April 7, 2025 • 8 mins
Federated Farmers dairy chair and national board member talks about calls by Feds for the Government to immediately strip Greenpeace of its charitable status, following the group’s occupation of Port Taranaki this week.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But Federated Farming is calling on the government to strip
Green Peace of its charitable status, arguing that their political
activism goes beyond what constitutes a charity. To unpack this,
I'm joined now by Federateated Farmer's board member Richard McIntyre,
also the Dairy Year Richard, thanks so much for being
with us. Good afternoon, Hey, good afternoon, Row. Now, what's
(00:23):
the main reason Federated Farmers believes Greenpeace should no longer
have charitable status?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Right, So, it's really clear that in order to be
a charity, you cannot have as your primary purpose political
advocacy and you also have to operate within the law.
And so we believe the Green Peace fails both countsel this.
You know, they basically all they do is political advocacy
or in fact, i'd more court activism. But in the
activism they break the law constantly, and this is actually
(00:53):
why they got deregistered initially back in two thousand and eight,
but then unfortunately they got reregistered in twenty twenty after
taking it to court, and effectively we're told that they
need to be really careful because if they continue this
illegal activity, they may be deregistered. Again, so we think
they're passed that test in terms of ongoing illegal activity
disrupting legitimate businesses, and we need them to be stripped
(01:18):
of their charitable status. It's really just not fair for
the taxpayers to be funding this sort of illegal activity
and activism.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And the incident recently a New Plymouth where people were
put under danger they were accessing areas that were not
accessible to them. There's a very legitimate health and safety
concern here. As you mentioned, that wasn't a one off, Richard.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Look, there are countless, countless incidents over the years of
them doing these things. You know, they try and call
a peaceful protest, but what they're doing is illegal. You know,
Certay of the people that are impacted by don't consider
it to be peaceful, like you say. They take over facilities,
they get into spaces that they're not supposed to be,
and they disrupt everything. If you talk to any of
the farmers that have been holding out for that stock
(02:02):
feed to come to them in order to continue to
feed their stock given the drought that they've been going through,
you know, it's just immensely disruptive and there's actually and
a welfare issue as well.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
One hundred percent. I know, having found in Tartanaki myself
and being in that position in a drought where no
matter what you did, there was no grass and you
desperately needed something like palm kernel. This was back in
twenty twelve, twenty thirteen, that season. You know, the demand
far exceeded anything that could land in that port because
(02:32):
there was no other option available. Look, do you see
this as a broader issue with advocacy groups in the
charity system, Richard, or is this specifically about green Peaks.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Look, there's a border issue where we do need to
make sure that being a chair that if you're going
to be a charity, you're doing genuine charitable work, you know,
which is quite quite clearly defined, and whereas it seems
to have become a little bit loose and some of
these other groups have crept into this charitable status, which
you know, I think makes a nonsense of this purpose
and an all reality has a taxpayer that effectively has
(03:04):
to has to subsidize these you know, it doesn't fit
with what should be happening here.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Playing devil's advocate here, we're a very balanced so here
on the country. Is this simply an attempt to silence
environmental voices ritched, No.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Not at all. I actually enjoy there being environmental horses.
We've always got to have that balanced point of view.
But you know, worried you are. The line here is when
we've got organizations that are disrupting legitimate businesses and injury
into illegal activity, it just it makes no sense for us,
like I say, to be subsidizing as taxpayers, an organization
(03:40):
that you know that the protests or you know, during
their normal course of work effectively by committing illegal activities.
So we're we're subsidizing them in that respect, and then
we're actually having to pay for the police to come
and remove them, which is ridiculous. You know, the police
are understaffed as it is. They've got other things to do.
You know, the general tax paying public would love to
have the police is actually out there solving crime rather
(04:02):
than removing Greenpeace protesters from these feed facilities and the.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Likes hey has Federated Farmers made a formal complaint.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
We have. We've made a formal complaint to the charity
services asking them to investigate Greenpeace and stripped them more
of the charitable status. And we've listed all the various
things that they've done over the last few years, you know,
in terms of the illegal occupations, et cetera. And yet
we are hoping that this will be investigator thoroughly and
they will make the right decision and remove their charitable status.
(04:32):
We're leaving charitable statuses for those that are running legitimateturity.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Well, I look forward to finding out the outcome and
how you go with this one, Richard. I bumped into
you and you Plymouth on Thursday night. Once again, it
was great to be back in the old stomping ground
there to m see the Tartanaki Balance Farm Environment Awards.
You were there in your capacity as a darien Z
board member making a presentation. But what a wonderful evening
(04:59):
that was, lebrating farmers who are managing to do the
right thing by the environment and their farm and really
excel as a shining light for those around them.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well, look, grow I always love those events, you know,
when you get a whole od of rock minded farmers
together and they just talk about all the various things
that they're doing to improve the environment, you know, and
everyone comes away buzzing in and those that get acknowledged
or you know, just sort of ritually deserve it. It
was an awesome evening and it's one of those things
that you can always attend and just come away feeling
absolutely up with it.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I love that because you know everyone's doing their thing
for the environment as well and to farm sustainably. But
it's often going to things like that that you can
pick up on other things that aren't is widely known
that might be applicable to your organization. You can get
motivation and you can take ideas. And that's something this
industry does do well, is share within each other and
(05:52):
support each other.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Well, that's exactly right. It's actually something that we have
let that sets us apart from the rest of the
world and so many other industries, is that we were
in competition, but we're not. We're so happy to share
our ideas and help you help others get better. And yeah,
it's just such an awesome thing to be part of.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
You're also a Manoito dairy farmer and your own right,
how are things looking at your place?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
We're starting to get a little bit greater, but we
still don't have very much grass at all. You know. Luckily,
the salt tamp is still pretty high, and that We've
had a reasonably consistent rain over the last couple of weeks,
so you know, we've got some green shoots there row
and I think we're going to wind up heading into
winter in a reasonable space. But there's still a huge
amount of feeding out going on at the moment.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
You and I both share a love of duck shooting.
We are coming up to opening weekend, but I am
really concerned Richard about some of the scenes I've seen
down in South and paddocks absolutely black, the number of
ducks pretty much unheard of in places down there, Farmers
going into the paddock where the tractor and the duck's
(06:58):
not even really match. I've got a real issue down there.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
They do. It's an insane number of ducks, you know,
and unfortunately duck shooting seasons not for another month, so
is it. So there's not much that can be done
about it, you know, at the moment. But what we've
really been encouraging a fishing game to do is actually
to work really constructively with these farmers. You know, yes,
they yes, they have a role in terms of maintaining
(07:23):
duck numbers, you know, for duck shooting in that but
they really need to step in and step in fast
when when ducks do reach high numbers that are having
packs on farmers crops, you know, Sidney, of the stuff
we've seen on social media would suggest a plague, right,
and you know, if they do that, then then farmers
will be far more happy to get to deal with
fishing game and everything should run pretty well from that.
(07:46):
But we're just not seeing that at the moment. We
do see it in some regions to be fair, but
just not in Southward and so I really need to
get that sorted out because it's not going to end
the well otherwise.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, it's been the perfect storm for them, really very
good condition to aid the breeding of ducks. And yeah,
you've got to wonder if that first Saturday in May,
which has been to set year in year out, might
also need a little bit more flexibility and a bit
more common sense on that. I'm a traditionalist. I love
the first Saturday in May, but look in this instance,
(08:16):
if it was the first Saturday in April, I think
a lot of the people trying to plant crops down
there would have been a lot happier. Richard McIntyre out
of Federated Farmers, thank you so much for your time today,
great azul wings to catch up.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Hey Lukus Roe, thanks ver much
But Federated Farming is calling on the government to strip
Green Peace of its charitable status, arguing that their political
activism goes beyond what constitutes a charity. To unpack this,
I'm joined now by Federateated Farmer's board member Richard McIntyre,
also the Dairy Year Richard, thanks so much for being
with us. Good afternoon, Hey, good afternoon, Row. Now, what's
(00:23):
the main reason Federated Farmers believes Greenpeace should no longer
have charitable status?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Right, So, it's really clear that in order to be
a charity, you cannot have as your primary purpose political
advocacy and you also have to operate within the law.
And so we believe the Green Peace fails both countsel this.
You know, they basically all they do is political advocacy
or in fact, i'd more court activism. But in the
activism they break the law constantly, and this is actually
(00:53):
why they got deregistered initially back in two thousand and eight,
but then unfortunately they got reregistered in twenty twenty after
taking it to court, and effectively we're told that they
need to be really careful because if they continue this
illegal activity, they may be deregistered. Again, so we think
they're passed that test in terms of ongoing illegal activity
disrupting legitimate businesses, and we need them to be stripped
(01:18):
of their charitable status. It's really just not fair for
the taxpayers to be funding this sort of illegal activity
and activism.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And the incident recently a New Plymouth where people were
put under danger they were accessing areas that were not
accessible to them. There's a very legitimate health and safety
concern here. As you mentioned, that wasn't a one off, Richard.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Look, there are countless, countless incidents over the years of
them doing these things. You know, they try and call
a peaceful protest, but what they're doing is illegal. You know,
Certay of the people that are impacted by don't consider
it to be peaceful, like you say. They take over facilities,
they get into spaces that they're not supposed to be,
and they disrupt everything. If you talk to any of
the farmers that have been holding out for that stock
(02:02):
feed to come to them in order to continue to
feed their stock given the drought that they've been going through,
you know, it's just immensely disruptive and there's actually and
a welfare issue as well.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
One hundred percent. I know, having found in Tartanaki myself
and being in that position in a drought where no
matter what you did, there was no grass and you
desperately needed something like palm kernel. This was back in
twenty twelve, twenty thirteen, that season. You know, the demand
far exceeded anything that could land in that port because
(02:32):
there was no other option available. Look, do you see
this as a broader issue with advocacy groups in the
charity system, Richard, or is this specifically about green Peaks.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Look, there's a border issue where we do need to
make sure that being a chair that if you're going
to be a charity, you're doing genuine charitable work, you know,
which is quite quite clearly defined, and whereas it seems
to have become a little bit loose and some of
these other groups have crept into this charitable status, which
you know, I think makes a nonsense of this purpose
and an all reality has a taxpayer that effectively has
(03:04):
to has to subsidize these you know, it doesn't fit
with what should be happening here.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Playing devil's advocate here, we're a very balanced so here
on the country. Is this simply an attempt to silence
environmental voices ritched, No.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Not at all. I actually enjoy there being environmental horses.
We've always got to have that balanced point of view.
But you know, worried you are. The line here is when
we've got organizations that are disrupting legitimate businesses and injury
into illegal activity, it just it makes no sense for us,
like I say, to be subsidizing as taxpayers, an organization
(03:40):
that you know that the protests or you know, during
their normal course of work effectively by committing illegal activities.
So we're we're subsidizing them in that respect, and then
we're actually having to pay for the police to come
and remove them, which is ridiculous. You know, the police
are understaffed as it is. They've got other things to do.
You know, the general tax paying public would love to
have the police is actually out there solving crime rather
(04:02):
than removing Greenpeace protesters from these feed facilities and the.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Likes hey has Federated Farmers made a formal complaint.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
We have. We've made a formal complaint to the charity
services asking them to investigate Greenpeace and stripped them more
of the charitable status. And we've listed all the various
things that they've done over the last few years, you know,
in terms of the illegal occupations, et cetera. And yet
we are hoping that this will be investigator thoroughly and
they will make the right decision and remove their charitable status.
(04:32):
We're leaving charitable statuses for those that are running legitimateturity.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Well, I look forward to finding out the outcome and
how you go with this one, Richard. I bumped into
you and you Plymouth on Thursday night. Once again, it
was great to be back in the old stomping ground
there to m see the Tartanaki Balance Farm Environment Awards.
You were there in your capacity as a darien Z
board member making a presentation. But what a wonderful evening
(04:59):
that was, lebrating farmers who are managing to do the
right thing by the environment and their farm and really
excel as a shining light for those around them.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well, look, grow I always love those events, you know,
when you get a whole od of rock minded farmers
together and they just talk about all the various things
that they're doing to improve the environment, you know, and
everyone comes away buzzing in and those that get acknowledged
or you know, just sort of ritually deserve it. It
was an awesome evening and it's one of those things
that you can always attend and just come away feeling
absolutely up with it.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I love that because you know everyone's doing their thing
for the environment as well and to farm sustainably. But
it's often going to things like that that you can
pick up on other things that aren't is widely known
that might be applicable to your organization. You can get
motivation and you can take ideas. And that's something this
industry does do well, is share within each other and
(05:52):
support each other.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Well, that's exactly right. It's actually something that we have
let that sets us apart from the rest of the
world and so many other industries, is that we were
in competition, but we're not. We're so happy to share
our ideas and help you help others get better. And yeah,
it's just such an awesome thing to be part of.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
You're also a Manoito dairy farmer and your own right,
how are things looking at your place?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
We're starting to get a little bit greater, but we
still don't have very much grass at all. You know. Luckily,
the salt tamp is still pretty high, and that We've
had a reasonably consistent rain over the last couple of weeks,
so you know, we've got some green shoots there row
and I think we're going to wind up heading into
winter in a reasonable space. But there's still a huge
amount of feeding out going on at the moment.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
You and I both share a love of duck shooting.
We are coming up to opening weekend, but I am
really concerned Richard about some of the scenes I've seen
down in South and paddocks absolutely black, the number of
ducks pretty much unheard of in places down there, Farmers
going into the paddock where the tractor and the duck's
(06:58):
not even really match. I've got a real issue down there.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
They do. It's an insane number of ducks, you know,
and unfortunately duck shooting seasons not for another month, so
is it. So there's not much that can be done
about it, you know, at the moment. But what we've
really been encouraging a fishing game to do is actually
to work really constructively with these farmers. You know, yes,
they yes, they have a role in terms of maintaining
(07:23):
duck numbers, you know, for duck shooting in that but
they really need to step in and step in fast
when when ducks do reach high numbers that are having
packs on farmers crops, you know, Sidney, of the stuff
we've seen on social media would suggest a plague, right,
and you know, if they do that, then then farmers
will be far more happy to get to deal with
fishing game and everything should run pretty well from that.
(07:46):
But we're just not seeing that at the moment. We
do see it in some regions to be fair, but
just not in Southward and so I really need to
get that sorted out because it's not going to end
the well otherwise.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, it's been the perfect storm for them, really very
good condition to aid the breeding of ducks. And yeah,
you've got to wonder if that first Saturday in May,
which has been to set year in year out, might
also need a little bit more flexibility and a bit
more common sense on that. I'm a traditionalist. I love
the first Saturday in May, but look in this instance,
(08:16):
if it was the first Saturday in April, I think
a lot of the people trying to plant crops down
there would have been a lot happier. Richard McIntyre out
of Federated Farmers, thank you so much for your time today,
great azul wings to catch up.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Hey Lukus Roe, thanks ver much
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!