April 11, 2025 • 39 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Te Radar, Amy Renelle, Shane Jones, Nathan Guy, and Barry Soper.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The best of the country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Grow with Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Me gadda and Good Morning New Zealand. My name's Jamie Mackay.
(00:32):
This is the best of the country. Each and every
Saturday morning here on news Talk ZEDB, we play the
best bits of our weekday show twelfth to one courtesy
of Rabobank. We're growing a better New Zealand together. Kicking
it off with Lady Gaga, who's kicked us to touch.
She's going to Australia in December, but she's not visiting
this side of the Tasman. What a shame. She's such
(00:53):
a great artist. We're going to kick off the best
of the country today with another great artist, Terder Andrew
us comedian the voice behind the FMG Young Farmer of
the Year contest. On Monday show, we reviewed the last
of the regional finals Otago Southland and we now know
our seven grand finalists heading back to Inbicargo by the Way.
(01:17):
On July three to five, my favorite interview of the
week in a lot of ways was Amy Ronnell, the
author of the Wonderfully riscuyed children's book for grown ups
called if You've Got Live Stock, Then You've Got Dead Stock.
A delightful look at Sheep and How They Die from
a Complete Towney with a PhD in statistics. Shane Jones, Well,
(01:41):
actually he's my favorite interview of the week, self titled
Prince of the Province's Martua Shane on Thursday show let
rip on subjects as diverse as woolen, government buildings, pine trees,
Trump and the Greens teed off against the Greens. We're
going to wrap it with Nathan Guy, former Minister of
current Chair of the Meat Industry Association, and Barry Soper.
(02:04):
Yesterday Friday was an important day in the life of
Winston Painters. I think his name's Winston Raymond Peters, is
it anyhow? Winston blew out eighty candles yesterday, So we're
going to pay tribute to a man who's been in
politics for nearly five decades. In fact, two of them,
Barry and Winnie, started at about the same time. It's
(02:26):
all on the best of the Country and it's all
brought to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Choose the Bank with a huge network of progressive farming
clients Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
He is the voice behind the FMG Young Farmer Contest.
That Grand fine is coming up and Invercargo July three
to five. We now know who are seven regional final
winners are. And a guy by the name of Cam Smith,
not the golfer, not the rugby league player to radar,
Andrew Lumston won the Otago Southland Regional Final the Winton
(03:18):
race Course. I think on Saturday, what a great day.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
It was a great day.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
And I tell you why home ground advantage because we're
back on the Winton Racecourse.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I think for.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Practical day it's Grand Final and if they can do
it on a day like the head on Saturday, it's
going to be a cracker.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Now we have three second timers turning up. Hugh Jackson
representing Bay a plenty y Cuto, even though he last
got into a final representing Otago Southland, he's a second timer.
George Leatham from Tasman's a second timer. And Gareth mckirchheer
from Arangi. He's a second time grand finalist as well.
He finished third last year and I'm going to enjoy
(03:56):
Gareth's company. Tomorrow night radar. I don't know, I feel
enjoy mine, but it's a free feed for them at
the South Island Airy Event at the spates Aale House
and tomorrow How good is that?
Speaker 5 (04:07):
It's all very good indeed. And that's the thing you
get these I say to people, you don't need to
win the competition to win to be a winner. You know,
you want to do the best that you possibly can.
But it's those people that get in and take the
advantage of all of these things that are offered to
them all along the way, and you'll see no shortage
of those folks pop up. But look, I tell you what,
it's going to be interesting because not only do we
(04:28):
have three second timers, we've also got two people who
for whom at the competition was their first time as well,
Justin Rygrop from up North and James Robbie. I'm not
sure about Jock Burke, whether he's competed a couple of
times before, but look, it's going to be a cracker
of a competition. And you can see that experience in
the field as well, particularly those people that have been
to a Grand Final. And I always say to other
(04:50):
competitors and what Nott watch those Grand final guys when
they're back at a regional final, because it's you know,
it's the time management, it's the presence of mind. It's
that a billity to forget about the last thing that
they were doing and focus solely on the next thing
that's going on. And you'll often see them as well
taking advantage if they get red flagged for something in
one of the egg Resports events. They'll take that thirty seconds,
(05:11):
compose themselves, they'll think about what they're going next, and
they're crack straight back into it. So it is going
to be a fantastic spectacle.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah, Well, as you say, it is an advantage to
be a second time. That Jock Burke that you were
talking about representing taranake manor two. He's in his third
and final year at Massi University, but he's only nineteen
years of age. He must have gone when he was
about fifteen.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
Raiders actually one of those child genius as those young
savants that they breed up there in that part of
the world. Look, we do have a wide spectrum of ages.
Age is not an issue offered in this What James
Robertson I think was twenty two when he won it,
and I think I think George Latham was because I
think we had a question this time around who was
the youngest winner and someone said George Latham, but actually.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Not George Latham.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Sorry George Dodson.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
George Johnson, Sorry, yes, George. I think George was only
a week older than James when he run it, so
he must have been just twenty two or twenty three.
So you know, then you've got your more experienced competitors
as well, but you just don't forget all the little kids,
the agrikids and the FMG juniors. We had a former
Agricids champion's coming this year as an FMG junior competitor,
(06:21):
very competitive young fellow. So again you can you can
be third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh form in that competition
and with the agri kids as well that I remember it.
A couple of years ago, a tiny little team from
Seden called the Awex must have been physically the smallest
team I ever saw, and they got into the into
the final there in Tasman and I thought, oh hell,
these a little bogy's going to go and they absolutely
(06:42):
smashed it, went all the way to Grand Final. Said
in this year three of their four Agrikids teams, So
all three of the Agri Kids teams from from Tasman
are from Seden, so it's going to be a great competition.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Well, I've got a tip my hat to Blue Mountain
College which is in Tapanui and West Stowe, Targo. I
went down last year to the West O Targo AMP Show.
What a great day out it was in rural New
Zealand as well, but I couldn't get over because they
had an Agrikids competition at the amp show. How these
young kids from Blue Mountain College knew so much about agriculture,
(07:18):
They knew more about it than I did.
Speaker 6 (07:19):
Radar, Look they do.
Speaker 5 (07:21):
I've seen some of the some of the challenges that
these kids, the agri Kids and the FMG juniors are
set and I don't know the answers to them, but
you know it's not only the mental thing as well
around the knowledge, their ability to do the physical stuff,
to put things back together, to work with tools through
his other you know, they're going to have a little
farm challenge in front of you for the FMG juniors.
So you know, they so smart kids that pick a
(07:44):
lot of this stuff up by osmosis just working with
their parents. Having said that, we've seen some very very
good Grand finalists who never put it on farm until
they were eighteen or nineteen years old. So you know,
it's the people who want it. They're going to pick
up that knowledge. Whenever it is that they start, they're
going to take it out.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
We're running a promo on the show this week called Yes, Now,
I'll sit on the fence. I suspect you'll have a
picket right up your backside. As I asked you to
Rader Andrew Lumston, who's the favorite? Who do you think
might take it out?
Speaker 5 (08:15):
You know what I'm want to say, Having seen how
long have I done this? Seven or seven sevens, I've
seen probably more than fifty regionals, and I've seen certainly
seven or eight Grand finals. You cannot you cannot know
until we read those names out, because there's a lot
of it that you don't see. You've got protectives of
the Grand Final, You've got your HR challenges and your
business challenges and various other various other bits and pieces. Yeah,
(08:37):
it's impossible to tell. I've seen people who are pretty
confident that they knew who were going to take it
out at the post. Someone else comes.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
In, Andrew Lumsdon Trader. Hey, I've been to I think
two Grand Final Young Farmer Grand Finals and in Picago.
I'm going to get the hat trick. I'm going to
head down to him Icago in early July for the
third one. I will see you there.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
Let's do that.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
See then the best.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
The Country with Robbobank, the bank with local acribanking experts
passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I do rarely get some wonderful emails here on this
radio show. My email addresses Jamie at the Country. Feel
free to send me an email, unless you want to
abuse me like Bill did last week. Here's one I
also got last week from a guy by the name
of Rob Burke from Gisbon. He said, Hi, Jamie, I'm
a sheep and beef farmer from Gisbon and my son's
(09:30):
partner who was a doctor of statistics and a complete towney.
After writing with me for six months in my canam
has written a small, lighthearted book about how great sheep
are at dying. I take the piss if you will,
and she would love to send you a copy. And
so she was hoping to get an address to send
it to you.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Mate.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Thanks for putting on your wonderful radio show. We all
love it. Of course Rob hadn't he with that flattery,
So I thought I'll follow this one up, and here
she goes Amy Renell Statistics, a PhD, no less and
a complete towny. This book is hilarious. It's written like
a kid's book, but it's really well, it's adults only.
Let's face it, Amy, it certainly is.
Speaker 7 (10:11):
I've got a fair few swear words in there, but
I figured my target audience of farmers that would appreciate
the swear words.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
It's absolutely brilliant. I think it's very clever, and anyone
who's been a sheep farmer, as I have in a
past life knows that you're exactly right. So your observations
as a complete towney coming to the farm and Gisbane
a bang on.
Speaker 7 (10:32):
Yes, I was chucking around, as Rob said in the
canan with him, and I couldn't quite understand why these
sheep seemed to like dying quite so frequently, and then
the most hilarious of ways. So yeah, I jotted them
down as I was going around with him, and one
thing led to another, and I wrote them all down
(10:53):
in as a joke really for Rob and Marie, who
I'm staying with on their farm, made it out of
a beer box. They showed everybody, so one thing led
to another and now now it's actually a flat book.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Oh it's wonderful. It's got those yeah, as you say,
those little flaps that you can lift when you're reading
to little kids, and it's done in that style. But
you've got sheep dying of let me have a lock, worms, bearings,
fly blow, drowning in the creek, stuck in the fence,
head and the fence. Finally you find a perfectly healthy sheep.
(11:33):
And then on the final page, I won't say what
the words are because this is a PG rated show,
but it's very clever. So I mean, kids couldn't read
this book because of the language. Do you think it'll
have a home with grown up sheep farmers.
Speaker 7 (11:47):
I think I think it will. It's been suggested to
me as as a coffee table book for farmers.
Speaker 6 (11:57):
Yes.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
By full partner has has asked for coffee table books
where they get left on the coffee table for you
people who come around to have a bra that. Yeah,
I think it's lighthearted and relatable and a bit of
a giggle.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Really well, it's an absolute giggle. The title of the book,
by the way, is called if you've got live stock,
You've got dead stock, And that's a well known phrase
in farming.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
Yes, I heard that quite often as I was going
around with Rock pointing out all his dead cheap he
would go, well, yeah, I know we've got live stock.
Then you've got dead stock, so stop pointing them out.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
So how does a doctor with a PhD in statistics
end up on a gisbeone sheep and beef farm.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
Oh I love. I finished my PhD and decided I
didn't really like living in the city despite being a
complete towny as Rob calls me. And yeah, Matt, my
partner said well, let's go down to Gibbon and hang
(13:05):
out for a little while. And I just love the
work life balance that that Gisbone offers. It's a beautiful
place I get to. I've got a pat cow who
loves my book. He thinks it's brilliant, and yeah, it's
just a wonderful environment to be in. So it's yeah,
(13:26):
definitely home.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
I detected a little bit of an accent there where
were you before Auckland.
Speaker 7 (13:31):
I'm from the UK originally. Yeah, I'm from Cambridge in
the UK. Moved over in two thousand and seven within
christ Church after the earthquakes, moved up to Auckland. Did
university up in Auckland.
Speaker 8 (13:46):
And.
Speaker 7 (13:48):
Yeah, then came across, came across Matt who was doing
bio stuff up there, and I was doing stat stuff
at UNI, and yeah, we down to Gisbon once. We're
both sort of finished up. Have been working from home
as much as we can and helping out on the farm.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
So do you ever think you'll go back to the
city life or has Gisbone gotcha?
Speaker 6 (14:13):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (14:14):
I think it would have to be to be pretty
pretty convincing to get me back to the city life.
I'm having all learned at the moment for work, but
I'm looking forward to getting back getting back to the
country side.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
This is a brilliant coffee table book for grown up farmers.
It's called if You've got live stock, then You've got
dead stock, and on the back it says not recommended
for children or vegans. Amy Renell, I think this is
really really clever. If people want to get a hold
of it, where do they find it.
Speaker 7 (14:48):
It's currently in newer book Skill in Gisbon, which I'm
so so pleased that they had accepted to stock it.
It's also on trade and I've got an email address
as well. It's what the Farming end zed so shortens
(15:08):
down to WTF. So what the Farming and zed at
gmail dot com.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Well, Amy, it's been a real pleasure catching up with you.
Good luck on the sheep and beef farm and Gisbon.
And thank you to your father in law Rob Burke
from Ormond and Gisbon for making us aware of this.
You really really made my day brilliant.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Thanks the best of the country with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
acribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Grow with Rubbobank is.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
The Prince of the Province's Marta Shane Jones Woolen Government
buildings and schools. It's in New Zealand first and this
short of wonderful Shane Jones. But is it virtue signaling?
I see that the timber and industry now wants some
love from you and Winston.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
Well, look, we've got to find brighter ways to use
Mother Nature's endowment that we actually rely upon make a
living in New Zealand. Uncertainty overseas means we should be
using more of our resources ourselves, and I'm not interested.
I'm not interested in these aboicus dwellers who say that
(16:12):
we have to continually rely on overseas products because they
might be cheaper. So big ups, Mark Patterson. The next one,
obviously is forestry, and as you and I, I was the
forest minister in the past. But there there's one thing
I'm going to say. The world has changed. Things have
been inverted. And even if mister Trump is a negotiator
(16:36):
more in the Capone style than some sort of PwC character,
the world has changed the rules pertaining to trade that
you and I have taken for granted, they're up in
the air, but nothing changes where self sufficiency and resilience states.
That's why walls a good signe.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay, I'm not knocking you, and I think it's a
good initiative, but it kind of flies in the face
of let's try and save government money.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
It depends how you conceive value over the life of
a product. Often when the government.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
Looks at an initiative, do you look.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
At the four year funding cycle or do you look
at the thirty to forty year period of time that
a material has to serve a purpose. And it's really
important when you look at procurement that you go to
the long term, not just the short term cash, because
over the life of an asset you shell peas on
R and M and other things. So no, no, no, no, I.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
Think it's reflexible, mature approach.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Will your epatah on your grave? Here lies Shane Jones.
He planted too many pine trees.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Every time I talk to you, do you remind me
that the Countess of Austria came and started gobbling up
land as a consequence of my profligacy. That's a good
word for your farmers.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I need to learn that one.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Well, the reality is we made a point at point
in time. We made a decision to enable farmers to
convert their land to forestry for production purposes, and a
lot of it has gone into long term sequestration. And
I'm abiding by the new rules and regulations. Administer Todd
is shipping through the system. I had mister Upton in
my office and he is endeavoring to school me. He's
(18:13):
quite a sort of esoteric sort of fellow, but I
don't mind him at a personal level, and.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
He uses bigger words than you.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Ah, yes, well I can talk multi at him and
has to shut up.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Hey, he is the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment that
he came out yesterday and said, we can't plant our
way out of climate change and carbon farming via pine
forests is not the way to go.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Look, you can't have a situation where people who have
invested their money, they've swept their equity into existing carbon forests.
I'm I'm going to tolerate them being written out of
the script. So if there's a change in the future,
you have to protect the rights and the investments that
people have already made. And I think what he's saying is, Okay,
what's the steps into the future if it's not blue
(18:59):
car or more pine trees? And look, the high tide
mark of pine tree is dotting. The landscape in my
view has changed anyway because Minister Todd is bringing all
these new world and regulations reflective of a commitment and
the coalition agreement to pass.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Yeah, but that doesn't stop all the ones that have
already been planned just for carbon farming. Are we going
to be the California wildfire capital of the South Pacific
in twenty or thirty years time.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Most of the people that I've met in that space,
even our mary landowners, they know that there's going to
be growing duties on them to manage their forests or
they're going to have the liability going forward. And quite frankly,
in some areas, we're not going to be able to
plant any more pine forests, certainly not at the scale
historically we have done. So. Subjects such as the East
Coast and New South Islanders are very very leery about
(19:48):
many more pine trees down there because of wilding pine.
The issue is, whilst it's topical, I think people should
give a bit of credit to Minister Todd. He is
maclay trying to tie it up.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
And I know you've got to tread warily on this one.
But Trump it changes daily. We wake up this morning
there's a ninety day halt on tariffs, or they're keeping
them at ten percent. The script changes on an hourly basis.
Even while one of his officials is tariff Man's making
a speech. Trump's changing policy while the poor bug is speaking.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Oh okay, I'm not down at that level of granularity.
But come on, who should not be surprised. We know
mister Trump. We've seen as television programs, We've read his background,
we know the pedigree of the man. He is a
deal maker. He's a negotiator. Now, whether or not you
feel that's appropriate and appropriate in terms of presidential power,
(20:42):
deal with what we've got. And at the end of
the day, mate, we're five point two million people and
we can do a hell of a lot more to
boost our own resilience. We should be using our own
natural resources, our own minerals, growing our own food, and
for God's sake, move away from this climate catastrophized. Climate
policy has hit its high tide mark New Zealand first
(21:04):
is more motivated to solve the problems of plastic pollution
rather than plastic politicians threatening and intimidating Kiwis about climate catastrophization.
You know that I'm a doubting Thomas and the vast
majority of stuff that passes under the rubric of.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Climate drill, baby drill. Just to finish on, I like
the Minister of Police Mark Mitchell. I've never actually met him,
but I like the cut of his cloth if you wanted.
But tamotha Paul says she's much more intelligent than him,
and people don't like the police. It's abhorrent to what
she's saying. And I haven't even started on that other clown,
Benjamin Doyle.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
This is the story of three monkeys. One monkey looking
for a brain, other monkey looking for character character. The
third monkey ie the leader of co leader of the
Green Party, looking for a backbone. No backbone. They would
not stand up for decency foundation values. Secondly, Benjamin Benjamin Doyle,
(22:09):
a young man who should never have come into public life,
one of these deluded souls who thinks he can colonize
the English language and stop them much to are using
the word he or she. You are either a man
or a woman. End of story. And with Talitha looking
for a brain, it is a brainless assertion to make
that the community or the public do not want the police.
Come with me to Kaiko here where meth is out
(22:30):
of control, and I'll put that young lady in the
main street of Kaikohe and she would quiver and she'd
be in need of nappy's.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I'd vote for that. Shane Jones, Prince of the Province's
thanks is always for your time on the country.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
See her buddy bye.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients, Ravo Bank.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Last Jim Jim, Good Morning New Zealand. I'm Jamie Mackay.
This is the best of the Country here on Newstalks.
There'd be every Saturday morning between six and seven. As
I said earlier in the show, we play the best
bits of our weekday show twelve to one, and we
do it courtesy of Rabobank. We're growing a better New
(23:21):
Zealand together. Up next on the Best of the Country.
On yesterday's show, I caught up with Nathan Guy, former
Minister of Agriculture, Horror Fenoa, dairy farmer, chair of the
Meat Industry Association who actually shares a birthday with Winston
Peters Or shared one yesterday and we had a look
at the state of the red meat industry and how
we can navigate or if we can navigate Trump's tariffs.
(23:45):
Gonna wrap it with Barry Soaper on the last day
I e yesterday before heading away on paternity leave, our
long standing political correspondent, and I celebrated Winston's eightieth birthday.
Of course, when Barry goes on paternity leave for you
ZB listeners, and I know you love Heather Dupless Ellen
(24:05):
back on Monday. Now just talking about Rabobank before I
forget and before I get the sack or lose a
wonderful sponsor, the Rabobank Executive Development Program. Applications are now
open for this uniquely designed program for farm owners or
senior managers. It will provide successful applicants with the skills
(24:28):
and knowledge to advance their business. For more information, visit
the Rabobank website rabobank dot co dot nz. Applications close
on April fifteen for the Rabobank Executive Development Program. Lady
Gaga is the musical theme today. We're back with Nathan Guy.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
Now you can read them.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
The best of the country with Rubber Bank, the bank
with local agribanking experts, passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
Rubber Bank, so as Fate would have at Winston Peters
is not the only one having a birthday today. This
guy's having one former Minister of Agriculture these days, chair
of the Meat Industry Association. I got him on to
talk about Trump and his tariffs. But Nathan Guy, happy
fifty fifth birthday.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
Yeah, your research is very good, Jamie, thanks very much
for that. I'm feeling young at heart.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Well, so you should. You're still a very fit man,
still out there running around like a spring chicken. So
good on you. Well, let's start with is it your
day job as a farmer. I don't know if I
can say that, but you're a horror Fenoa dairy farmer.
Is the drought over in your neck of the woods.
Speaker 6 (25:48):
Yes, there's, Jamie, Thank goodness. I'm standing on a sand
hill overlooking the farm, dropping up some firewood to my
dear mother, and I'm seeing green grass most places, but
should it was very tough. It's wine and o' clock.
Back a couple of weeks we were very desperate for rain.
We've had little bits of rain, but just not enough.
Even right now it's greened up, but we still need
(26:10):
to follow up rain. And that's right the way through
to the longing. He Taranaki. I haven't been up in
the white kadow for a while, but I hear that's
pretty bad too.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Yeah, hopefully this is the start. This is the green
shoots and I hate that terminology. Are we seeing any
green shoots out of Trump? And as tariffs. I mean
to be honest, we don't know what the hell's happening there.
But I was reading something online yesterday saying that our
beef is so much in demand in the US that
they're happy to pay the ten percent tariff.
Speaker 6 (26:40):
Yes, that's right, that's the feedback I'm getting. There'll still
be a few games that we played at the border
with importers, I'm sure, but the reality is coming off
the back of a very prolonged to the heard rebuild,
the worst in about fifty three years. So there's a
shortage of beef. The world is a state of flux,
so isn't that Jamie. At the moment, no, I don't
quite know what to believe and what's happening. I see
(27:02):
that China has now got a tariff over one hundred percent,
so that's bizarre. We don't know what product's going to
end up were, but the demand out of the U
is my belief it will still be strong. They love
their hamburgers. I heard a stat the other day. I
think it's three a week they consume. So we're a
big part of that, and let's ob it continue.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
The big problem for US, though, is not a ten
percent tariff on sending meat into Our biggest red meat
market are the US. It's the collateral damage around the
rest of the world that's going to affect US as
a trading nation. And it's a bit like farming and
the weather. We have no control over that.
Speaker 6 (27:38):
No, that's right. But what I would say is our
exporters are very nimble. They are very adaptable in their
thinking and freight channels and looking at markets, and we
know being here before. If you think about the National
Land Day that we celebrated recently, it's a long time
ago since that first shipment of sheep meat went up
(27:59):
to the US UK, and our markets have grown, We've adapted,
consumer tastes have growing. So I take my hat off
to exporters. The vagaries of trade is real, and I've
been dealing with it a long time. It just so
happens that this is quite bizarre what's happening at the moment.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Nathan Guy With a chair of the Meat Industry Association.
The really good news story, in some ways surprising story
of this season has been the renaissance of lamb eight
dollars a quilo or better, and it wasn't really predicted.
Speaker 6 (28:31):
No, that's right, and my mates and the sheep farmers
are feeling a lot of love at the moment and
that's come off the back of two very tough years,
so they're feeling a lot more confident than their returns.
There's a lot of catch up to men and that
needs to happen in sheep and beef land and no
doubt Banks will be relieved, but there'll be a lot
(28:51):
of R and M that they need to do. So yeah,
it's strong in the US, it's looking not too bad
in the UK and EU. So for sheet me farmers,
good time shit to come and hopefully they're going to
hang around for a while. And good news that the
government's decided to investor bit in Warwin near Government building,
so that's another positive announcement to speak, well.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
That's a very positive announcement. What about Luckson's talk of
a trade block outside the US.
Speaker 6 (29:20):
Well, I thought that there was a so called little
stash between he and Winston Peters. I didn't think it
was that at all. Prime Minister lucks is doing what
he should be doing, and that's wringing other prime ministers
and taking a bit of a heat temperature check from
them and the Foreign Affairs Minister is saying, well, let's
pull our jets and see what happens between the US
and China. So I think what they're both doing and
(29:43):
saying is absolutely correct. We need call heads, but we
need to be talking to our very strong trading partners
where Prime Minister Luckx has built up those relationships and
it's great to see that. Todd mcclay's up there in
the UAE had a massive investment summit, so you know,
there's a lot of things happening in the space that
are very positive. But we know right now we've got
(30:04):
a strong headwind in our face as well.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Tom McLay, by the way, I think it's doing a
great job, Briddy, are you're blowing out fifty five candles today?
Winston eighty, he's got a cast iron constitution, that man.
He is in a lot of ways, Nathan the most
influential politician of our lifetime.
Speaker 6 (30:23):
Well, I know Winston from my fifteen years in Parliament
and I've had a lot of respect and still respect
his work, ethic and what he's doing for us on
the international stage. So I think that he's had a
fantastic political career and who knows how long it will last,
but certainly right now he's got a bit of a
spring the step. I wish him happy birthday. It's a
(30:43):
lot of candles to blow out, more than mine.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Well, there's also thirty one candles being blown out by
me today. It's not my birthday, but it's the birthday
of Radio hockn Nely Limited. So on this day thirty
one years ago, not as long as you're fifty five
or Winston's eighty. By the name of Lee Piper and
another guy by the name of GRATNERSBT and myself set
up a little radio station and gore the little station
(31:08):
that could and it's still going. I'm very proud of it.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
Yeah, well done, Jamie, and I thought it was appropriate.
You got your recognition in the honors last year. And
let's all raise a toast to the primary sector tonight.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Let's raise a toast to Winston eighty. Note out Nathan Guy,
thank you very much for your time.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Thanks mate, the best of the country with Rubber Bank.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Grow with Rubberbank.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
He is our political correspondent of long long standing Barry
Soper he's been around for a long time. He knows
where all the bodies are buried. We're going to pay
tribute to Winston Petersberry. But this is your bit of
a treat for me today, even though we are cousins.
It's your last day on the job before paternity leave,
which means for z B listeners, Heather's back on Monday.
Speaker 8 (31:58):
So that's the good and the bear, I assume, Jamie, No,
not at all. Well, it'll be over to the listeners
to decide.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
We could talk about the Treaty Principal's Bill getting kicked
to touch. I'm sick of that. The wombat Greens. I
can't even bother Trump and his tariffs is done to death.
But I want to talk about talking about where all
the bodies are buried. You and Winston peters No one
goes as far back with Winston as you. In fact,
you both started in parliament about the same time.
Speaker 8 (32:27):
Ah, yeah, you're right there, Jamie. He in fact came
into Parliament in nineteen seventy eight and then went out
for a spell in nineteen eighty one and came back
in nineteen eighty four. And that's been the hallmark of
Winston's career sort of being dumped out of the political
limelight for a while, right back in the fall limelight,
(32:48):
as he did, of course in twenty twenty three. But
the first time I ever met Winston was interesting. Was
at a National Party conference in Dunedin, of all places,
and Don McKinnon introduced me to Winston Peters and from
the very start we had an argument, and Winston accused
me of sending his predecessor in his seat, that was
(33:10):
Keith Allen, who was known for the Ministry of Silly Walks,
or the Minister of He said, you send him to
an early grave. Well, I have very little to do
with his hypoglycema. But nevertheless, Winston got off to that
start with me, and we've had an up and down
roller coaster ride ever since. Jamie. But look like or
(33:33):
dislike Winston, he's a formidable politician. He knows probably better
than most, or certainly better than most in the current crop,
how to woo the public. And prior to the twenty
twenty three election, when Winston was out of my hustings
starting to pull in the crowds, I said he'll be back,
(33:53):
And sure enough, Winston's back, not just back, but fully
back Deputy Prime Minister, well for another less than a month.
And of course Foreign Minister, a job he excels in,
one that he loves.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Yeah, as you said, excels as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He's had that job under Clark Dern and Luxon. Interestingly,
when he set up New Zealand first and nineteen ninety three.
I mean he's obviously been the leader since then, but
he's had six deputies from toe Heneray to Shane Jones.
So some colorful characters in there.
Speaker 8 (34:26):
Berry, Oh, absolutely, and he tends to attract them. And
again with your like or dislike Shane Jones, I love
him in the house because he's entertaining. He's like as
though he's preaching from the pulpit and does it so well.
And Winston and here you get on very well. I
would imagine Shane Jones would see himself as the successor
(34:47):
to Winston after Winston finally gets out. But look, he
might be eighty, but he's picking along pretty well. I
had a drink with him late last year. He's ticking
along very well as stut as ever. And in fact,
you know, I wouldn't be surprised. In fact, I would
expect it that he'll be running again in next year's election.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Now, they used to say him and Bulger around the
country over a whiskey bottle back in the day, and
he was a bit notorious, the old green parrots and
all that. And I've had the good fortune of his company.
You were there as well, a wonderful lunch that turned
into an evening, remember that all those years ago. But anyhow,
he's notorious for his nocturnal behavior. But is he on
(35:29):
a health kick at the moment?
Speaker 8 (35:31):
Oh well, it was suggested I think on Mike Hosking
by Mike Hosking this morning, that he is on a
health kick. But look, Winston is a social being. He
liked nothing more than to sit around and have a drink.
And I was last year late last year, I was
in Wellington. We sat around, had a good old matter.
He loves having a talk, loves debating politics. You can
(35:54):
take issue with him, He'll give back as much as
he gets. And that's his relationship with the media. He's
pretty hard on the media. But of course now I
think I've sort of got so long in the two
that he tolerates me more than he used to do.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
He's currently our eighth longest serving politician thirty seven years.
In a bit. The longest serving politician is a guy
by the name of Rex Mason. I've never heard of him,
who served for forty years, one hundred and ninety three days.
And I'm just doing the quick meths on the back
of an envelope here. If Winston does another term, he
will break that record.
Speaker 8 (36:31):
Yeah. But the thing is, you've got to remember, and
I've always reminded Winston of this. I've actually been involved
in politics longer than he has, because he's had several
breaks from the politics, being losing one election and coming
back the next. Whereas my record, Jomy dear, I say
that began in nineteen eighty in the press gallery in
(36:52):
Parliament and I'm still doing it. I don't know how
many years that has been as well, over forty.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Well, Barry, enjoy your paternity leave, if such a thing,
if such a thing as possible. This is coming from
a former house husband, and we look forward to your
hearing your back, hearing your dulcet tones back, should I
say on news Talk, Sa'd be looking forward to hear
the coming back next week as well.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Good on Jmie and I'm talking to you the Best
of the Country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Choose the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 9 (37:20):
Rabobank selmer something boy, aren't you tired.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Trying to fill that Barry's sober wrapping the Best of
the Country. Good morning. My name's Jamie MacKaye. The show's
brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing a better New
Zealand together. That might be the last time you hear
cousin bars for a week while he's off on paternity leave.
Heather Duplasyl and back on z B Monday. How good
will that be? Mind you? Ryan Bridge has done an
(37:48):
excellent job filling in. That's me. I'm done and dusted.
I'm out of here. I really want Moana Pacifica to
get up against the Blues this afternoon. I just think
it would be a fairy tale story and I'm hoping
the Drew. I don't do the business against my Highlanders,
but to be honest, my sporting focus for this weekend
is the Master's Golf Best sporting event of the year,
(38:10):
catch up at same time, same place next Saturday. I'll
leave you with Lady Gaga.
Speaker 10 (38:22):
In the sneer in the salon, in the shaffer shep,
we're far from the shell, oh.
Speaker 9 (39:02):
Law and gram from the can, with both on the
side in the.
Speaker 11 (39:22):
Sell sill load in the sell sill in the sell
side
Speaker 10 (39:36):
Were far from the shell load Ba
The best of the country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Grow with Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Me gadda and Good Morning New Zealand. My name's Jamie Mackay.
(00:32):
This is the best of the country. Each and every
Saturday morning here on news Talk ZEDB, we play the
best bits of our weekday show twelfth to one courtesy
of Rabobank. We're growing a better New Zealand together. Kicking
it off with Lady Gaga, who's kicked us to touch.
She's going to Australia in December, but she's not visiting
this side of the Tasman. What a shame. She's such
(00:53):
a great artist. We're going to kick off the best
of the country today with another great artist, Terder Andrew
us comedian the voice behind the FMG Young Farmer of
the Year contest. On Monday show, we reviewed the last
of the regional finals Otago Southland and we now know
our seven grand finalists heading back to Inbicargo by the Way.
(01:17):
On July three to five, my favorite interview of the
week in a lot of ways was Amy Ronnell, the
author of the Wonderfully riscuyed children's book for grown ups
called if You've Got Live Stock, Then You've Got Dead Stock.
A delightful look at Sheep and How They Die from
a Complete Towney with a PhD in statistics. Shane Jones, Well,
(01:41):
actually he's my favorite interview of the week, self titled
Prince of the Province's Martua Shane on Thursday show let
rip on subjects as diverse as woolen, government buildings, pine trees,
Trump and the Greens teed off against the Greens. We're
going to wrap it with Nathan Guy, former Minister of
current Chair of the Meat Industry Association, and Barry Soper.
(02:04):
Yesterday Friday was an important day in the life of
Winston Painters. I think his name's Winston Raymond Peters, is
it anyhow? Winston blew out eighty candles yesterday, So we're
going to pay tribute to a man who's been in
politics for nearly five decades. In fact, two of them,
Barry and Winnie, started at about the same time. It's
(02:26):
all on the best of the Country and it's all
brought to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Choose the Bank with a huge network of progressive farming
clients Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
He is the voice behind the FMG Young Farmer Contest.
That Grand fine is coming up and Invercargo July three
to five. We now know who are seven regional final
winners are. And a guy by the name of Cam Smith,
not the golfer, not the rugby league player to radar,
Andrew Lumston won the Otago Southland Regional Final the Winton
(03:18):
race Course. I think on Saturday, what a great day.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
It was a great day.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
And I tell you why home ground advantage because we're
back on the Winton Racecourse.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I think for.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
Practical day it's Grand Final and if they can do
it on a day like the head on Saturday, it's
going to be a cracker.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Now we have three second timers turning up. Hugh Jackson
representing Bay a plenty y Cuto, even though he last
got into a final representing Otago Southland, he's a second timer.
George Leatham from Tasman's a second timer. And Gareth mckirchheer
from Arangi. He's a second time grand finalist as well.
He finished third last year and I'm going to enjoy
(03:56):
Gareth's company. Tomorrow night radar. I don't know, I feel
enjoy mine, but it's a free feed for them at
the South Island Airy Event at the spates Aale House
and tomorrow How good is that?
Speaker 5 (04:07):
It's all very good indeed. And that's the thing you
get these I say to people, you don't need to
win the competition to win to be a winner. You know,
you want to do the best that you possibly can.
But it's those people that get in and take the
advantage of all of these things that are offered to
them all along the way, and you'll see no shortage
of those folks pop up. But look, I tell you what,
it's going to be interesting because not only do we
(04:28):
have three second timers, we've also got two people who
for whom at the competition was their first time as well,
Justin Rygrop from up North and James Robbie. I'm not
sure about Jock Burke, whether he's competed a couple of
times before, but look, it's going to be a cracker
of a competition. And you can see that experience in
the field as well, particularly those people that have been
to a Grand Final. And I always say to other
(04:50):
competitors and what Nott watch those Grand final guys when
they're back at a regional final, because it's you know,
it's the time management, it's the presence of mind. It's
that a billity to forget about the last thing that
they were doing and focus solely on the next thing
that's going on. And you'll often see them as well
taking advantage if they get red flagged for something in
one of the egg Resports events. They'll take that thirty seconds,
(05:11):
compose themselves, they'll think about what they're going next, and
they're crack straight back into it. So it is going
to be a fantastic spectacle.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah, Well, as you say, it is an advantage to
be a second time. That Jock Burke that you were
talking about representing taranake manor two. He's in his third
and final year at Massi University, but he's only nineteen
years of age. He must have gone when he was
about fifteen.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
Raiders actually one of those child genius as those young
savants that they breed up there in that part of
the world. Look, we do have a wide spectrum of ages.
Age is not an issue offered in this What James
Robertson I think was twenty two when he won it,
and I think I think George Latham was because I
think we had a question this time around who was
the youngest winner and someone said George Latham, but actually.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Not George Latham.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Sorry George Dodson.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
George Johnson, Sorry, yes, George. I think George was only
a week older than James when he run it, so
he must have been just twenty two or twenty three.
So you know, then you've got your more experienced competitors
as well, but you just don't forget all the little kids,
the agrikids and the FMG juniors. We had a former
Agricids champion's coming this year as an FMG junior competitor,
(06:21):
very competitive young fellow. So again you can you can
be third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh form in that competition
and with the agri kids as well that I remember it.
A couple of years ago, a tiny little team from
Seden called the Awex must have been physically the smallest
team I ever saw, and they got into the into
the final there in Tasman and I thought, oh hell,
these a little bogy's going to go and they absolutely
(06:42):
smashed it, went all the way to Grand Final. Said
in this year three of their four Agrikids teams, So
all three of the Agri Kids teams from from Tasman
are from Seden, so it's going to be a great competition.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Well, I've got a tip my hat to Blue Mountain
College which is in Tapanui and West Stowe, Targo. I
went down last year to the West O Targo AMP Show.
What a great day out it was in rural New
Zealand as well, but I couldn't get over because they
had an Agrikids competition at the amp show. How these
young kids from Blue Mountain College knew so much about agriculture,
(07:18):
They knew more about it than I did.
Speaker 6 (07:19):
Radar, Look they do.
Speaker 5 (07:21):
I've seen some of the some of the challenges that
these kids, the agri Kids and the FMG juniors are
set and I don't know the answers to them, but
you know it's not only the mental thing as well
around the knowledge, their ability to do the physical stuff,
to put things back together, to work with tools through
his other you know, they're going to have a little
farm challenge in front of you for the FMG juniors.
So you know, they so smart kids that pick a
(07:44):
lot of this stuff up by osmosis just working with
their parents. Having said that, we've seen some very very
good Grand finalists who never put it on farm until
they were eighteen or nineteen years old. So you know,
it's the people who want it. They're going to pick
up that knowledge. Whenever it is that they start, they're
going to take it out.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
We're running a promo on the show this week called Yes, Now,
I'll sit on the fence. I suspect you'll have a
picket right up your backside. As I asked you to
Rader Andrew Lumston, who's the favorite? Who do you think
might take it out?
Speaker 5 (08:15):
You know what I'm want to say, Having seen how
long have I done this? Seven or seven sevens, I've
seen probably more than fifty regionals, and I've seen certainly
seven or eight Grand finals. You cannot you cannot know
until we read those names out, because there's a lot
of it that you don't see. You've got protectives of
the Grand Final, You've got your HR challenges and your
business challenges and various other various other bits and pieces. Yeah,
(08:37):
it's impossible to tell. I've seen people who are pretty
confident that they knew who were going to take it
out at the post. Someone else comes.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
In, Andrew Lumsdon Trader. Hey, I've been to I think
two Grand Final Young Farmer Grand Finals and in Picago.
I'm going to get the hat trick. I'm going to
head down to him Icago in early July for the
third one. I will see you there.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
Let's do that.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
See then the best.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
The Country with Robbobank, the bank with local acribanking experts
passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I do rarely get some wonderful emails here on this
radio show. My email addresses Jamie at the Country. Feel
free to send me an email, unless you want to
abuse me like Bill did last week. Here's one I
also got last week from a guy by the name
of Rob Burke from Gisbon. He said, Hi, Jamie, I'm
a sheep and beef farmer from Gisbon and my son's
(09:30):
partner who was a doctor of statistics and a complete towney.
After writing with me for six months in my canam
has written a small, lighthearted book about how great sheep
are at dying. I take the piss if you will,
and she would love to send you a copy. And
so she was hoping to get an address to send
it to you.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Mate.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Thanks for putting on your wonderful radio show. We all
love it. Of course Rob hadn't he with that flattery,
So I thought I'll follow this one up, and here
she goes Amy Renell Statistics, a PhD, no less and
a complete towny. This book is hilarious. It's written like
a kid's book, but it's really well, it's adults only.
Let's face it, Amy, it certainly is.
Speaker 7 (10:11):
I've got a fair few swear words in there, but
I figured my target audience of farmers that would appreciate
the swear words.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
It's absolutely brilliant. I think it's very clever, and anyone
who's been a sheep farmer, as I have in a
past life knows that you're exactly right. So your observations
as a complete towney coming to the farm and Gisbane
a bang on.
Speaker 7 (10:32):
Yes, I was chucking around, as Rob said in the
canan with him, and I couldn't quite understand why these
sheep seemed to like dying quite so frequently, and then
the most hilarious of ways. So yeah, I jotted them
down as I was going around with him, and one
thing led to another, and I wrote them all down
(10:53):
in as a joke really for Rob and Marie, who
I'm staying with on their farm, made it out of
a beer box. They showed everybody, so one thing led
to another and now now it's actually a flat book.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Oh it's wonderful. It's got those yeah, as you say,
those little flaps that you can lift when you're reading
to little kids, and it's done in that style. But
you've got sheep dying of let me have a lock, worms, bearings,
fly blow, drowning in the creek, stuck in the fence,
head and the fence. Finally you find a perfectly healthy sheep.
(11:33):
And then on the final page, I won't say what
the words are because this is a PG rated show,
but it's very clever. So I mean, kids couldn't read
this book because of the language. Do you think it'll
have a home with grown up sheep farmers.
Speaker 7 (11:47):
I think I think it will. It's been suggested to
me as as a coffee table book for farmers.
Speaker 6 (11:57):
Yes.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
By full partner has has asked for coffee table books
where they get left on the coffee table for you
people who come around to have a bra that. Yeah,
I think it's lighthearted and relatable and a bit of
a giggle.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Really well, it's an absolute giggle. The title of the book,
by the way, is called if you've got live stock,
You've got dead stock, And that's a well known phrase
in farming.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
Yes, I heard that quite often as I was going
around with Rock pointing out all his dead cheap he
would go, well, yeah, I know we've got live stock.
Then you've got dead stock, so stop pointing them out.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
So how does a doctor with a PhD in statistics
end up on a gisbeone sheep and beef farm.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
Oh I love. I finished my PhD and decided I
didn't really like living in the city despite being a
complete towny as Rob calls me. And yeah, Matt, my
partner said well, let's go down to Gibbon and hang
(13:05):
out for a little while. And I just love the
work life balance that that Gisbone offers. It's a beautiful
place I get to. I've got a pat cow who
loves my book. He thinks it's brilliant, and yeah, it's
just a wonderful environment to be in. So it's yeah,
(13:26):
definitely home.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
I detected a little bit of an accent there where
were you before Auckland.
Speaker 7 (13:31):
I'm from the UK originally. Yeah, I'm from Cambridge in
the UK. Moved over in two thousand and seven within
christ Church after the earthquakes, moved up to Auckland. Did
university up in Auckland.
Speaker 8 (13:46):
And.
Speaker 7 (13:48):
Yeah, then came across, came across Matt who was doing
bio stuff up there, and I was doing stat stuff
at UNI, and yeah, we down to Gisbon once. We're
both sort of finished up. Have been working from home
as much as we can and helping out on the farm.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
So do you ever think you'll go back to the
city life or has Gisbone gotcha?
Speaker 6 (14:13):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (14:14):
I think it would have to be to be pretty
pretty convincing to get me back to the city life.
I'm having all learned at the moment for work, but
I'm looking forward to getting back getting back to the
country side.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
This is a brilliant coffee table book for grown up farmers.
It's called if You've got live stock, then You've got
dead stock, and on the back it says not recommended
for children or vegans. Amy Renell, I think this is
really really clever. If people want to get a hold
of it, where do they find it.
Speaker 7 (14:48):
It's currently in newer book Skill in Gisbon, which I'm
so so pleased that they had accepted to stock it.
It's also on trade and I've got an email address
as well. It's what the Farming end zed so shortens
(15:08):
down to WTF. So what the Farming and zed at
gmail dot com.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Well, Amy, it's been a real pleasure catching up with you.
Good luck on the sheep and beef farm and Gisbon.
And thank you to your father in law Rob Burke
from Ormond and Gisbon for making us aware of this.
You really really made my day brilliant.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Thanks the best of the country with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
acribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Grow with Rubbobank is.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
The Prince of the Province's Marta Shane Jones Woolen Government
buildings and schools. It's in New Zealand first and this
short of wonderful Shane Jones. But is it virtue signaling?
I see that the timber and industry now wants some
love from you and Winston.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
Well, look, we've got to find brighter ways to use
Mother Nature's endowment that we actually rely upon make a
living in New Zealand. Uncertainty overseas means we should be
using more of our resources ourselves, and I'm not interested.
I'm not interested in these aboicus dwellers who say that
(16:12):
we have to continually rely on overseas products because they
might be cheaper. So big ups, Mark Patterson. The next one,
obviously is forestry, and as you and I, I was the
forest minister in the past. But there there's one thing
I'm going to say. The world has changed. Things have
been inverted. And even if mister Trump is a negotiator
(16:36):
more in the Capone style than some sort of PwC character,
the world has changed the rules pertaining to trade that
you and I have taken for granted, they're up in
the air, but nothing changes where self sufficiency and resilience states.
That's why walls a good signe.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay, I'm not knocking you, and I think it's a
good initiative, but it kind of flies in the face
of let's try and save government money.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
It depends how you conceive value over the life of
a product. Often when the government.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
Looks at an initiative, do you look.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
At the four year funding cycle or do you look
at the thirty to forty year period of time that
a material has to serve a purpose. And it's really
important when you look at procurement that you go to
the long term, not just the short term cash, because
over the life of an asset you shell peas on
R and M and other things. So no, no, no, no, I.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
Think it's reflexible, mature approach.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Will your epatah on your grave? Here lies Shane Jones.
He planted too many pine trees.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Every time I talk to you, do you remind me
that the Countess of Austria came and started gobbling up
land as a consequence of my profligacy. That's a good
word for your farmers.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I need to learn that one.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Well, the reality is we made a point at point
in time. We made a decision to enable farmers to
convert their land to forestry for production purposes, and a
lot of it has gone into long term sequestration. And
I'm abiding by the new rules and regulations. Administer Todd
is shipping through the system. I had mister Upton in
my office and he is endeavoring to school me. He's
(18:13):
quite a sort of esoteric sort of fellow, but I
don't mind him at a personal level, and.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
He uses bigger words than you.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Ah, yes, well I can talk multi at him and
has to shut up.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Hey, he is the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment that
he came out yesterday and said, we can't plant our
way out of climate change and carbon farming via pine
forests is not the way to go.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Look, you can't have a situation where people who have
invested their money, they've swept their equity into existing carbon forests.
I'm I'm going to tolerate them being written out of
the script. So if there's a change in the future,
you have to protect the rights and the investments that
people have already made. And I think what he's saying is, Okay,
what's the steps into the future if it's not blue
(18:59):
car or more pine trees? And look, the high tide
mark of pine tree is dotting. The landscape in my
view has changed anyway because Minister Todd is bringing all
these new world and regulations reflective of a commitment and
the coalition agreement to pass.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
Yeah, but that doesn't stop all the ones that have
already been planned just for carbon farming. Are we going
to be the California wildfire capital of the South Pacific
in twenty or thirty years time.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Most of the people that I've met in that space,
even our mary landowners, they know that there's going to
be growing duties on them to manage their forests or
they're going to have the liability going forward. And quite frankly,
in some areas, we're not going to be able to
plant any more pine forests, certainly not at the scale
historically we have done. So. Subjects such as the East
Coast and New South Islanders are very very leery about
(19:48):
many more pine trees down there because of wilding pine.
The issue is, whilst it's topical, I think people should
give a bit of credit to Minister Todd. He is
maclay trying to tie it up.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
And I know you've got to tread warily on this one.
But Trump it changes daily. We wake up this morning
there's a ninety day halt on tariffs, or they're keeping
them at ten percent. The script changes on an hourly basis.
Even while one of his officials is tariff Man's making
a speech. Trump's changing policy while the poor bug is speaking.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Oh okay, I'm not down at that level of granularity.
But come on, who should not be surprised. We know
mister Trump. We've seen as television programs, We've read his background,
we know the pedigree of the man. He is a
deal maker. He's a negotiator. Now, whether or not you
feel that's appropriate and appropriate in terms of presidential power,
(20:42):
deal with what we've got. And at the end of
the day, mate, we're five point two million people and
we can do a hell of a lot more to
boost our own resilience. We should be using our own
natural resources, our own minerals, growing our own food, and
for God's sake, move away from this climate catastrophized. Climate
policy has hit its high tide mark New Zealand first
(21:04):
is more motivated to solve the problems of plastic pollution
rather than plastic politicians threatening and intimidating Kiwis about climate catastrophization.
You know that I'm a doubting Thomas and the vast
majority of stuff that passes under the rubric of.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Climate drill, baby drill. Just to finish on, I like
the Minister of Police Mark Mitchell. I've never actually met him,
but I like the cut of his cloth if you wanted.
But tamotha Paul says she's much more intelligent than him,
and people don't like the police. It's abhorrent to what
she's saying. And I haven't even started on that other clown,
Benjamin Doyle.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
This is the story of three monkeys. One monkey looking
for a brain, other monkey looking for character character. The
third monkey ie the leader of co leader of the
Green Party, looking for a backbone. No backbone. They would
not stand up for decency foundation values. Secondly, Benjamin Benjamin Doyle,
(22:09):
a young man who should never have come into public life,
one of these deluded souls who thinks he can colonize
the English language and stop them much to are using
the word he or she. You are either a man
or a woman. End of story. And with Talitha looking
for a brain, it is a brainless assertion to make
that the community or the public do not want the police.
Come with me to Kaiko here where meth is out
(22:30):
of control, and I'll put that young lady in the
main street of Kaikohe and she would quiver and she'd
be in need of nappy's.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I'd vote for that. Shane Jones, Prince of the Province's
thanks is always for your time on the country.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
See her buddy bye.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with a huge network of progressive farming clients, Ravo Bank.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Last Jim Jim, Good Morning New Zealand. I'm Jamie Mackay.
This is the best of the Country here on Newstalks.
There'd be every Saturday morning between six and seven. As
I said earlier in the show, we play the best
bits of our weekday show twelve to one, and we
do it courtesy of Rabobank. We're growing a better New
(23:21):
Zealand together. Up next on the Best of the Country.
On yesterday's show, I caught up with Nathan Guy, former
Minister of Agriculture, Horror Fenoa, dairy farmer, chair of the
Meat Industry Association who actually shares a birthday with Winston
Peters Or shared one yesterday and we had a look
at the state of the red meat industry and how
we can navigate or if we can navigate Trump's tariffs.
(23:45):
Gonna wrap it with Barry Soaper on the last day
I e yesterday before heading away on paternity leave, our
long standing political correspondent, and I celebrated Winston's eightieth birthday.
Of course, when Barry goes on paternity leave for you
ZB listeners, and I know you love Heather Dupless Ellen
(24:05):
back on Monday. Now just talking about Rabobank before I
forget and before I get the sack or lose a
wonderful sponsor, the Rabobank Executive Development Program. Applications are now
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(24:28):
and knowledge to advance their business. For more information, visit
the Rabobank website rabobank dot co dot nz. Applications close
on April fifteen for the Rabobank Executive Development Program. Lady
Gaga is the musical theme today. We're back with Nathan Guy.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
Now you can read them.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
The best of the country with Rubber Bank, the bank
with local agribanking experts, passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
Rubber Bank, so as Fate would have at Winston Peters
is not the only one having a birthday today. This
guy's having one former Minister of Agriculture these days, chair
of the Meat Industry Association. I got him on to
talk about Trump and his tariffs. But Nathan Guy, happy
fifty fifth birthday.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
Yeah, your research is very good, Jamie, thanks very much
for that. I'm feeling young at heart.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Well, so you should. You're still a very fit man,
still out there running around like a spring chicken. So
good on you. Well, let's start with is it your
day job as a farmer. I don't know if I
can say that, but you're a horror Fenoa dairy farmer.
Is the drought over in your neck of the woods.
Speaker 6 (25:48):
Yes, there's, Jamie, Thank goodness. I'm standing on a sand
hill overlooking the farm, dropping up some firewood to my
dear mother, and I'm seeing green grass most places, but
should it was very tough. It's wine and o' clock.
Back a couple of weeks we were very desperate for rain.
We've had little bits of rain, but just not enough.
Even right now it's greened up, but we still need
(26:10):
to follow up rain. And that's right the way through
to the longing. He Taranaki. I haven't been up in
the white kadow for a while, but I hear that's
pretty bad too.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Yeah, hopefully this is the start. This is the green
shoots and I hate that terminology. Are we seeing any
green shoots out of Trump? And as tariffs. I mean
to be honest, we don't know what the hell's happening there.
But I was reading something online yesterday saying that our
beef is so much in demand in the US that
they're happy to pay the ten percent tariff.
Speaker 6 (26:40):
Yes, that's right, that's the feedback I'm getting. There'll still
be a few games that we played at the border
with importers, I'm sure, but the reality is coming off
the back of a very prolonged to the heard rebuild,
the worst in about fifty three years. So there's a
shortage of beef. The world is a state of flux,
so isn't that Jamie. At the moment, no, I don't
quite know what to believe and what's happening. I see
(27:02):
that China has now got a tariff over one hundred percent,
so that's bizarre. We don't know what product's going to
end up were, but the demand out of the U
is my belief it will still be strong. They love
their hamburgers. I heard a stat the other day. I
think it's three a week they consume. So we're a
big part of that, and let's ob it continue.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
The big problem for US, though, is not a ten
percent tariff on sending meat into Our biggest red meat
market are the US. It's the collateral damage around the
rest of the world that's going to affect US as
a trading nation. And it's a bit like farming and
the weather. We have no control over that.
Speaker 6 (27:38):
No, that's right. But what I would say is our
exporters are very nimble. They are very adaptable in their
thinking and freight channels and looking at markets, and we
know being here before. If you think about the National
Land Day that we celebrated recently, it's a long time
ago since that first shipment of sheep meat went up
(27:59):
to the US UK, and our markets have grown, We've adapted,
consumer tastes have growing. So I take my hat off
to exporters. The vagaries of trade is real, and I've
been dealing with it a long time. It just so
happens that this is quite bizarre what's happening at the moment.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Nathan Guy With a chair of the Meat Industry Association.
The really good news story, in some ways surprising story
of this season has been the renaissance of lamb eight
dollars a quilo or better, and it wasn't really predicted.
Speaker 6 (28:31):
No, that's right, and my mates and the sheep farmers
are feeling a lot of love at the moment and
that's come off the back of two very tough years,
so they're feeling a lot more confident than their returns.
There's a lot of catch up to men and that
needs to happen in sheep and beef land and no
doubt Banks will be relieved, but there'll be a lot
(28:51):
of R and M that they need to do. So yeah,
it's strong in the US, it's looking not too bad
in the UK and EU. So for sheet me farmers,
good time shit to come and hopefully they're going to
hang around for a while. And good news that the
government's decided to investor bit in Warwin near Government building,
so that's another positive announcement to speak, well.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
That's a very positive announcement. What about Luckson's talk of
a trade block outside the US.
Speaker 6 (29:20):
Well, I thought that there was a so called little
stash between he and Winston Peters. I didn't think it
was that at all. Prime Minister lucks is doing what
he should be doing, and that's wringing other prime ministers
and taking a bit of a heat temperature check from
them and the Foreign Affairs Minister is saying, well, let's
pull our jets and see what happens between the US
and China. So I think what they're both doing and
(29:43):
saying is absolutely correct. We need call heads, but we
need to be talking to our very strong trading partners
where Prime Minister Luckx has built up those relationships and
it's great to see that. Todd mcclay's up there in
the UAE had a massive investment summit, so you know,
there's a lot of things happening in the space that
are very positive. But we know right now we've got
(30:04):
a strong headwind in our face as well.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Tom McLay, by the way, I think it's doing a
great job, Briddy, are you're blowing out fifty five candles today?
Winston eighty, he's got a cast iron constitution, that man.
He is in a lot of ways, Nathan the most
influential politician of our lifetime.
Speaker 6 (30:23):
Well, I know Winston from my fifteen years in Parliament
and I've had a lot of respect and still respect
his work, ethic and what he's doing for us on
the international stage. So I think that he's had a
fantastic political career and who knows how long it will last,
but certainly right now he's got a bit of a
spring the step. I wish him happy birthday. It's a
(30:43):
lot of candles to blow out, more than mine.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Well, there's also thirty one candles being blown out by
me today. It's not my birthday, but it's the birthday
of Radio hockn Nely Limited. So on this day thirty
one years ago, not as long as you're fifty five
or Winston's eighty. By the name of Lee Piper and
another guy by the name of GRATNERSBT and myself set
up a little radio station and gore the little station
(31:08):
that could and it's still going. I'm very proud of it.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
Yeah, well done, Jamie, and I thought it was appropriate.
You got your recognition in the honors last year. And
let's all raise a toast to the primary sector tonight.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Let's raise a toast to Winston eighty. Note out Nathan Guy,
thank you very much for your time.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Thanks mate, the best of the country with Rubber Bank.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Grow with Rubberbank.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
He is our political correspondent of long long standing Barry
Soper he's been around for a long time. He knows
where all the bodies are buried. We're going to pay
tribute to Winston Petersberry. But this is your bit of
a treat for me today, even though we are cousins.
It's your last day on the job before paternity leave,
which means for z B listeners, Heather's back on Monday.
Speaker 8 (31:58):
So that's the good and the bear, I assume, Jamie, No,
not at all. Well, it'll be over to the listeners
to decide.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
We could talk about the Treaty Principal's Bill getting kicked
to touch. I'm sick of that. The wombat Greens. I
can't even bother Trump and his tariffs is done to death.
But I want to talk about talking about where all
the bodies are buried. You and Winston peters No one
goes as far back with Winston as you. In fact,
you both started in parliament about the same time.
Speaker 8 (32:27):
Ah, yeah, you're right there, Jamie. He in fact came
into Parliament in nineteen seventy eight and then went out
for a spell in nineteen eighty one and came back
in nineteen eighty four. And that's been the hallmark of
Winston's career sort of being dumped out of the political
limelight for a while, right back in the fall limelight,
(32:48):
as he did, of course in twenty twenty three. But
the first time I ever met Winston was interesting. Was
at a National Party conference in Dunedin, of all places,
and Don McKinnon introduced me to Winston Peters and from
the very start we had an argument, and Winston accused
me of sending his predecessor in his seat, that was
(33:10):
Keith Allen, who was known for the Ministry of Silly Walks,
or the Minister of He said, you send him to
an early grave. Well, I have very little to do
with his hypoglycema. But nevertheless, Winston got off to that
start with me, and we've had an up and down
roller coaster ride ever since. Jamie. But look like or
(33:33):
dislike Winston, he's a formidable politician. He knows probably better
than most, or certainly better than most in the current crop,
how to woo the public. And prior to the twenty
twenty three election, when Winston was out of my hustings
starting to pull in the crowds, I said he'll be back,
(33:53):
And sure enough, Winston's back, not just back, but fully
back Deputy Prime Minister, well for another less than a month.
And of course Foreign Minister, a job he excels in,
one that he loves.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Yeah, as you said, excels as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He's had that job under Clark Dern and Luxon. Interestingly,
when he set up New Zealand first and nineteen ninety three.
I mean he's obviously been the leader since then, but
he's had six deputies from toe Heneray to Shane Jones.
So some colorful characters in there.
Speaker 8 (34:26):
Berry, Oh, absolutely, and he tends to attract them. And
again with your like or dislike Shane Jones, I love
him in the house because he's entertaining. He's like as
though he's preaching from the pulpit and does it so well.
And Winston and here you get on very well. I
would imagine Shane Jones would see himself as the successor
(34:47):
to Winston after Winston finally gets out. But look, he
might be eighty, but he's picking along pretty well. I
had a drink with him late last year. He's ticking
along very well as stut as ever. And in fact,
you know, I wouldn't be surprised. In fact, I would
expect it that he'll be running again in next year's election.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Now, they used to say him and Bulger around the
country over a whiskey bottle back in the day, and
he was a bit notorious, the old green parrots and
all that. And I've had the good fortune of his company.
You were there as well, a wonderful lunch that turned
into an evening, remember that all those years ago. But anyhow,
he's notorious for his nocturnal behavior. But is he on
(35:29):
a health kick at the moment?
Speaker 8 (35:31):
Oh well, it was suggested I think on Mike Hosking
by Mike Hosking this morning, that he is on a
health kick. But look, Winston is a social being. He
liked nothing more than to sit around and have a drink.
And I was last year late last year, I was
in Wellington. We sat around, had a good old matter.
He loves having a talk, loves debating politics. You can
(35:54):
take issue with him, He'll give back as much as
he gets. And that's his relationship with the media. He's
pretty hard on the media. But of course now I
think I've sort of got so long in the two
that he tolerates me more than he used to do.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
He's currently our eighth longest serving politician thirty seven years.
In a bit. The longest serving politician is a guy
by the name of Rex Mason. I've never heard of him,
who served for forty years, one hundred and ninety three days.
And I'm just doing the quick meths on the back
of an envelope here. If Winston does another term, he
will break that record.
Speaker 8 (36:31):
Yeah. But the thing is, you've got to remember, and
I've always reminded Winston of this. I've actually been involved
in politics longer than he has, because he's had several
breaks from the politics, being losing one election and coming
back the next. Whereas my record, Jomy dear, I say
that began in nineteen eighty in the press gallery in
(36:52):
Parliament and I'm still doing it. I don't know how
many years that has been as well, over forty.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Well, Barry, enjoy your paternity leave, if such a thing,
if such a thing as possible. This is coming from
a former house husband, and we look forward to your
hearing your back, hearing your dulcet tones back, should I
say on news Talk, Sa'd be looking forward to hear
the coming back next week as well.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
Good on Jmie and I'm talking to you the Best
of the Country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Choose the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 9 (37:20):
Rabobank selmer something boy, aren't you tired.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Trying to fill that Barry's sober wrapping the Best of
the Country. Good morning. My name's Jamie MacKaye. The show's
brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing a better New
Zealand together. That might be the last time you hear
cousin bars for a week while he's off on paternity leave.
Heather Duplasyl and back on z B Monday. How good
will that be? Mind you? Ryan Bridge has done an
(37:48):
excellent job filling in. That's me. I'm done and dusted.
I'm out of here. I really want Moana Pacifica to
get up against the Blues this afternoon. I just think
it would be a fairy tale story and I'm hoping
the Drew. I don't do the business against my Highlanders,
but to be honest, my sporting focus for this weekend
is the Master's Golf Best sporting event of the year,
(38:10):
catch up at same time, same place next Saturday. I'll
leave you with Lady Gaga.
Speaker 10 (38:22):
In the sneer in the salon, in the shaffer shep,
we're far from the shell, oh.
Speaker 9 (39:02):
Law and gram from the can, with both on the
side in the.
Speaker 11 (39:22):
Sell sill load in the sell sill in the sell
side
Speaker 10 (39:36):
Were far from the shell load Ba
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