December 12, 2025 • 40 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Lorin Clarke, Emma Higgins, Professor Will Happer, Kate Acland, and Winston Peters.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with one hundred and twenty years global agri business experience.
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Maoie you cloud, let it go in the noise. He
reached down for his grandmother's jawbone and he winked at
his mate since said, yes, we don't know how.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Lucky we are.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Yeah, we don't know how lucky we are here in
New Zealand. My name's Jamie McKay. This is the best
of the country right around New Zealand. Courtesy of Rabobank.
We're growing a better New Zealand together. The reason I'm
playing a bit of fred dag is because earlier in
the week I caught up with his daughter Lauren ahead
of Tuesday night's premiere in Palmi North. She kicks off
(00:39):
the show. We talked to Emma Higgins from Rabobank. Is
a nine dollar milk price now on the cards now.
Professor will Happo will either please or displease listeners. He
is a world renowned Princeton University physicist who was over
here at the behest of Groundswell more about him in
a tack Ackland chair of beef and lamb New Zealand
(01:02):
with their latest national lamb crop report, and there is
no show without punch. For the last time in twenty
twenty five on the Country, we caught up with Winston Peters.
It's all on the best of the country, brought to
you by Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Need to live in this, John Fred, we.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Don't know lucky we are, he repeated.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Lucky we are the best of the country with Rabobank.
Choose the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients,
Ravo Bank.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
So it's all going to be kicking off in Pame
tomorrow night. Yes, the movie premiere or the docco premiere
of the new Fred Dagg movie. Not only Fred Dag.
Let's welcome onto the country. And I've been lucky enough
to have an advanced screening of this, so I sort
of know what I'm talking about. Fred's or John Clark's daughter,
Lauren Clark, Lauren, I loved your docco fantastic and Fred
(01:57):
Dagg for many of us who grew up with them
as just one of the most iconic kiwi's of all time.
You must be so proud of your father.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
I am proud of him. He's he very much sort
of there was a moment there where he describes it
in the movie as he talks about how there was
there was sort of one or two of them who
broke through the opposition back line and made it onto
television in the early seventies and were the first. He
(02:25):
was one of the first people to sort of be
a New Zealander on screen. You know, he had a
Kiwi accent, He was laid back, he was embodying a
character that he sort of chose as the sort of
metaphor for Kiwi ism, which was the farmer, of course.
(02:48):
And you know, when you look back, it's interesting because
that period of time, which for a certain generation of
New Zealanders feels like it was a whole era, was
was actually lasted for less than four years. He was
only he only did fred Dag for yeah, three and
(03:08):
a bit years, but it had such an impact because
before that nobody had done anything that was quite that
specifically key.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
We He moved to Australia, had great success there, further
great success there. Did fred Dagg outgrow New Zealand?
Speaker 5 (03:29):
I think I don't know if fred Dag outgrew New Zealand,
but I think he was. He was absolutely he was embraced.
That character was embraced so fully that it was it
was difficult for Dad and his audience to sort of
(03:52):
reconfigure and you know, to use a contemporary overused word
that he would hate pivot, you know, he he will
he sort of. It was such a kind of a
beautiful thing and it was such it was so much
a part of his audience's experience of him in New
Zealand that he would have had to There was sort
(04:17):
of not a sort of second act in that and
there were lots of reasons why he then moved to Australia.
But yeah, I think that was you know, it was
a small media environment. I mean it really was back then.
There was not a lot of other stuff going on,
and he in a way, he was one of the
(04:39):
first New Zealand comedians. He made he made a living,
He made his work sort of being funny on television.
And so you know, if you're one of the first
people to do that, and you do it with a
memorable characters, it's kind of always going to be difficult
to in a small pond do something different with that.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Lauren Clark with us John Clark's daughter aka fred Dagg.
He was famous a shooting star really in the mid
to late seventies. Of course, that Prime minister back then
was Rob Muldoon and fred dag was a satirist and
he used to do some quiet cutting stuff. And I'm
picking on one scene in the movie or the docco
(05:25):
where he's dealing with two black sheep and he's calling
them overstays, and this was a direct shot at Rob
Muldoon and how he treated the overstayers in New Zealand
at the time. Now, Muldoon didn't like it, but the
state broadcaster, the NZBC didn't like it either. Lauren, No, that's.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
Right, and I think that is partly, you know, an
early reaction to something that sort of hadn't happened a
lot before that somebody in the media environment poking fun
at at the people in power that sort of was
a bit new. But also it is something that comes
(06:07):
with the territory, you know. He he had things like
that happen when he was on television in Australia twenty
years later. People don't like it when somebody points out,
you know, something that the audience is seeing, you know,
but when somebody sort of represents the audience and stands
(06:30):
there and that means the old the old fashioned way
of saying it is, you know, points out the MP
has no clothes. That's obviously going to ruffle feathers, and
if people aren't used to that happening, it's something that
can can get in the way. So it definitely several
times over Dad's career, I mean he was fired by
(06:51):
the ABC and the one for briand Or who he
did the satirical interviews with the Clark and Door interviews.
They were they were let go in political rough times,
just you know, it was disguised as a sort of
budgetary coincidence and things like that. You know, that sort
(07:12):
of stuff happened throughout his career, and I suppose in
a way it's one measure of how successful he was
at at doing it that happened, but also that it
didn't happen more is another trick that he was got
better and better at pulling.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
I think we all have inspirations in our life. Fred
Dagg's or John Clark, your father's inspiration was a British
comic or comedian by the name of Peter Cock, who
did a whole lot of stuff with Dudley Moore so
that's kind of how he started or he based his
comic work off that. But what I found really interesting
in the docco or the movie was he based the
Fred Dagg voice off Peter Kelly a race call.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Not only that, he lived down the road, so he
used to go visit him as often as he could
and just listen to him talk, Listen to the rhythm
of his voice, listened to the sort of lilt and
the rise and the pauses and everything, and there is
a there is a sort of you know, there is
(08:19):
a quality to dad's sort of work, even though he
didn't do impressions. But you can see it even in
some of those you know, satirical interviews and in his
in his sort of you know, the key we drawl
of the fred character, you can see him imitating, you know,
(08:40):
you can see the way he's using language. He's a reflection.
And he used to say about, you know about fred
Dag that that was based on I mean, he he
didn't grow up on a farm. He grew up in
pame In in sort of deep suburbia. But his you
know family, he had uncle and endless uncles on farms,
(09:03):
and he when he was kicked out of school, he
joined sharing gangs, and he didn't just like the farmers.
He just thought it was so inventive with language and something.
He was really sort of I mean, he really did
think that was a bit of a KEI we trait,
you know that. You know, if there's nothing to do,
we'll sit here and we'll just be interesting with the
(09:25):
way we express ourselves for the next half an hour,
and the half an hour will go much faster.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Well, you've told the story beautifully. The movie is not
only fred Dag or that's what it's titled here in
New Zealand. The premiere is in Pami tomorrow night. It'll
be in cinemas on Boxing Day. Lauren Clark, great to
chat with you. As I said, I'm of a generation
who grew up with fred Dagg and loved him. I
think everyone loved fred Dagg. Thanks for your time. It's
a great watch.
Speaker 6 (09:52):
Thank you so much, Jamie Cheers The Best of the
Country with Robbo bag The Bank with local agrib thanking
experts passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Rubber Bank affectionately here on the country, I call her
the Christmas Grinch. She bites back about that one, but
she is also a RABO Research Senior agg analyst. Her
name is Emma Higgins and she is authored the Q
four Global Quarterly Dairy Report. And Emma, I want to
start with the sentence that caught my eye, and this
(10:24):
is from you, your words. There is an elevated risk
that farmgate milk price moves lower across the course of
the season, which could mean that the final season payout
lands around the nine dollars per kilogram of solid smark.
That is Christmas Grinch sort of stuff. Emma, good afternoon,
Good afternoon, Jamie.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
Just the season.
Speaker 8 (10:46):
Look, I promise I'm not stealing Christmas or trying to
like the Grinch, but I am just trying to make
sure that farmers aren't blindsided by what could be coming
down the pipeline. So perhaps think of me as the
Grinch brings a reality check so that farmers can plan
and prepare accordingly.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
The story about the milk is all about supply. As
I had said often in recent weeks, the tap has
literally been turned on right around the world and here
in New Zealand. There's just too much supply for the
demand out there at the moment.
Speaker 9 (11:19):
Yeah, absolutely too much milk not enough demand. That's the
story globally, and we're certainly seeing it locally as well,
with eight gdt's moving lower on the trot.
Speaker 10 (11:31):
And look New Zealand farmers are producing record volumes as well.
It is very bittersweet, right, because commodity pressures and commodity
prices themselves are obviously under pressure due to extra supply,
and globally that's the story too. So we think that
the peak of global milk supply from the Big seven
what we like to call the Big Seven. These guys
(11:52):
are responsible for around eighty percent of global trade. We
think that peak has passed, and that passed in quarter three,
but quarter four is likely to end up at a
very similar level. The good news is that, you know,
twenty twenty six should see some balancing come into play
around milk supply, but it will take probably until the
second half of twenty six for this to emerge.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
We think so was ten dollars just a fleeting moment, Well.
Speaker 8 (12:20):
It's appearing that way, just given that we've moved from
fon Terra forecasting ten dollars down to nine dollars fifty
for the twenty five to twenty sixth season I think
the reality is that what's changed is that we knew
global milk supply was increasing, right farmers in New Zealand,
we're making more money, so we and certainly my view
(12:41):
was that we were going to see stronger milk production.
I think what is shot to the market is the
volume coming out of the northern Hemisphere, and it's coming
from two places. One is the United States. Now again
we did see this coming to the extent that you know,
margins were quite positive. But what's been really strong out
of the United States is obviously the dairy beef calf income,
(13:03):
so that's helping to prop up margins now in the
face of weaker milk prices. The real surprise factor.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Has come out of the EU.
Speaker 8 (13:12):
And what's happened there is that I've established or had
a second flash come through, and that's the result of
the blue tongue virus that we've talked about on previous shows, Jamie,
that had an impact on carving patterns last year, and
so this year we've seen just a change in terms
of the milk supply coming out of the EU. Market's
been caught a little bit on the hop with all
(13:33):
of this together, and we've got too much milk for market.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Okay, final question for you. If you're a dairy farmer
listening to this and you're updating your budget as we speak,
what number would you plug in there? Would you plug
a nine dollars flight?
Speaker 8 (13:46):
Well, I think we need to be realistic. You know,
we do have a situation where it does take a
while for those supply taps as you talked about, to
be switched off. Now. Typically if we think about the
northern hemisphere, it can take up to six months of
negative margins to start seeing those slaughter rates really emerge
and changes to the supply scenario. So I think we
(14:10):
do need to be realistic. Hey, if we get above
nine dollars, that's fabulous, But you know, moving into Christmas
and thinking about the year head in twenty twenty six,
maybe it might be a little bit prudent to think
about alignment. Press.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Emma Higgins from Rabobank, thanks for your time, Thanks for
your contribution throughout twenty twenty five. Always love chatting to you.
And you know I'm only joking about the Grinch bit right.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
Absolutely no.
Speaker 8 (14:33):
I appreciate the banter we have at the dawn.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Of the day in the Great Southern Ocean when the
world's Greatest Emma Higgins from Rabobank. Good morning. My name's
Jamie McKay. This is the Best of the Country, brought
to you by Rabobank. Up next one of our more
interesting interviews of the past week Professor Will Happer, a
world renowned Princeton University physicist. He was here in the
country to talk about climate change. Is he a really
(14:58):
smart guy or is he a climate change denier? We
got all sorts of opinions on the interview. You make
your mind up. Next on the Best of the Country,
we're going to wrap it with Kate Acklin from Beef
and Lamb, New Zealand and Winston Peters.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
I was speaking to a lad of mine the Best
of the Country with Robobank. Choose the bank with one
hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Our next guest on the Country is a very interesting character.
He's in the country at the moment on the speaking
tour at the behest I think of groundswell. His name
is Professor Will Happer. Now he is a emeritus physics
professor from Princeton University and Will the thing that I
(15:44):
find fascinating about you. Before we get onto why you're
in New Zealand, is your background. You served under two
presidential administrations, George H. W. Bush and then the first
Trump administration. Tell us about your background.
Speaker 7 (15:59):
Well, I I'm a physicist, and I've spent most of
my life doing physics in one way or another, but
parts of it have been in Washington, d C. As
a bureaucrat, you know, doing scientific administration. So during Bush
Senior's presidency, I was the Director of Energy Research at
(16:22):
the Department of Energy, and so I was responsible for
all of the non weapons basic research there. And under
mister Trump, I served for a year in the National
Security Council, working with John Bolton, and my job there
was to help him on emerging technologies. But I only
(16:45):
agreed to go if they would let me try and
get some common sense into the climate issue. And so
I spent a year trying to get that to happen.
And after the deer was up and nothing happened, I
retur earned a Princeton on good terms with our friends
at the White House.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
But did Trump say you.
Speaker 7 (17:05):
No, No, certainly not. Yeah. He was a good friend
and very strong supporter it was his his political advisors
who urged him not to touch this climate issue. They
thought it would cost him votes.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Who was the best Republican president out of George Bush
Senior or Trump?
Speaker 7 (17:27):
Well, they both had their strengths. You know. George Bush
Senior was much more a traditional Republican, you know, from
a wealthy family and sort of a country club Republican,
I guess you would call him. And mister Trump is
certainly not in that mold. He's also I think a
(17:50):
good president. Good presidents, you know, try to change things
and make things better, and Trump is trying to do that.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Now the ground swelled. Pr tells me that you're here
for a serious conversation around climate change policy. And I
know that you're a physics professor, but are you qualified
to speak about climate change? Are you a climate change denier?
Or conversely, does climate change actually exist?
Speaker 7 (18:21):
Well, I guess I deny that there is any climate emergency.
You know, that's certainly an absurd idea if you look
at the facts. As a physicist, you know, I'm probably
most famous for inventing the sodium guide star, which is
(18:42):
used at all astronomical sites on the ground today practically
to improve the scene of stars and galaxies. And that's
why I wasted invited to Washington the first time to
work for mister Bush was because I had solved a
important problem for the star Wars effort under Reagan, so
(19:05):
they knew I knew how to solve technical problems. But
that background on the atmosphere, and that's the key part
of climate. You know, most climate scientists know a lot
less than I do about how the atmosphere works.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
Doctor or professor will happen with the see on a
speaking tour of New Zealand. Is the planet warming? Surely
you can't deny that.
Speaker 7 (19:26):
No, of course, I don't deny that the planet began
to warm around the year eighteen hundred, long before there
was any increase in carbon dioxide. Nobody's quite sure why.
But the previous several centuries was the Little Ice Age,
when the planet was unusually cold. And then you go
(19:48):
back a few additional centuries you come to the year
oney eleven hundred, when it was much warmer than today.
They were farming the south of Greenland. You can dig
up the old Norse farms today and find that we're
growing barley and other crops that you can't ripen there
today the climate isn't warm and out.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Methine emissions from ruminants the problem, because that's where I
have a bit of an argument against this, isn't that
part of the carbon cycle.
Speaker 7 (20:18):
Well, methane is absolutely essential to ruminants if they're going
to efficiently digest their food. They can't get maximum value
out of the forage that they eat without emitting methane
and carbon dioxide, and methane is indeed a greenhouse gas
(20:39):
like carbon dioxide or water vapor, which is by far
the most important. But the effects of methane are trivially small.
You know, if New Zealand, for example, reduces methane emissions
by fourteen percent, that will come at in an enormous
cost to the people of New Zealand, especially the farmers
(21:01):
will pick up the burden, and it will save a
temperature rise of point oh oh one centigrade one hundred
micro centigrade. You know, you can't measure that. It's too
small to measure, So it's all pain, no gain for
(21:24):
the environment. It's complete madness.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Are we all wasting at time? Unlist the likes if
you might Trump and the US and India and China
and Russia play ball on reducing emissions.
Speaker 7 (21:37):
Yes, of course you're wasting your time, you know, But
in the process many people are being enriched, you know,
with no benefit to the environment. Just look, you know,
the old advice follow the money is a good idea.
You know, look around to see who's benefiting from this.
Who you know, who is selling you know, when turbines,
(21:59):
who's selling so panels, you know, who are selling bulluses
for cattle. Lots of people are very happy with this.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
Professor, will happen with us from Princeton University. Carbon credits
the Emperor's new clothes.
Speaker 7 (22:15):
Well, carbon credits is part of the scam. There is
no there is no emergency, there's no need for carbon credits.
If you look at the effects of carbon dioxide, the
only clear effect you can measure over the past fifty
years is everywhere on Earth it is greener than it
used to be. So carbon dioxide has very little effect
(22:37):
on the climate or on the weather, but it has
a big positive effect on growing things, on plants, because
we've been in a carbon dioxide famine for you know,
several million years now, and plants are breathing a sigh
of relief. Finally we're getting enough carbon dioxide, speaking as
(22:57):
a plant, you know, to grow better.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
When it comes to global warming and the inevitable things
like sea rise, and I don't think you can argue
against that. Are we better to mitigate or are we
better to adapt?
Speaker 7 (23:12):
Well, I think you have to adapt because nothing we
do about greenhouse gases will affect sea level rise. Sea
level rise began around eighteen hundred when the Earth began
to pull out of the last ice, the Little Ice Age,
and it had nothing to do with emissions of carbon
dioxide of methane, and it's going to continue no matter
(23:35):
what we do about those greenhouse gas.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
But surely, man, burning fossil fuels is the main problem,
and there's no argument that we're doing a hell of
a lot more of that now than we did, for instance,
in eighteen hundred.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
I don't see that burning fossil fuels is any problem
at all. It has made lifespans double and triple. It's
made people live today like King's to live two or
three centuries ago. It's done no harm for the environment.
It's made the environment better. So I don't see any
problem with burning fossil fuels as long as we can
(24:10):
afford to extract them and use them.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
You realize some people listening to this, Professor Willhappa, will
call you a climate change denier out and out.
Speaker 7 (24:20):
Well, I don't know what they're talking about, because I
certainly don't deny that climate changes. What they're saying is
that I am interfering with their religious preaching about repentance
and for imaginary sins that don't even exist.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
Professor will Happa, thanks for some of your time. I
know you've got speaking engagements over the next few days
in New Zealand. Safe travels home to the States, and
we'll watch with interest what happens to you, mate, Donald
Trump and broker in peace around the world, and perhaps
of more interest to us what he does on trade
tariffs over the next year or so. Thank you very
much for your time.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Thank you, Jamie, it was a pleasure the best of
the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank with a huge
network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 11 (25:09):
Rabobank right, kick it in the guts, Trev gumboots. They
are wonderful gum boots. They as well because they keep
out the water, can they keep in as well?
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Good morning New Zealand. Welcome back to the Best of
the Country. I'm Jamie McKay. The show is brought to
you by Rabobank. Were Growing a Better New Zealand together
celebrating fred Dagg. The premiere of the movie doco was
in Parmi on Tuesday evening. It's going to be in
cinemas soon. Not only fred Dag. Up next on the
Best of the Country Kate Ackland, Chair of Beef and
(25:42):
Lamb New Zealand. We have a look at their latest
lamb crop report. And Winston Peters, New zealand First Leader,
Minister of Foreign Affairs. We had a chat to him,
our final chat to him for twenty twenty five on
Wednesday's show. Now, just before I forget Rabobank to thank
a farmer. Behind every festive feast is a farmer who
(26:04):
worked tirelessly to make it happen. This season, Rabobanks celebrates you,
the farmers, the backbone of New Zealand's food and agriculture industries.
They're proud to stand with you today and every day,
and they're also proud to be returning as the principal
partner of National Lamb Day, which will take place on
February fifteen next year. Once again, ag Proud and Beef
(26:28):
and Lamb New Zealand will lead the campaign celebrating New
Zealand's proud lamb producing heritage and the people who make
it possible. That's you, the farmers up next to Kate
Acklin from Beef and Lamb New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
By your garm moods. Where would you be the best
of the country with Rabobank, the bank with local agribanking
experts passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Robobank We tease this one on yesterday's show. The national
lamb crop, Yes, we talked about it. Nineteen point sixty
six million head, a lift of one percent nearly two
hundred thousand more lambs than last season, which is a
good result. Really, one hundred and thirty one percent lambing
across the nation. That's pretty good, up three point seven
(27:14):
percentage points on last year. And this is off the
back of less reading use, so more lambs, more meat
from less used. To tell us more about it, the
chair of Beef and Lamb New Zealand, Kate Ackland and Kate,
this is a pretty good result for the industry.
Speaker 12 (27:29):
Well, hi, Jenny, look, this is a great result, particularly
to see an increase off the back of quite a
significant decrease in new numbers. So you know, it just
speaks to the really strong productivity gains the sheep seat
that has made over many many years.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Sheep numbers peaked in this country in the nineteen eighties
when Rob Muldoon had lots of subsidies on and then
Longen Douglas came along and took them all off. And
that was the beginning, at the beginning, should I say,
of the decline of sheep numbers, But Kate Ackland, the productivity,
the lamb productivity per U if you want meat productivity
story is amazing because I think with something like only
(28:05):
ten or twelve percent down on the total kilogram of
lamb meat produced, even though the U numbers have more
than halved.
Speaker 12 (28:12):
Absolutely, and these games are all around farmers investing in
good genetics and looking after they're used, that are breeding, feeding,
used DTA. So you know, it's a really good news story.
And I don't think we talk enough about the games
that the sheep sector has made. You know, we could
argue we are the most productive sector in New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
With the prospects should I say, we've spoken to Emma
Higgins of a nine dollars milk price. Gee, we might
see some sheep farm conversions I say half in jest.
But sheep and beef is certainly looking more positive at
the moment and the short term admittedly than dairy.
Speaker 12 (28:49):
Look, it absolutely is a really positive story. But we
are still seeing pressure on thoth UW numbers. So even
though we've had a really good news story about the
lamb crop being up, we think they'll still be a
reduction and new numbers this season. We'll know a bit
more as the year goes on, but there's still the
pressure from forestry and the hills, and actually there's a
bit of pressure on some of the dairy conversions happening
(29:12):
where land finishing previously would have happened. So you know,
there's still a lot of pressure on the sheep sector.
But you know, on the whole we're expecting still a
relatively tight supply, high prices. Globally, there's a shortage of
sheep meat, so things are looking good for sheep farmers well.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Globally, milk production has come up to meet the increased price.
Are we likely to see that, I mean, for instance, Australia,
are they going to rebuild their herd or their flock.
Get it right.
Speaker 12 (29:43):
We're looking at a five point eight percent reduction in
of the export LAMB. So New Zealand and Australia are
other big game in town. When it comes to land exports.
We account for about eighty percent of the world's export LAMB.
So Australia is well done. New Zealanders holding steady, so
you know that spells good news for farmers.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
Kate Ackland share of Beef and Lamb New Zealand with
us along with your husband David. You farm at Mount
Summers Station in mid Canterbury. How's the season treating you?
Speaker 7 (30:14):
Oh?
Speaker 12 (30:14):
Look, we're hanging in there afure, getting just enough rain.
Nice to have the wind finally stop and look not
much to complain about this, yere.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
Well that's a nice story heading into Christmas. This is
the final time you and I will chat for twenty
twenty five. Thanks for always being readily available and good
luck to you and the team at Beef and Lamb
New Zealand for a prosperous new farming year.
Speaker 12 (30:39):
Heavy great Christmas, Jamie, thank.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
You the best of the country with Rubbobank choose the
bank with one hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience grow.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
With Rubbobak Winston Peters, former Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister,
we talked about survive to twenty five we go wrong?
Why has this sheard been so tough?
Speaker 13 (31:03):
The realities was that it was a misunderstanding of the
state and the very bad set of the economy in
twenty twenty three, and as a consequence, the urgency and
changing it was not what it should have been. That's
very very clear. But it's started to turn around now,
but as I say it fully turning around a year
too late or a year later than it should be happening.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
So is that a criticism of your coalition partners.
Speaker 13 (31:29):
No, Look, all the economists got it wrong, Treasure got
it wrong, and the mainstream media got it massively wrong.
And here we are. They'll they'll never n up to it,
of course, because they'll never acknowledge the fact that somebody
was saying back in twenty twenty three, after the fifteenth
of March the first quarter measurements came out just how
bad things were, but a despicable situation. We're instinct moment,
(31:51):
nobody can rely on the mainstream media.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
Okay, what is the fix for twenty six? What are
you going to do about it?
Speaker 13 (31:57):
Well at Trey twenty six. So you've got to get
out there and make sure we know some of our targets,
make sure the big things that are required to be
changed do change and as fast as possible.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
Your old mate Jim Boulders said Bug. Of the polls
you no doubt will echo whose thoughts. We've had two
poles out this week. One suggests a reasonable lead for
the current coalition. Another one sort of said hung parliament. Otherwise,
poles don't matter a jot really do they a nine
ten eleven months out from an election.
Speaker 13 (32:30):
Well, in every leading democracy in Australia, other UK, the
United States, the poles have a certain parody or they're
very very close in his huge differences in the polls
and that's why the poles are rubbish.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
The RAMA reforms announced this week have been described as
the single largest economic reform and a generation. Do you
go along with that? Because you were there when the
RAMA came.
Speaker 13 (32:57):
In, no she if you recall very distinctly, I was
in there saying that Nasive Party had got it all
wrong in nine ninety one, and as a result that
expelled me from the party. You remember that I do well.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
There's been a few expulsions over the years, so I
just had one particular one.
Speaker 8 (33:15):
Once.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
You've been kicked for touch a couple of times.
Speaker 13 (33:18):
No that, no, no, mate. The difference is that I
do out there and I got a new I resigned
from partment, got a new mandate, not like the rest
of them. Excuse me, don't try and put me in
the same bush with them. But back in nine ninety
one I was saying this is the wrong pathway to
go down and takes you a long time to get
a recognition, sometimes never. But as the facts, the later
party drafts of the IRMA prior to nine nine elections,
(33:41):
the National Party adopted it.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
So you're totally happy with what Chris Bishop and his
team have come up with.
Speaker 13 (33:48):
Well, lastly, see if so i am, there is some
tweaking to be done, but are huge as I am.
There's a massive restraint and a tossed and the time
waste that's going on with planning in our country, and
councils have got far too much power. Certain bureaucrats have
got massive power within those councils and no one's got
(34:09):
them under control, and so yes, we do support these
changes in the main.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Todd McLay as a Minister of Trade and you as
a Minister of Foreign Affairs, and I know the likes
of Judith Collins, even we're doing some good work offshore.
How close do you reckon any herder hearts we are
to that FTA with India.
Speaker 13 (34:31):
Well, that's not my timetable, but the Prime Minister promised
that in the first term of the government, and so
we've got a year ago why not a year eleven
months ago on that? So there's timeline I can't tell you,
but that's the time frame we're in talking.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
About twenty twenty six in the election. What's happened to
Stuart Nash?
Speaker 13 (34:50):
Well, what do you mean by that?
Speaker 4 (34:51):
I mean is he still a New Zealand first candidate
or a potential candidate?
Speaker 13 (34:56):
But it never wasn't easial first candidate or you.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
Were singing his praise as the annual conference.
Speaker 13 (35:01):
No, look, for goodness sake, you're an experienced journalist. Words matter.
What did I say at the National Comments in New
Zealand First that I think of being a candidate? The
answer is nothing. So why are you now imposing that
somehow I did say something about it.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
I'll go back and check my record's apologies if I
got it wrong, but I thought you were kind of
endorsing in Winstone.
Speaker 13 (35:22):
You know that you've got it wrong.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Sheez Us journalists say, yeah, well.
Speaker 13 (35:28):
You can know if I meant you should know this
very very clearly in your mind. If I'd have said it,
the facts will be there. But I can tell you
I said no such thing. I just welcomed him to
the medici of the party.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
Okay, so he's not a candidate in the election next year.
Speaker 13 (35:44):
For the young teenth time. No one becomes a candidate
until I've been through the process, and I don't though
I'm not in charge of that part of the party's organization.
That has not happened now at this point in time.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
This is our final chat for twenty twenty five. Aways.
Enjoy a bit of banter with you, and you do
buit it nicely, and you always give back more than
you get. I've lost a great friend of mine yesterday,
an old golfing buddy, eighty years of age, Eric Colson,
same age as you. In fact, he's a wee bit
younger than you. He's just turned eighty. You have a
(36:16):
remarkable constitution for a man your age, and you show
no signs of swowing down.
Speaker 13 (36:25):
Oh, for goodness, say you know, that's all I said.
I've got a great former press officers. All people's home now.
But he came out of a way up north on
the seat of the Northland, worked at the post office
and went from there to be a soldier in Malaya
and then on to being a serious media specialist in
(36:48):
New Zealand. And he had some great advice to me.
That's a long ago, he said, Winston, go at your age.
It's the best advice I can give you.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
Well, Winston Peters, thank you for being a regular on
the Country. Do a appreciate your time. You've been on
the show. You realize since about the early two thousands.
You're one of my longest standing correspondents. I wonder how
many how many more years the pair of us have
got left in this gick.
Speaker 13 (37:12):
Oh we'll see I'm here now again. You have common
sense and logic on your program, and thank you for
having me on.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
All right.
Speaker 13 (37:19):
In the meantime, you and your listener listen, have a
great Christmas and a much better New Year.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
Well and Merry Christmas to you and your family. We're
sending you a box of Makaisa because you've been a
good supporter of the show and enjoy it. Okay, dear, the.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
Best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank with
a huge network of progressive farming clients. Rabobank right O
kick it in the.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Guts, Trev.
Speaker 11 (37:48):
Gam Boots, they are wonderful gun Boots Lay as well
as they keep out the water, didn't they keep in
the well?
Speaker 4 (37:55):
Winston Peter's wrapping the best of the country. Good morning.
My name's Jamie McKay. Each and every Saturday morning here
on News Talks, they'd be the best of the countries.
Brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing a better New
Zealand together. Thank you Rabobank for this week donating one
thousand dollars to the IHC carf and Rural Scheme. Pine
Tree Meads would be proud of you. I'm going to
leave you with Fred Dagg, who was at his height
(38:18):
of fame, if you want, in the mid to late
seventies in this country, about the same time Winston entered Parliament.
I'll leave you uponto that one. Have a great week.
We'll catch you back for our final show, same time,
same place next Saturday morning.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Savor word for your gun mooves. Where would you be?
You'd be in the hospital or infirmarine for you have
over the wlo or even worthy if you didn't have
your feet can your gun boots?
Speaker 14 (38:49):
Whenever I sing at the overall, my gum boots are
a must. They helped me hit the whole neots protict.
They keep the water will away, should.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Be voice, won't get blue lost.
Speaker 14 (39:10):
You will not never see me.
Speaker 5 (39:12):
We like me boots.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
If it weren't for your gum boots, where would jibb
you'd be in the hospital or infirmary because you would
have those of the blue or even flurisy if you
didn't have your feet in your gum.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Now on muldoon and rolling, I haven't made a hit.
They're ruining the country more than just a bit. If
they keep on the way, they're gone we'll all be
in turned. So you'd better get hit your feet your
gum boots.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
But work for your gun boots. Where would jibby you'd
be in the hospital or infirmary? Could you would have
those of the blue or even flourisy? If you didn't
have your feet in your gum boot. Different were for
your comber. It's where would you by. It would be
in the hospital or infirmaries, do whatever those are, the
(40:08):
blue or even proversy, yelling your be, your God,
The best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank
with one hundred and twenty years global agri business experience.
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Maoie you cloud, let it go in the noise. He
reached down for his grandmother's jawbone and he winked at
his mate since said, yes, we don't know how.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Lucky we are.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Yeah, we don't know how lucky we are here in
New Zealand. My name's Jamie McKay. This is the best
of the country right around New Zealand. Courtesy of Rabobank.
We're growing a better New Zealand together. The reason I'm
playing a bit of fred dag is because earlier in
the week I caught up with his daughter Lauren ahead
of Tuesday night's premiere in Palmi North. She kicks off
(00:39):
the show. We talked to Emma Higgins from Rabobank. Is
a nine dollar milk price now on the cards now.
Professor will Happo will either please or displease listeners. He
is a world renowned Princeton University physicist who was over
here at the behest of Groundswell more about him in
a tack Ackland chair of beef and lamb New Zealand
(01:02):
with their latest national lamb crop report, and there is
no show without punch. For the last time in twenty
twenty five on the Country, we caught up with Winston Peters.
It's all on the best of the country, brought to
you by Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Need to live in this, John Fred, we.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Don't know lucky we are, he repeated.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Lucky we are the best of the country with Rabobank.
Choose the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients,
Ravo Bank.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
So it's all going to be kicking off in Pame
tomorrow night. Yes, the movie premiere or the docco premiere
of the new Fred Dagg movie. Not only Fred Dag.
Let's welcome onto the country. And I've been lucky enough
to have an advanced screening of this, so I sort
of know what I'm talking about. Fred's or John Clark's daughter,
Lauren Clark, Lauren, I loved your docco fantastic and Fred
(01:57):
Dagg for many of us who grew up with them
as just one of the most iconic kiwi's of all time.
You must be so proud of your father.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
I am proud of him. He's he very much sort
of there was a moment there where he describes it
in the movie as he talks about how there was
there was sort of one or two of them who
broke through the opposition back line and made it onto
television in the early seventies and were the first. He
(02:25):
was one of the first people to sort of be
a New Zealander on screen. You know, he had a
Kiwi accent, He was laid back, he was embodying a
character that he sort of chose as the sort of
metaphor for Kiwi ism, which was the farmer, of course.
(02:48):
And you know, when you look back, it's interesting because
that period of time, which for a certain generation of
New Zealanders feels like it was a whole era, was
was actually lasted for less than four years. He was
only he only did fred Dag for yeah, three and
(03:08):
a bit years, but it had such an impact because
before that nobody had done anything that was quite that
specifically key.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
We He moved to Australia, had great success there, further
great success there. Did fred Dagg outgrow New Zealand?
Speaker 5 (03:29):
I think I don't know if fred Dag outgrew New Zealand,
but I think he was. He was absolutely he was embraced.
That character was embraced so fully that it was it
was difficult for Dad and his audience to sort of
(03:52):
reconfigure and you know, to use a contemporary overused word
that he would hate pivot, you know, he he will
he sort of. It was such a kind of a
beautiful thing and it was such it was so much
a part of his audience's experience of him in New
Zealand that he would have had to There was sort
(04:17):
of not a sort of second act in that and
there were lots of reasons why he then moved to Australia.
But yeah, I think that was you know, it was
a small media environment. I mean it really was back then.
There was not a lot of other stuff going on,
and he in a way, he was one of the
(04:39):
first New Zealand comedians. He made he made a living,
He made his work sort of being funny on television.
And so you know, if you're one of the first
people to do that, and you do it with a
memorable characters, it's kind of always going to be difficult
to in a small pond do something different with that.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Lauren Clark with us John Clark's daughter aka fred Dagg.
He was famous a shooting star really in the mid
to late seventies. Of course, that Prime minister back then
was Rob Muldoon and fred dag was a satirist and
he used to do some quiet cutting stuff. And I'm
picking on one scene in the movie or the docco
(05:25):
where he's dealing with two black sheep and he's calling
them overstays, and this was a direct shot at Rob
Muldoon and how he treated the overstayers in New Zealand
at the time. Now, Muldoon didn't like it, but the
state broadcaster, the NZBC didn't like it either. Lauren, No, that's.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
Right, and I think that is partly, you know, an
early reaction to something that sort of hadn't happened a
lot before that somebody in the media environment poking fun
at at the people in power that sort of was
a bit new. But also it is something that comes
(06:07):
with the territory, you know. He he had things like
that happen when he was on television in Australia twenty
years later. People don't like it when somebody points out,
you know, something that the audience is seeing, you know,
but when somebody sort of represents the audience and stands
(06:30):
there and that means the old the old fashioned way
of saying it is, you know, points out the MP
has no clothes. That's obviously going to ruffle feathers, and
if people aren't used to that happening, it's something that
can can get in the way. So it definitely several
times over Dad's career, I mean he was fired by
(06:51):
the ABC and the one for briand Or who he
did the satirical interviews with the Clark and Door interviews.
They were they were let go in political rough times,
just you know, it was disguised as a sort of
budgetary coincidence and things like that. You know, that sort
(07:12):
of stuff happened throughout his career, and I suppose in
a way it's one measure of how successful he was
at at doing it that happened, but also that it
didn't happen more is another trick that he was got
better and better at pulling.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
I think we all have inspirations in our life. Fred
Dagg's or John Clark, your father's inspiration was a British
comic or comedian by the name of Peter Cock, who
did a whole lot of stuff with Dudley Moore so
that's kind of how he started or he based his
comic work off that. But what I found really interesting
in the docco or the movie was he based the
Fred Dagg voice off Peter Kelly a race call.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Not only that, he lived down the road, so he
used to go visit him as often as he could
and just listen to him talk, Listen to the rhythm
of his voice, listened to the sort of lilt and
the rise and the pauses and everything, and there is
a there is a sort of you know, there is
(08:19):
a quality to dad's sort of work, even though he
didn't do impressions. But you can see it even in
some of those you know, satirical interviews and in his
in his sort of you know, the key we drawl
of the fred character, you can see him imitating, you know,
(08:40):
you can see the way he's using language. He's a reflection.
And he used to say about, you know about fred
Dag that that was based on I mean, he he
didn't grow up on a farm. He grew up in
pame In in sort of deep suburbia. But his you
know family, he had uncle and endless uncles on farms,
(09:03):
and he when he was kicked out of school, he
joined sharing gangs, and he didn't just like the farmers.
He just thought it was so inventive with language and something.
He was really sort of I mean, he really did
think that was a bit of a KEI we trait,
you know that. You know, if there's nothing to do,
we'll sit here and we'll just be interesting with the
(09:25):
way we express ourselves for the next half an hour,
and the half an hour will go much faster.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Well, you've told the story beautifully. The movie is not
only fred Dag or that's what it's titled here in
New Zealand. The premiere is in Pami tomorrow night. It'll
be in cinemas on Boxing Day. Lauren Clark, great to
chat with you. As I said, I'm of a generation
who grew up with fred Dagg and loved him. I
think everyone loved fred Dagg. Thanks for your time. It's
a great watch.
Speaker 6 (09:52):
Thank you so much, Jamie Cheers The Best of the
Country with Robbo bag The Bank with local agrib thanking
experts passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Rubber Bank affectionately here on the country, I call her
the Christmas Grinch. She bites back about that one, but
she is also a RABO Research Senior agg analyst. Her
name is Emma Higgins and she is authored the Q
four Global Quarterly Dairy Report. And Emma, I want to
start with the sentence that caught my eye, and this
(10:24):
is from you, your words. There is an elevated risk
that farmgate milk price moves lower across the course of
the season, which could mean that the final season payout
lands around the nine dollars per kilogram of solid smark.
That is Christmas Grinch sort of stuff. Emma, good afternoon,
Good afternoon, Jamie.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
Just the season.
Speaker 8 (10:46):
Look, I promise I'm not stealing Christmas or trying to
like the Grinch, but I am just trying to make
sure that farmers aren't blindsided by what could be coming
down the pipeline. So perhaps think of me as the
Grinch brings a reality check so that farmers can plan
and prepare accordingly.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
The story about the milk is all about supply. As
I had said often in recent weeks, the tap has
literally been turned on right around the world and here
in New Zealand. There's just too much supply for the
demand out there at the moment.
Speaker 9 (11:19):
Yeah, absolutely too much milk not enough demand. That's the
story globally, and we're certainly seeing it locally as well,
with eight gdt's moving lower on the trot.
Speaker 10 (11:31):
And look New Zealand farmers are producing record volumes as well.
It is very bittersweet, right, because commodity pressures and commodity
prices themselves are obviously under pressure due to extra supply,
and globally that's the story too. So we think that
the peak of global milk supply from the Big seven
what we like to call the Big Seven. These guys
(11:52):
are responsible for around eighty percent of global trade. We
think that peak has passed, and that passed in quarter three,
but quarter four is likely to end up at a
very similar level. The good news is that, you know,
twenty twenty six should see some balancing come into play
around milk supply, but it will take probably until the
second half of twenty six for this to emerge.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
We think so was ten dollars just a fleeting moment, Well.
Speaker 8 (12:20):
It's appearing that way, just given that we've moved from
fon Terra forecasting ten dollars down to nine dollars fifty
for the twenty five to twenty sixth season I think
the reality is that what's changed is that we knew
global milk supply was increasing, right farmers in New Zealand,
we're making more money, so we and certainly my view
(12:41):
was that we were going to see stronger milk production.
I think what is shot to the market is the
volume coming out of the northern Hemisphere, and it's coming
from two places. One is the United States. Now again
we did see this coming to the extent that you know,
margins were quite positive. But what's been really strong out
of the United States is obviously the dairy beef calf income,
(13:03):
so that's helping to prop up margins now in the
face of weaker milk prices. The real surprise factor.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Has come out of the EU.
Speaker 8 (13:12):
And what's happened there is that I've established or had
a second flash come through, and that's the result of
the blue tongue virus that we've talked about on previous shows, Jamie,
that had an impact on carving patterns last year, and
so this year we've seen just a change in terms
of the milk supply coming out of the EU. Market's
been caught a little bit on the hop with all
(13:33):
of this together, and we've got too much milk for market.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Okay, final question for you. If you're a dairy farmer
listening to this and you're updating your budget as we speak,
what number would you plug in there? Would you plug
a nine dollars flight?
Speaker 8 (13:46):
Well, I think we need to be realistic. You know,
we do have a situation where it does take a
while for those supply taps as you talked about, to
be switched off. Now. Typically if we think about the
northern hemisphere, it can take up to six months of
negative margins to start seeing those slaughter rates really emerge
and changes to the supply scenario. So I think we
(14:10):
do need to be realistic. Hey, if we get above
nine dollars, that's fabulous, But you know, moving into Christmas
and thinking about the year head in twenty twenty six,
maybe it might be a little bit prudent to think
about alignment. Press.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Emma Higgins from Rabobank, thanks for your time, Thanks for
your contribution throughout twenty twenty five. Always love chatting to you.
And you know I'm only joking about the Grinch bit right.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
Absolutely no.
Speaker 8 (14:33):
I appreciate the banter we have at the dawn.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Of the day in the Great Southern Ocean when the
world's Greatest Emma Higgins from Rabobank. Good morning. My name's
Jamie McKay. This is the Best of the Country, brought
to you by Rabobank. Up next one of our more
interesting interviews of the past week Professor Will Happer, a
world renowned Princeton University physicist. He was here in the
country to talk about climate change. Is he a really
(14:58):
smart guy or is he a climate change denier? We
got all sorts of opinions on the interview. You make
your mind up. Next on the Best of the Country,
we're going to wrap it with Kate Acklin from Beef
and Lamb, New Zealand and Winston Peters.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
I was speaking to a lad of mine the Best
of the Country with Robobank. Choose the bank with one
hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Our next guest on the Country is a very interesting character.
He's in the country at the moment on the speaking
tour at the behest I think of groundswell. His name
is Professor Will Happer. Now he is a emeritus physics
professor from Princeton University and Will the thing that I
(15:44):
find fascinating about you. Before we get onto why you're
in New Zealand, is your background. You served under two
presidential administrations, George H. W. Bush and then the first
Trump administration. Tell us about your background.
Speaker 7 (15:59):
Well, I I'm a physicist, and I've spent most of
my life doing physics in one way or another, but
parts of it have been in Washington, d C. As
a bureaucrat, you know, doing scientific administration. So during Bush
Senior's presidency, I was the Director of Energy Research at
(16:22):
the Department of Energy, and so I was responsible for
all of the non weapons basic research there. And under
mister Trump, I served for a year in the National
Security Council, working with John Bolton, and my job there
was to help him on emerging technologies. But I only
(16:45):
agreed to go if they would let me try and
get some common sense into the climate issue. And so
I spent a year trying to get that to happen.
And after the deer was up and nothing happened, I
retur earned a Princeton on good terms with our friends
at the White House.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
But did Trump say you.
Speaker 7 (17:05):
No, No, certainly not. Yeah. He was a good friend
and very strong supporter it was his his political advisors
who urged him not to touch this climate issue. They
thought it would cost him votes.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Who was the best Republican president out of George Bush
Senior or Trump?
Speaker 7 (17:27):
Well, they both had their strengths. You know. George Bush
Senior was much more a traditional Republican, you know, from
a wealthy family and sort of a country club Republican,
I guess you would call him. And mister Trump is
certainly not in that mold. He's also I think a
(17:50):
good president. Good presidents, you know, try to change things
and make things better, and Trump is trying to do that.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Now the ground swelled. Pr tells me that you're here
for a serious conversation around climate change policy. And I
know that you're a physics professor, but are you qualified
to speak about climate change? Are you a climate change denier?
Or conversely, does climate change actually exist?
Speaker 7 (18:21):
Well, I guess I deny that there is any climate emergency.
You know, that's certainly an absurd idea if you look
at the facts. As a physicist, you know, I'm probably
most famous for inventing the sodium guide star, which is
(18:42):
used at all astronomical sites on the ground today practically
to improve the scene of stars and galaxies. And that's
why I wasted invited to Washington the first time to
work for mister Bush was because I had solved a
important problem for the star Wars effort under Reagan, so
(19:05):
they knew I knew how to solve technical problems. But
that background on the atmosphere, and that's the key part
of climate. You know, most climate scientists know a lot
less than I do about how the atmosphere works.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
Doctor or professor will happen with the see on a
speaking tour of New Zealand. Is the planet warming? Surely
you can't deny that.
Speaker 7 (19:26):
No, of course, I don't deny that the planet began
to warm around the year eighteen hundred, long before there
was any increase in carbon dioxide. Nobody's quite sure why.
But the previous several centuries was the Little Ice Age,
when the planet was unusually cold. And then you go
(19:48):
back a few additional centuries you come to the year
oney eleven hundred, when it was much warmer than today.
They were farming the south of Greenland. You can dig
up the old Norse farms today and find that we're
growing barley and other crops that you can't ripen there
today the climate isn't warm and out.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Methine emissions from ruminants the problem, because that's where I
have a bit of an argument against this, isn't that
part of the carbon cycle.
Speaker 7 (20:18):
Well, methane is absolutely essential to ruminants if they're going
to efficiently digest their food. They can't get maximum value
out of the forage that they eat without emitting methane
and carbon dioxide, and methane is indeed a greenhouse gas
(20:39):
like carbon dioxide or water vapor, which is by far
the most important. But the effects of methane are trivially small.
You know, if New Zealand, for example, reduces methane emissions
by fourteen percent, that will come at in an enormous
cost to the people of New Zealand, especially the farmers
(21:01):
will pick up the burden, and it will save a
temperature rise of point oh oh one centigrade one hundred
micro centigrade. You know, you can't measure that. It's too
small to measure, So it's all pain, no gain for
(21:24):
the environment. It's complete madness.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Are we all wasting at time? Unlist the likes if
you might Trump and the US and India and China
and Russia play ball on reducing emissions.
Speaker 7 (21:37):
Yes, of course you're wasting your time, you know, But
in the process many people are being enriched, you know,
with no benefit to the environment. Just look, you know,
the old advice follow the money is a good idea.
You know, look around to see who's benefiting from this.
Who you know, who is selling you know, when turbines,
(21:59):
who's selling so panels, you know, who are selling bulluses
for cattle. Lots of people are very happy with this.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
Professor, will happen with us from Princeton University. Carbon credits
the Emperor's new clothes.
Speaker 7 (22:15):
Well, carbon credits is part of the scam. There is
no there is no emergency, there's no need for carbon credits.
If you look at the effects of carbon dioxide, the
only clear effect you can measure over the past fifty
years is everywhere on Earth it is greener than it
used to be. So carbon dioxide has very little effect
(22:37):
on the climate or on the weather, but it has
a big positive effect on growing things, on plants, because
we've been in a carbon dioxide famine for you know,
several million years now, and plants are breathing a sigh
of relief. Finally we're getting enough carbon dioxide, speaking as
(22:57):
a plant, you know, to grow better.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
When it comes to global warming and the inevitable things
like sea rise, and I don't think you can argue
against that. Are we better to mitigate or are we
better to adapt?
Speaker 7 (23:12):
Well, I think you have to adapt because nothing we
do about greenhouse gases will affect sea level rise. Sea
level rise began around eighteen hundred when the Earth began
to pull out of the last ice, the Little Ice Age,
and it had nothing to do with emissions of carbon
dioxide of methane, and it's going to continue no matter
(23:35):
what we do about those greenhouse gas.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
But surely, man, burning fossil fuels is the main problem,
and there's no argument that we're doing a hell of
a lot more of that now than we did, for instance,
in eighteen hundred.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
I don't see that burning fossil fuels is any problem
at all. It has made lifespans double and triple. It's
made people live today like King's to live two or
three centuries ago. It's done no harm for the environment.
It's made the environment better. So I don't see any
problem with burning fossil fuels as long as we can
(24:10):
afford to extract them and use them.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
You realize some people listening to this, Professor Willhappa, will
call you a climate change denier out and out.
Speaker 7 (24:20):
Well, I don't know what they're talking about, because I
certainly don't deny that climate changes. What they're saying is
that I am interfering with their religious preaching about repentance
and for imaginary sins that don't even exist.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
Professor will Happa, thanks for some of your time. I
know you've got speaking engagements over the next few days
in New Zealand. Safe travels home to the States, and
we'll watch with interest what happens to you, mate, Donald
Trump and broker in peace around the world, and perhaps
of more interest to us what he does on trade
tariffs over the next year or so. Thank you very
much for your time.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Thank you, Jamie, it was a pleasure the best of
the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank with a huge
network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 11 (25:09):
Rabobank right, kick it in the guts, Trev gumboots. They
are wonderful gum boots. They as well because they keep
out the water, can they keep in as well?
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Good morning New Zealand. Welcome back to the Best of
the Country. I'm Jamie McKay. The show is brought to
you by Rabobank. Were Growing a Better New Zealand together
celebrating fred Dagg. The premiere of the movie doco was
in Parmi on Tuesday evening. It's going to be in
cinemas soon. Not only fred Dag. Up next on the
Best of the Country Kate Ackland, Chair of Beef and
(25:42):
Lamb New Zealand. We have a look at their latest
lamb crop report. And Winston Peters, New zealand First Leader,
Minister of Foreign Affairs. We had a chat to him,
our final chat to him for twenty twenty five on
Wednesday's show. Now, just before I forget Rabobank to thank
a farmer. Behind every festive feast is a farmer who
(26:04):
worked tirelessly to make it happen. This season, Rabobanks celebrates you,
the farmers, the backbone of New Zealand's food and agriculture industries.
They're proud to stand with you today and every day,
and they're also proud to be returning as the principal
partner of National Lamb Day, which will take place on
February fifteen next year. Once again, ag Proud and Beef
(26:28):
and Lamb New Zealand will lead the campaign celebrating New
Zealand's proud lamb producing heritage and the people who make
it possible. That's you, the farmers up next to Kate
Acklin from Beef and Lamb New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
By your garm moods. Where would you be the best
of the country with Rabobank, the bank with local agribanking
experts passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Robobank We tease this one on yesterday's show. The national
lamb crop, Yes, we talked about it. Nineteen point sixty
six million head, a lift of one percent nearly two
hundred thousand more lambs than last season, which is a
good result. Really, one hundred and thirty one percent lambing
across the nation. That's pretty good, up three point seven
(27:14):
percentage points on last year. And this is off the
back of less reading use, so more lambs, more meat
from less used. To tell us more about it, the
chair of Beef and Lamb New Zealand, Kate Ackland and Kate,
this is a pretty good result for the industry.
Speaker 12 (27:29):
Well, hi, Jenny, look, this is a great result, particularly
to see an increase off the back of quite a
significant decrease in new numbers. So you know, it just
speaks to the really strong productivity gains the sheep seat
that has made over many many years.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Sheep numbers peaked in this country in the nineteen eighties
when Rob Muldoon had lots of subsidies on and then
Longen Douglas came along and took them all off. And
that was the beginning, at the beginning, should I say,
of the decline of sheep numbers, But Kate Ackland, the productivity,
the lamb productivity per U if you want meat productivity
story is amazing because I think with something like only
(28:05):
ten or twelve percent down on the total kilogram of
lamb meat produced, even though the U numbers have more
than halved.
Speaker 12 (28:12):
Absolutely, and these games are all around farmers investing in
good genetics and looking after they're used, that are breeding, feeding,
used DTA. So you know, it's a really good news story.
And I don't think we talk enough about the games
that the sheep sector has made. You know, we could
argue we are the most productive sector in New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
With the prospects should I say, we've spoken to Emma
Higgins of a nine dollars milk price. Gee, we might
see some sheep farm conversions I say half in jest.
But sheep and beef is certainly looking more positive at
the moment and the short term admittedly than dairy.
Speaker 12 (28:49):
Look, it absolutely is a really positive story. But we
are still seeing pressure on thoth UW numbers. So even
though we've had a really good news story about the
lamb crop being up, we think they'll still be a
reduction and new numbers this season. We'll know a bit
more as the year goes on, but there's still the
pressure from forestry and the hills, and actually there's a
bit of pressure on some of the dairy conversions happening
(29:12):
where land finishing previously would have happened. So you know,
there's still a lot of pressure on the sheep sector.
But you know, on the whole we're expecting still a
relatively tight supply, high prices. Globally, there's a shortage of
sheep meat, so things are looking good for sheep farmers well.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Globally, milk production has come up to meet the increased price.
Are we likely to see that, I mean, for instance, Australia,
are they going to rebuild their herd or their flock.
Get it right.
Speaker 12 (29:43):
We're looking at a five point eight percent reduction in
of the export LAMB. So New Zealand and Australia are
other big game in town. When it comes to land exports.
We account for about eighty percent of the world's export LAMB.
So Australia is well done. New Zealanders holding steady, so
you know that spells good news for farmers.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
Kate Ackland share of Beef and Lamb New Zealand with
us along with your husband David. You farm at Mount
Summers Station in mid Canterbury. How's the season treating you?
Speaker 7 (30:14):
Oh?
Speaker 12 (30:14):
Look, we're hanging in there afure, getting just enough rain.
Nice to have the wind finally stop and look not
much to complain about this, yere.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
Well that's a nice story heading into Christmas. This is
the final time you and I will chat for twenty
twenty five. Thanks for always being readily available and good
luck to you and the team at Beef and Lamb
New Zealand for a prosperous new farming year.
Speaker 12 (30:39):
Heavy great Christmas, Jamie, thank.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
You the best of the country with Rubbobank choose the
bank with one hundred and twenty years global agribusiness experience grow.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
With Rubbobak Winston Peters, former Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister,
we talked about survive to twenty five we go wrong?
Why has this sheard been so tough?
Speaker 13 (31:03):
The realities was that it was a misunderstanding of the
state and the very bad set of the economy in
twenty twenty three, and as a consequence, the urgency and
changing it was not what it should have been. That's
very very clear. But it's started to turn around now,
but as I say it fully turning around a year
too late or a year later than it should be happening.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
So is that a criticism of your coalition partners.
Speaker 13 (31:29):
No, Look, all the economists got it wrong, Treasure got
it wrong, and the mainstream media got it massively wrong.
And here we are. They'll they'll never n up to it,
of course, because they'll never acknowledge the fact that somebody
was saying back in twenty twenty three, after the fifteenth
of March the first quarter measurements came out just how
bad things were, but a despicable situation. We're instinct moment,
(31:51):
nobody can rely on the mainstream media.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
Okay, what is the fix for twenty six? What are
you going to do about it?
Speaker 13 (31:57):
Well at Trey twenty six. So you've got to get
out there and make sure we know some of our targets,
make sure the big things that are required to be
changed do change and as fast as possible.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
Your old mate Jim Boulders said Bug. Of the polls
you no doubt will echo whose thoughts. We've had two
poles out this week. One suggests a reasonable lead for
the current coalition. Another one sort of said hung parliament. Otherwise,
poles don't matter a jot really do they a nine
ten eleven months out from an election.
Speaker 13 (32:30):
Well, in every leading democracy in Australia, other UK, the
United States, the poles have a certain parody or they're
very very close in his huge differences in the polls
and that's why the poles are rubbish.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
The RAMA reforms announced this week have been described as
the single largest economic reform and a generation. Do you
go along with that? Because you were there when the
RAMA came.
Speaker 13 (32:57):
In, no she if you recall very distinctly, I was
in there saying that Nasive Party had got it all
wrong in nine ninety one, and as a result that
expelled me from the party. You remember that I do well.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
There's been a few expulsions over the years, so I
just had one particular one.
Speaker 8 (33:15):
Once.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
You've been kicked for touch a couple of times.
Speaker 13 (33:18):
No that, no, no, mate. The difference is that I
do out there and I got a new I resigned
from partment, got a new mandate, not like the rest
of them. Excuse me, don't try and put me in
the same bush with them. But back in nine ninety
one I was saying this is the wrong pathway to
go down and takes you a long time to get
a recognition, sometimes never. But as the facts, the later
party drafts of the IRMA prior to nine nine elections,
(33:41):
the National Party adopted it.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
So you're totally happy with what Chris Bishop and his
team have come up with.
Speaker 13 (33:48):
Well, lastly, see if so i am, there is some
tweaking to be done, but are huge as I am.
There's a massive restraint and a tossed and the time
waste that's going on with planning in our country, and
councils have got far too much power. Certain bureaucrats have
got massive power within those councils and no one's got
(34:09):
them under control, and so yes, we do support these
changes in the main.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Todd McLay as a Minister of Trade and you as
a Minister of Foreign Affairs, and I know the likes
of Judith Collins, even we're doing some good work offshore.
How close do you reckon any herder hearts we are
to that FTA with India.
Speaker 13 (34:31):
Well, that's not my timetable, but the Prime Minister promised
that in the first term of the government, and so
we've got a year ago why not a year eleven
months ago on that? So there's timeline I can't tell you,
but that's the time frame we're in talking.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
About twenty twenty six in the election. What's happened to
Stuart Nash?
Speaker 13 (34:50):
Well, what do you mean by that?
Speaker 4 (34:51):
I mean is he still a New Zealand first candidate
or a potential candidate?
Speaker 13 (34:56):
But it never wasn't easial first candidate or you.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
Were singing his praise as the annual conference.
Speaker 13 (35:01):
No, look, for goodness sake, you're an experienced journalist. Words matter.
What did I say at the National Comments in New
Zealand First that I think of being a candidate? The
answer is nothing. So why are you now imposing that
somehow I did say something about it.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
I'll go back and check my record's apologies if I
got it wrong, but I thought you were kind of
endorsing in Winstone.
Speaker 13 (35:22):
You know that you've got it wrong.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Sheez Us journalists say, yeah, well.
Speaker 13 (35:28):
You can know if I meant you should know this
very very clearly in your mind. If I'd have said it,
the facts will be there. But I can tell you
I said no such thing. I just welcomed him to
the medici of the party.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
Okay, so he's not a candidate in the election next year.
Speaker 13 (35:44):
For the young teenth time. No one becomes a candidate
until I've been through the process, and I don't though
I'm not in charge of that part of the party's organization.
That has not happened now at this point in time.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
This is our final chat for twenty twenty five. Aways.
Enjoy a bit of banter with you, and you do
buit it nicely, and you always give back more than
you get. I've lost a great friend of mine yesterday,
an old golfing buddy, eighty years of age, Eric Colson,
same age as you. In fact, he's a wee bit
younger than you. He's just turned eighty. You have a
(36:16):
remarkable constitution for a man your age, and you show
no signs of swowing down.
Speaker 13 (36:25):
Oh, for goodness, say you know, that's all I said.
I've got a great former press officers. All people's home now.
But he came out of a way up north on
the seat of the Northland, worked at the post office
and went from there to be a soldier in Malaya
and then on to being a serious media specialist in
(36:48):
New Zealand. And he had some great advice to me.
That's a long ago, he said, Winston, go at your age.
It's the best advice I can give you.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
Well, Winston Peters, thank you for being a regular on
the Country. Do a appreciate your time. You've been on
the show. You realize since about the early two thousands.
You're one of my longest standing correspondents. I wonder how
many how many more years the pair of us have
got left in this gick.
Speaker 13 (37:12):
Oh we'll see I'm here now again. You have common
sense and logic on your program, and thank you for
having me on.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
All right.
Speaker 13 (37:19):
In the meantime, you and your listener listen, have a
great Christmas and a much better New Year.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
Well and Merry Christmas to you and your family. We're
sending you a box of Makaisa because you've been a
good supporter of the show and enjoy it. Okay, dear, the.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
Best of the country with Rabobank. Choose the bank with
a huge network of progressive farming clients. Rabobank right O
kick it in the.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Guts, Trev.
Speaker 11 (37:48):
Gam Boots, they are wonderful gun Boots Lay as well
as they keep out the water, didn't they keep in
the well?
Speaker 4 (37:55):
Winston Peter's wrapping the best of the country. Good morning.
My name's Jamie McKay. Each and every Saturday morning here
on News Talks, they'd be the best of the countries.
Brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing a better New
Zealand together. Thank you Rabobank for this week donating one
thousand dollars to the IHC carf and Rural Scheme. Pine
Tree Meads would be proud of you. I'm going to
leave you with Fred Dagg, who was at his height
(38:18):
of fame, if you want, in the mid to late
seventies in this country, about the same time Winston entered Parliament.
I'll leave you uponto that one. Have a great week.
We'll catch you back for our final show, same time,
same place next Saturday morning.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Savor word for your gun mooves. Where would you be?
You'd be in the hospital or infirmarine for you have
over the wlo or even worthy if you didn't have
your feet can your gun boots?
Speaker 14 (38:49):
Whenever I sing at the overall, my gum boots are
a must. They helped me hit the whole neots protict.
They keep the water will away, should.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Be voice, won't get blue lost.
Speaker 14 (39:10):
You will not never see me.
Speaker 5 (39:12):
We like me boots.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
If it weren't for your gum boots, where would jibb
you'd be in the hospital or infirmary because you would
have those of the blue or even flurisy if you
didn't have your feet in your gum.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Now on muldoon and rolling, I haven't made a hit.
They're ruining the country more than just a bit. If
they keep on the way, they're gone we'll all be
in turned. So you'd better get hit your feet your
gum boots.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
But work for your gun boots. Where would jibby you'd
be in the hospital or infirmary? Could you would have
those of the blue or even flourisy? If you didn't
have your feet in your gum boot. Different were for
your comber. It's where would you by. It would be
in the hospital or infirmaries, do whatever those are, the
(40:08):
blue or even proversy, yelling your be, your God,
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