was just completely flatten the
whole length of it. And that's up in that region,
(08:40):
and of course The other problem is, as I mentioned,
the pivot irrigators, they normally lean them into the wind
to stop them blowing over, but this was a freakish
sort of wind and there's all sorts of damage there.
We'll have a look at that one. David Seymour on politics.
Todd Clark, a US correspondent went to Soldier Field on
the weekend for the Rugby the Poor Bugger and John
(09:01):
McAvennie on generators sharing and sheep and beef farming in
White Homo. So for the past week or ten days
(09:27):
we've been concentrating on some of the damage because it's
been in a state of civil emergency in Southland and
Southwest Otago. But of course the other region that was
really hammered was Canterbury, particularly North Canterbury, the culvid In area.
Let's go to the cold Face and talk to one
of the farmers yet another friend of Jeremy Rooks. I
didn't realize he had that many Emmlin Francis dairy farmer,
(09:51):
couple of farms up there. How bad was it, Emlin.
Speaker 5 (09:54):
I've never seen one like it. Joey, it was next.
I couldn't believe it. Where I was driving around with
our daughter and there was trees just exploding. Hindsight, it
says we prep shouldn't have been driving around with them my daughter,
But yeah, it was unbelievable, like one hundred year old
trees just exploding halfway up. It was next level.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
I've seen a picture I think from the culvert and
area where there's a shout about them. The whole thing
has just laid flat. How far is that from your place?
Speaker 5 (10:18):
Just up the road? I think, yeah, just along the road.
We were actually driving up, but we decided to guess
that when the third or fourth three started falling down
across the road, we thought perhaps it was foolish and
went to our farm another direction.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
The trees are one thing. You can grow some new
ones allbit that takes a lot of time and again
you've got to chop them up. But from a financial
point of view, the damage done to the pivot irrigators,
how did you fare? And how is the region fared?
Speaker 5 (10:45):
I mean absolutely, We've got one of our farms got
an absolute hiding. It has six set of pivots on it,
one of which is just a small three hectare spinner
and that's the only one that stowed up. So we
have a contract will on that farm, six hundred and
fifty cows and all the pivots are down, and I
really don't envisage water a tool. I'll be really, really
thrilled if we have water the side of Christmas.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Really and you're getting very dry at the moment. This
could not happen at a worse time.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
Timing was pretty ship yeah, like cows are peaking, we're
just starting mating, potentially harvesting supplement, all that sort of thing.
You know, it's pretty catastrophic, pretty catastrophic. There was a
video one of our staff took from inside our smugger
room at the cow shed, and I think it made
the stuff for made the news. It was there was
(11:29):
a checkery paddock just absolutely flogging. It was. We had
a French girl working for us who was terrified. It's
absolutely terrified.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I'm hearing reports that some of the farmers haven't got
insurance on their pivot irrigators because the insurance companies won't
ensure them, and even if they do, it's too expensive.
What about you.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
We're okay now, but I suspect that that will be
a conversation that will happen down the track and we're
also the small fund that took Hiding Mound considering summer
or you know something, pole springers. We haven't a loot
of a strategy session this week with some consultants, and
we'll just just do the mess. I mean, if you
capitalize the capitalize the insurance premiums and the insurance excesses
(12:11):
of the time, you can probably justify buying some more
money to put poles in and that don't blow down.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
How do you get up from the ground and dust
yourself off after an event like this, Like you say,
you've been farming in that area for thirty years, you've
never seen wind like it. I mean, there's nothing to
say that you might see wind like it again next season.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Yeah true, I mean not. What you just do is
you play what you worry about what you can control.
So you know, we've we've got all the trees out
of the way, so guys they've got access. We've got
any power that was broken fixed up. We've got you
know of fences fixed and get insurance underway and the
pivot repair of guys underway and the rest of it.
You know. I mean, I don't worry about many things,
(12:54):
and you just you know, you worry about what you can
entron and just and that gives your power if you're
if you're achieving something you can can achieve, then you're
making progress in that direction.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Are you having any community events like that? But a
networking gathering a few bears because a problem shared. It's
an old cliche, I know, but a problem shared is
a problem halved.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
Oh there's no there is that. Our local fed for
the farmers Girl has been awesome organizing, I think at
Farceurs last week which I couldn't get to. But then
it's also another one. I think this form altso a
community barbecue, get together through the fat and tell what stories.
I think that's really important, Like you say, just to
share the burdens.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Emmlin Francis, thank you very much for some of your
time to appreciating their thoughts. Go out to you guys
in the North Canterbury region, like Southland and Southwest Otago,
you've been hit hard, but at least you've got the
Canterbury Show or the christ Show to look forward to.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
Ah yeah, but I mean you go along there and
kick tires. It's you know, there's we've actually got a
couple of pigs at home, which you've entered in the
bar and the bar's more for the more for the
un colors that go along and drink, try and find
a wife.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Find a wife and the ball pen. Now, of course
you know turn up on the Thursday because we're launching
the twenty twenty five Mackay's are and the Emerson's Tiny Pub.
I'll look forward to meeting you there perfect no say
much got on you, Mlyn. Yeah, that's open invite to anyone.
I wonder how much Mackay's are there bringing with them.
But we've got the tiny pub there. It's the official launch.
(14:24):
What a place to launch it. And the boar Pen
if you haven't been along to that one, it's an
experience not to be missed at the christ Church or
Canterbury amp show. Young Cantabrian's at their very very best.
Sometimes at their very very worst a bit later in
the day, but it is a lot of fun. Oh
(14:44):
to be young. Now up next, David Seymour. Before the
end of the air, Todd Clark. I was sitting watching
the rugby My god, that first half was insufferable and
I get a text from him. He's at Soldier Field.
Our us correspondent. It's taken his whole family there. I
wonder what he made of the test and John mcavinnie
(15:05):
I'm sharing in generators. David Seymour is the act Party
leader and deputy Prime Minister. In fact, I thought today
I might be getting the acting prime minister, but Christopher
(15:27):
Luckson's back in town. But here's a question for you,
David Seymour, who's rarely calling the shots in the coalition government.
Is it Luxe and you or is it Winston?
Speaker 6 (15:38):
It's actually a combination of the three, and that's why
it's worked so much better than our worst enemy's greatest fears.
We've been very effective. We've got a huge amount of done.
We're fixed a lot. That's not to say that we're
finished or that everything's perfect, but actually I think that
we've worked pretty well together.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Well, you don't agree on the Fonterra and as votes,
you and Christopher Luxen are in agreement. But Winston as
he yelling at clouds, barking at cars.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Look, I'll let him speak for himself, but it's pretty clear.
Right the farmers dated eighty five and a half percent
to fourteen and a half is pretty resounding. I mean,
it was much more resounding than the abs versus Ireland,
even though that was pretty good. And even if the
farmers voted to go the other way, I'd still respect
(16:29):
their choice because I'm not the one who gets up
at five am to milk the cows. I haven't earned
the right to have a say the way Mark Cameron
or Andrew Hogart are. And even though they are in
my caucus as a politician, I wouldn't dream of telling
them how to vote. So you know, it's up to them.
It's their call. Good on them, and the government was
never going to intervene. Yeah, but what Winston was up
to is up to Winston.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Now.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
The gloves starting to come off ahead of the election.
I note that he had to correct his Prime Minister
on social media, changing an eye to a wee.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
Again, I'll let him speak to that. I mean, I
generally find that you know your best to stay off
Twitter generally, but especially at night.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
What do you make a chippy's capital gains tax? I
call it the Clayton's CGT, the capital gains tax when
you're not really having one. It's very mild. And then
strangely he's decided to use the proceeds to take from
the rich and give to the rich.
Speaker 6 (17:26):
Well, there's so many things wrong with it. You know,
it's not really funding the doctor's visit because it won't
bring in revenue for a few years, whereas presumably if
they won the election, they'd want to offer doctor's visits
straight away. So that's a total weird hearing. Even if
it was for the doctor's visits, we already have free
visits for under fourteen's Community service cards. Holder low and
(17:47):
come people get highly subsidized, if not free visits, So
really you'd be filling in the blanks giving three free
doctors visits for older, wealthier people and a con me
where actually it's availability and getting appointments that's the issue.
It would probably make that a little bit worse. So
you know, there's really nothing to really commend what he's doing.
(18:10):
But for me, that's all detail. The real question is
is this a country where we believe that our potential
is unlimited and the challenge is to create the conditions
where people achieve or do we believe it's a country
with a finite amount of wealth and resources, and the
(18:32):
task of politicians is to find someone that's got something
take it off them and give it to something else,
because if it's the second one, I'm out. I want
a country that is based on prosperity and creativity and
innovation and unlimited potential, not voting for people to take
off someone else.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Okay, but putting on your fairness and equity had is
there a fair argument? I mean, I think this capital
gains tax, the policy is completely wrong around this particular proposal.
But is there an argument for broadening the tax space.
Speaker 6 (19:05):
We got one of the lowest rate, broadest based tax
systems in the world. I'd rather that the rates are
a bit lower, But we have a very good tax
system and actually, to the extent, New Zealand has a
success and in many ways it is I suspect one
of the things that we've done is choose to be
like Switzerland. It's all these people say, oh, there'll be
(19:26):
the only countries that don't have a capital gainst tax
in New Zealand and Switzerland. I say, that's great, let's
be like Switzerland, not like the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
What do you make of Apek and everyone basically dancing
to Trump's tune? Is that just the food chain?
Speaker 6 (19:43):
Well, I don't want to speak for other world leaders
who know you characterize as dancing to Trump's tune, they
probably wouldn't appreciate that characterization. I'm not going to buy
into it. All I would say is that I think
Chris has done a good job, as he always does.
He loves being overseas, loves meeting with other world leaders.
(20:03):
I think that's because he's very good at Our government
is renewing our connections with the rest of the world
after they were frankly neglected for a few years. And
you know, I would say what's in it for New
Zealand rather than trying to be a political commentator. Maybe
I'll do that in a future life.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Is Trump a bully?
Speaker 6 (20:23):
Well, I mean I've never met the guy. You know,
he's a very assertive leader of the United States as
he sees it. He's got a mandate to rebalance trade
and defense spending, and he's going about doing that, and
we have to respect that and then ask the question
what's best for New Zealand. That is re maintaining strong
relationships with as many countries as possible, both for security
(20:45):
and for trade.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Yeah, but I mean what's best for New Zealand? It
would be if Trump didn't have a teriffs.
Speaker 6 (20:51):
Well, that may be true, but he's been elected by
the American people to put in place the policies that
he believes are best for his country. Unless your suggestion
is New Zealand should start rigging American elections, not a
lot we can do about it. So our goal is
to get on with who the American people elect and
build a positive relationship.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
David Seymour, thank you very much for your time.
Speaker 6 (21:11):
As always, thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Twenty seven away from one you are with the country. Yeah,
we talked to some of the political leaders on this show.
Chippy was due to be on this week. Hello, Michelle Watt,
you've wandered in here minus she wallat. Is this just
a cunning way to get me to buy all the coffees?
Speaker 7 (21:32):
Well, I get accused of this quite often by my
husband actually leaving my wallet behind, but this is an
actual real thing.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I've read you lost it this morning, and to be fair,
you were buying me a coffee, so I feel bad
about it now. It's a pink wallet lost outside the
b n Z right in the middle of town. Here,
Come on, you low life. If you've got it, there's
nothing of value in there. There's nothing value. No, no,
there's a debit card and you've put a block on that,
so hand it, hand it in. So anyhow, you were
(22:01):
you were making a comparison because Chippy has stood me
up this week. He was due to be on I
think on Thursday, but he's too busy. Anyhow, I'll probably
have to get Damien or Joe or someone on to
add some balance.
Speaker 7 (22:16):
Yeah, well, what was my joke that, Chris. It's a
bit like a loveless marriage.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
And you're between men and Chippy.
Speaker 7 (22:21):
Yeah, you're and Chippy and then you and Damien are
like the you know, the couple on the road to
divorce but not quite there yet.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
What do you mean, like a squabbling old couple.
Speaker 7 (22:30):
Yeah, yeah, there's love there.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
There is a bit of love there, but it's it's
tested every time we chat. Anyhow, here's some texts coming
in about Lucy Lawless. Someone ians doesn't like Lucy called
a Lucy clueless it's a wonder you didn't heave up
your popcorn and reference to me watching the Pike River movie,
which was quite good, I'll tell you who. And Lucy
(22:55):
Lawless is an out and out Green supporter. Interestingly, I
don't dream it's over crowded. How the Elphin's a big
fan of the left as well, that features in the movie.
But Lucy Lawless is a very very good Helen Kelly,
you know, and regardless of what you think about left
and right in politics and trade unions, I'm not a
(23:15):
fan of them, but she was a very very strong woman,
that Helen Kelly, the late Helen Kelly. So you know,
Melanie Lynskey, Robin Malcolm, Lucy Lawless. It is a good
cast the Pike River movie, and you get your cinder
for a bonus. Almost I almost did throw up the
popcorn because I'm thinking they'd got this bloke, as I
(23:35):
said earlier in the show, playing a gormless John Key.
They made him look like he was totally useless, and
then all of a sudden they're off to Wellington to
get a petition signed and Jacinda pops up. In real life.
Speaker 7 (23:47):
They give it a secret, didn't they, Because I didn't
even know.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
She's I didn't neither, So you can go and judge yourself.
Up next Rural News and Sports News. Welcome back to
the Country. The show's brought to you by Brandt. Very
shortly Michelle Worth the latest and rural news. We'll have
a look at sports news for you as well. But
you know, farmers getting cows and calf It's all about timing,
(24:10):
isn't it. And that's where sense Hub Dairy collars come in.
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it's not just collers. Sense Hub Dairy is part of
(24:31):
a connected ecosystem trafting, gates, milk monitoring and cowshared automation,
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You're backed by MSD Animal Health with a dedicated local
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(25:13):
It just makes sense.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
What the country's world news with Cod Cadet New Zealand's
leading right on lawn bower brand visit steel for dot
co dot nz for your locals doggist.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Okay, Michelle, what are you got seeing? You haven't got
a wallet anymore? Pink pink while it outside the bn
Z corner of More Place and George Street, handed in
if you've pinched it.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
This is going to be ongoing for the whole week.
I feel so and rural News. I was just looking
up the whaler Go Cup over the weekend. It's quite
hard to find the results. If anyone can send me
the results, flip them to me on Facebook and Messenger
or something through Facebook page, be great. But it looks
like Australia retained the whaler Go cut, which really.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Supprises we don't like that. Maybe we don't. That's fake
news as Trump.
Speaker 7 (25:58):
What do you got on rural news? O her on
your Southern Hawk's Bay Mum Laura Bradley created at sharing
history when she reached the open Sharing final at the
Wild Upper Spring Shares and only her second competition in
the top grade. She is thought to have become the
first woman to reach an open sharing final in the
North Island and one a fewer than ten worldwide. The
only other woman to reach an open sharing final in
(26:19):
New Zealand in the last fifteen years was Sarah Houston
of Havelock in twenty twenty two when she came forth
at the Nelson AMP show. So great news there and
sharing and you've got some sports news there. Jamie sport
on the.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Country with AFCO one hundred percent. Ke we owned. That's rare.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Oh sorry about that FCO. There's a Dame no Lene
story here, but that's a bit of a dog's breakfast.
It's like the first half of the All Blacks Test.
Soldier Field Kiwi's league captain James Fisher Harris is pleased
to have ensured retiring playmaker Karen Forn's last international match
on home saw was a win and he wants to
provide another farm farewell for the halfbacks final game in
(26:57):
Black this weekend's specific Champion and Ship final in Sydney.
The availability of injured All Blacks Scott and Jordi Barrett
for this weekend's Test against Scotland and Edinburgh will be
decided overnight. And India is celebrating a first ever women's
fifty over Cricket World Cup title, beating South Africa by
fifty two runs in the final at Mumbai. Talking about
(27:20):
Soldier Field, we're heading to Chicago next, Todd Clark is
at the airport so here. I was yesterday morning watching
the rugbyfore my sins with Jeremy Rooks and Dunedin when
I get a text from another of my regular correspondents,
in fact, my Kentucky based US correspondent, Todd Clark, who,
(27:42):
for his sins, was at the game at Soldier Field
in Chicago, watching the All Blacks live for the first time. Todd,
I don't want to be the bearer of bad news,
but you couldn't have picked a worst game to watch.
What did you and your family make of it?
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Goody, Jamie. It was still big fun for us because,
as you said, it was our first Test match and
so we thought it was awesome. But the with no experience,
My wife and the boys had their girlfriends along too,
and so they were asking, is this what a normal
test match is like? And I said, oh, I hope not.
(28:17):
In there was a as you all know, there was
just a crazy amount of stoppage and sitting around waiting,
you know, three minutes in. It reminded me of American
football to some degree.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Well, it did remind me of American football. In fact,
I was keeping a keen eye on it. The first
three minutes of the game took I think eleven minutes.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Oh, it seemed sitting in the stadium, it seemed like
it took twice as long as that it was. I
was worried we were going to go through a whole
test match and actually see him play for ten minutes.
It was painful.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
It was absolutely painful. The last quarter okay, salvaged the game,
but that first half would go down on history. In
my mind is a long time all Black fan and
support and watch as perhaps the worst forty minutes of
rugby I've ever seen. Anyhow, never mind, we'll move on
from that one now. Talking about stoppages, Todd Clark, You're
at Ohare Airport in Chicago, making your way home, huge airport,
(29:14):
and the stoppages are affecting you, not on the field
of play, but getting through security. And this is all
to do with Trump's shutdown.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Well it's a good Republican. I'm not going to let
you put it on Trump, but the yeah, so they
for over thirty days, our government has been shut down,
and one of the things that's shut down through that
is all government employees and so the TSA are security
at the airport's it's my understanding that they're they're just
here sort of under their own goodwill. I guess they
(29:47):
expect to be paid for their as you said earlier,
for their sins once the government's opened back up. But
it's a it's a complete standoff at this point. It's
no end in sight. And we won't get into who's
the blame. But not only that, but our USDA. All
(30:09):
of those things are closed, and so anything on the
farm that we needed to report or go through the USDA,
we're not able to because it's they're not allowed to
go to the office in the USDA standpoint, the FSA offices.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Now USDIS US Department of Agriculture.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
I assume, yep, it is in one of the agencies
under that that I would work with as FSA Farm
service agency.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Okay, well, good luck getting home from Chicago to Lexington, Kentucky,
where you're based. Todd Clark, what's happening on the farm
at the moment. You're heading into your winter as we
head into our summer.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
That's correct. And finally after a couple of months of
no rain, it's started to rain again, and so at
this point it's sensibleuilding and cattle checking. And unfortunately we're
having to feed a little bit of hay already due
to the draft that we came out of this summer.
But cattle prices are hanging in there. But our president
(31:15):
tweeted a couple of things a couple of weeks ago,
talking about he was going to fix the cost of
beef in the supermarket, which caused the next day prices
to come down dramatically. But the supply is not there
regardless of his tweets, and so prices have rebounded since then.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
I think I read Todd Clark that your beef numbers
are the lowest I've been since nineteen fifty eight. Obviously
you've had drought issues, but there must be other contributing factors.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
There is just a lack of profitability year on year
on end. And the other thing is the next generation
really doesn't want to do what we would call cow
caass and so if you don't have anyone doing that,
you can't produce the animals to to finish eventually for me,
(32:02):
and that's going to have to change too. But there
is a little bit of an uptick, but with the
prices that we've had, you would expect enough tick or
a little bit of an interest in beef.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Well, I know from spending some time with you in
the States, you've got two strapping lads or either of
them going farming.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
The oldest farms with me, and he loves cattle. So
for us, it's all good news if the president will
quit tweeting. But the middle one he's into insurance like
his mother, so that's good. It takes all different types
to make the world go around.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Well, if the president, if your president would stop tweeting,
it might do the world a favor. But anyhow, I
want to get political with you because you're a diet
in the Wall Republican Todd Clark, thanks for some of
your time from oh here at airport in Chicago, heading
home from the Rugby test. Safe travels, mate, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Go the avs.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Here's a whomo sheep and beef farmer also the chief
executive of steel Fort John. Before we talk about sheep
and beef farming, I want to talk to you about generators.
I know that you sell lawn Master generators, but as
I understand it, not big enough to power a dairy shed.
Is that a market you're thinking of getting into.
Speaker 8 (33:23):
Yeah, well, funnily if you should say that, Jamie, because
you know gens it's all branded law Master, but we
only do up to about seven or eight killing one
and that's not big enough to power a dairy shed.
So they need to be significantly larger than that. But
you know, I to our general manager the other day
(33:44):
that you know something that we should be looking at
because the product is outstanding that we've got and we
should look to expand it into you know, supporting the
you know, the program in New Zealand for dairy farmers
and if we can find the right speed then we
should get into that market. But you know, we want
to be know there's outdoor power equipment in New Zealand
(34:07):
and that's what steel Ford and nornmost of it does,
So let's do it once and do it properly.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
How are things on the White Tomos sheep and beef farm,
because I know, or was it a couple of three
weeks ago you guys had some fairly serious rain. No
doubt you've recovered from that. No droughts in your direction
at the stage.
Speaker 8 (34:25):
No excuse me, Jamie, it's you know, it's been probably
one of the worst springs. I know in August, September
has been you know, even even halfway through October has
been average. I mean, it's come right this week, but
it's been very, very poor screen. And I'm always amazed.
We've just finished talking and we're about the same numbers
(34:49):
as we were last year. And I'm always amazed how
those little lambs and the rain and the cold, you know,
they get born and then they stand up and take
a drink from mum and away they go. It's incredible,
you know, they're so hardy, these sheep that we breathe
in this country. And I'm you know, I'm always amazed
how well the stock do.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
What are you going to do with all your money
this year?
Speaker 8 (35:12):
John, Yeah, well I hope you don't worry. We'll be
spent on the farm. Tell you what I've even taken
much out in the last ten years from when we've
been up at my time.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
Mate, Well that's fair. You've got a pretty good paying
day job, so that's fair enough. But on a serious vein,
let's put it into context. We've got the Fonterra announcement,
No doubt you're up to speed on that one. There's
going to be a lot of money, in fact, three
point two billion alone off the Fonterra thing back into
the rural communities. How do you reckon it's going to
be spent.
Speaker 8 (35:43):
Well, you know, there's a lot of farmers around, dairy farmers,
pretty pragmatic sort of people, and I would say that
if they get that sort of three fifty to four
hundred k so first of them will be looking at
paying some dead back. Then they'll probably put it into
you know, product, and they'll put it into cows, they'll
put it into fertilizer, they'll put it into things that
(36:06):
make them have a better business. And I know that,
you know, Winston's a bit critical of Frontierra and he
likes that vertically integrated system. But you know, I would
have thought that the Miles Harralds of this world would
have investigated that pretty fully. In the arrangement that they've
made to sell to that French company will only be
(36:28):
good for the New Zealand aery farmer. You know, they've
got an incredibly good range of companies that sell their product.
You a lot bigger than Fontira, So I would say
it's only going to be good for the New Zealand
dairy farmer.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Yep, stick to you and knitting, stick to what you
do best. Just a final one you guys at steel
Fort slash lawn Master getting behind. I think he's an
outstanding young New Zealander, Jack Fagan, see what on all round?
Are that young blokers?
Speaker 8 (37:00):
Well, I met Jack on a couple of occasions, and
I've talked to him on a few more than that,
but I met him basically through your stand at the
field days when we were there, and I met David,
his father, and he's a really nice young guy. So
he wants a little bit of help in terms of
his expenses to tour around New Zealand and do what
(37:20):
he does, and he's just come back from overseas. We've
helped him out financially and he's going to be at
the field day. So you see law master on the
back of his shirt and you know, we just want
to do our bit for the rural community. And I
actually put it on him that I've got a couple
of grandsons that i want to get them to learn
how to share. And he said to me, I'll come
out and give you a half day out there and
(37:41):
give you give the boys a pointer, and which I
think is fantastic. You know, if they learn from the best. Hopefully,
it's a great discipline to have to know how to
share a ship. You've done a few in your day, haven't.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Yeah, I'm a farmer hacker, but yeah, I can get
the wall off all right. I think it's a great skull.
And if you fall upon tough times John Locke gets
sacked from your radio job, you can always go back,
get on the end of a hand piece, do a
bit of lamb crutching. Great money, great bear money. Heading
into Christmas. Gotta go mate, Thanks for some of your time.
Speaker 8 (38:09):
No, it's all kids.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Good on your John on that wraps today's show. Yes,
it's not the world's oldest profession, but it's the most
honest sharing.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Go you good things, catch all the latest from the land.
It's the country podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent,
the starkest of the leading agriculture brands,
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