The Country 28/04/25: Bryce McKenzie talks to Jamie Mackay

Groundswell co-founder on why he's not expecting a Christmas card from AgriZeroNZ.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I heard a rumor this is me, not Banana Rama.
I heard a rumor that Bryce McKenzie and Lorry Patterson,
the co founders of ground Swell, will not be getting
a Christmas card from Wayne McNee and the team at
Agri Zero n Z. Bryce, hang on, let me turn.
I've got to work out how to drive this thing again.

(00:20):
You might go, I mean your faders are now apologies away.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
You go, yeah, I know that's a bit of a disaster,
really not getting a Christmas card from them at However,
we don't go around looking to get Christmas cards from
people anyway, Jane.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Are you just trying to make yourself relevant on being
playing devil's advocate here because Feds? It's interesting. There was
a really good story in the Herald over the weekend,
and I read on my way back about you know,
the battle that's happening within the Coalition government and how
the advent of you guys, Groundswell and twenty twenty made
the FEDS take a stronger line and to be fair

(00:54):
to Federated farmers, Bryce, and you've got to take some
of the credit for this, I reckon, they've shown them,
They've bared their tea wee, but in recent years and
that's exactly what we want.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, you did, right, Jamie, and you have to congratulate them.
I'm actually starting to really stand up. It's been long
over due and it's great to see. Yep.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Okay, So go back to AGRI zero en Z. You're
saying they're taking their taxpayer funded waste global.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah, exactly. I mean the whole thing is, Jamie, we
need to put everything in perspective. And New Zealand is
only responsible for zero point one seven percent of world
of missions and here we are spending millions trying to
cut ours while you've got countries with the likes of
China and I mean their target for twenty thirty is

(01:42):
to peak their COE two missions. I mean that's the target,
is to try and peak it. And apparently the way
behind that target and here we are looking at cutting
ours by fifty percent. The whole thing's just a rule.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah. But bryce you know what the government will say
about this, because I know that you guys at Groundswell
and the feeds are questioning whether we should be in
the Paris Accord. And now you've even got the likes
of ACT in New Zealand. First who are perhaps disagreeing
with the National led government on whether we should be
in or out.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah. Look, I can see it becoming quite an election
issue because it's just a tip of the iceberg, all
these agreements. I mean, we're going to be up for
if we fail, we could be up for something like
twenty four billion. Well, goodness, gracious me, where's that going
to come from. I know some of the politicians are saying, oh, no, no,
we won't have to pay it. Well, we don't have

(02:33):
to pay it. Why on earth do we have assign
an agreement?

Speaker 1 (02:37):
You're talking far too much common sense their bryce.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Well, nobody's questioning it, Jamie. But you know, I think
what we need to look at is people are getting
more and more annoyed about the charges and the increase
of products and services that are going on. And we
know what happens with those. There's somebody in a order,
somebody on some committee, and they decide to give some

(03:04):
of the profits or even in some cases some of
the losses to some do good organization to stand on
our behalf. Well, boy, they take the credit for it
when we've made the sacrifice. But what gives these people
the idea that they know how to spend our money
better than what they do. We've got people contacting us

(03:24):
that can't book meals on the table, and here they
are expecting these blooming great rate rises. I mean, I've
got our subject a wee bit, Jamie. But it's along
those lines that all this money's given into these do
good or projects.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Hey, talking about money, what are you going to do
with all yours this year? You're a west Otago dairy
farmer and you've had a pretty good season down there,
and West Otago is a great farming area, used to
be the sheep farming capital of the country.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Just quickly, Yeah, look, Jamie, it has been a good
season production wise, that's been the best with experience, so
it has. That's been really kind to us once we
got through the spring, and we have a lot of
feed ahead of us even now, so we've got a
lot to be grateful for. I don't think we'll have
the trouble. Let the money's going to go. There's lots

(04:11):
of people here with their hands out, Jamie.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Indeed, and yes, indeed, including people wanting to pay carbon
credits overseas. There we go. Bryce Mackenzie, ground Swell co
found