January 18, 2026 • 5 mins
The local Northland MP and dairy farmer updates on the flooding that is devastating his province.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Just getting used to driving this beast again. Another man
who's known to get confused on occasions as the National
Party Northland MP. I don't want to talk politics, though, Grant,
I want to talk. And I did see you on
Facebook or some social media channel with one of the
local mayors sending out weather warnings for Northland because we
(00:21):
know your electorate has been hammered. What's the latest?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yeah, and welcome back everybody. Good to see if finally
do some work, Jamie, you know you're as bad as
hosting on HOLI.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
No, no, no, no, Hosking was off for six weeks.
I was off for four. But I had, I like,
had a wedding on Wahiki Island. I might have said,
I could have could have seen that, doesn't the Prime
Minister live over there called around for a cover? Yeah? Anyhow,
and yet family business and talonga last week. So anyhow,
I'm back on deck and I'm not a good enough
(00:54):
golfer to retire, so you're stuck with me for at
least this year. Grant, hate well you retirement? No, well, now,
hang on, Grunt. I'm a bit like the government, the
coalition government were all might be out of a job.
Come to the end of the year when our contracts up.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
That's very true. Actually, my contracts are the people of Northland,
and so I actually do my best to representment and
hope they think I'm doing a good nut job. But
that'll be up to them. So what about the flooding
and now the flooding in actually it was quite a
major event for the small area. It hit just just
on the coast and authofron Array. There's a really they
got over town of Mills rain in some places and
(01:32):
I've heard up to two eighty and just overnight it
just abstlutely dumped down one of those sort of subtropical
just thunderstorms and went all night and really caused flipping,
like in some areas where they've got Virgin Bush still slipped.
Give you an idea of the amount of rain we
had and the damage. Some of the coastal communities were
(01:55):
camping and so forth, people got caught out, tents got
washed away. So thank one was hurt, but there's a
lot of road damage. Power is almost back on, but yeah,
and in a few one or two houses, and but
the community hall in Alakra, which I know that there
are very very well and it's a place actually that
your previous person on David Seymour's family's got a place
(02:18):
up there, and David and I both spoke at the
old Aqua Hall in the last electure campaign, which may
not be possible this time because the big slips come
down behind it.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So yeah, what is it about you politicians in Northland?
Hasn't Winston got a place up there where we see.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
It Fanaki, but south of Ikra, just north of Yes's
got a place up there as well, and as have
a number of others. It's a it's a place to be,
you know, it's a place to be. You've got to
realize that, Jamie. We're all moving north now.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
The worst of the weather hasn't finished moving north. In fact,
I think it's going to move south from the tropics.
There's yet another heavy rain warning for north.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
We've got more head and range warnings out tonight and
for the next couple of days. It's looking you're potentially
a lot more rain around. So I just urged people
to get prepared in case and make sure you've got
the bottle of water you've got to, you've got a generator,
make sure you've got a bit of diesel or whatever
you need or petrol to run it. And that's and
get your stocked to at a higher ground thankfully this
(03:21):
time of stars and will wear no stock losses. But
you know, farmers, because there was a little warning, some
were caught out a wee bit of stock on lower ground.
So just give that some thought. People really important.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You're a dairy farmer. When you're not the national MP
for Northland, I guess you can take drought off the
table at this stage of the season. Grant.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, it's unbelievable. I mean, I'm putting aside the extremness
of the of some of the rain. We've had a
great season so far, keeps raining. I've got a big
pile of silage that I haven't touched, which is unusual
this time year. We'll usually you know, we've been feeding
it out for up to a month. So yeah, it's
been quite a reasonable season for us. So but you know,
which we've got to take because next year could be
(04:03):
a drought. That's farming as we all know. Jamie, what
are you going to do?
Speaker 1 (04:06):
You supply Fontira, don't you?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
What are you going to do with your two dollars
per share capital repayment.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Now Nowaday, that will be chelling. That will be chelling,
but there'll be a bit of debt paid off. I
think there'll be a bit of debt paid off, which
is a good thing. And we will work out. We've
got some other things on the farm we want to do,
you know, because we farmers, we like spending money to
help make your farms more productive. So we've got a
few ideas there. But don't worry, Jamie, I won't won't
(04:34):
be doing anything too outlandish with it.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
No, Okay, final one for you, And I know you're
going to duck for cover, but I've got to ask
you because the state of the nation from are your
prime Minister, your glorious leader is at one? Yeah, I mean,
what's thirty five minutes amongst friends, grant what's in us?
We know that we know there's not an election date,
we know that's not in it, and we also know
(04:57):
that we're going to tip toe around Trump.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, all I know is this, Jamie is the humble
MP for Northland if I wish to remain in that
illustrious role. But best not to go spilling the beans
beforehand because that would not go down well. But what
I do know is the Boss will be focusing on
very much fixing the basics and building the future, which
is what our focuses this year, because we've got a
(05:22):
good story to tell how we're turning this economy around
slowly after we hear it of the mess from the
last light, and we're.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Starting to sound like like some to get you want
to get the barnacles off the boat, to get the
car out of the bitch. Let me be clear about this, Grant.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yes, exactly, exactly. Those are good guys.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
You've been listening, Yes, I have been all right. Thank you,
thanks for your time, and good luck to all the
folk and Northland, especially the farmers. Yeah right, Grant McCallum,
Northland dairy farmer and the local MP as well.
Just getting used to driving this beast again. Another man
who's known to get confused on occasions as the National
Party Northland MP. I don't want to talk politics, though, Grant,
I want to talk. And I did see you on
Facebook or some social media channel with one of the
local mayors sending out weather warnings for Northland because we
(00:21):
know your electorate has been hammered. What's the latest?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yeah, and welcome back everybody. Good to see if finally
do some work, Jamie, you know you're as bad as
hosting on HOLI.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
No, no, no, no, Hosking was off for six weeks.
I was off for four. But I had, I like,
had a wedding on Wahiki Island. I might have said,
I could have could have seen that, doesn't the Prime
Minister live over there called around for a cover? Yeah? Anyhow,
and yet family business and talonga last week. So anyhow,
I'm back on deck and I'm not a good enough
(00:54):
golfer to retire, so you're stuck with me for at
least this year. Grant, hate well you retirement? No, well, now,
hang on, Grunt. I'm a bit like the government, the
coalition government were all might be out of a job.
Come to the end of the year when our contracts up.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
That's very true. Actually, my contracts are the people of Northland,
and so I actually do my best to representment and
hope they think I'm doing a good nut job. But
that'll be up to them. So what about the flooding
and now the flooding in actually it was quite a
major event for the small area. It hit just just
on the coast and authofron Array. There's a really they
got over town of Mills rain in some places and
(01:32):
I've heard up to two eighty and just overnight it
just abstlutely dumped down one of those sort of subtropical
just thunderstorms and went all night and really caused flipping,
like in some areas where they've got Virgin Bush still slipped.
Give you an idea of the amount of rain we
had and the damage. Some of the coastal communities were
(01:55):
camping and so forth, people got caught out, tents got
washed away. So thank one was hurt, but there's a
lot of road damage. Power is almost back on, but yeah,
and in a few one or two houses, and but
the community hall in Alakra, which I know that there
are very very well and it's a place actually that
your previous person on David Seymour's family's got a place
(02:18):
up there, and David and I both spoke at the
old Aqua Hall in the last electure campaign, which may
not be possible this time because the big slips come
down behind it.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So yeah, what is it about you politicians in Northland?
Hasn't Winston got a place up there where we see.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
It Fanaki, but south of Ikra, just north of Yes's
got a place up there as well, and as have
a number of others. It's a it's a place to be,
you know, it's a place to be. You've got to
realize that, Jamie. We're all moving north now.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
The worst of the weather hasn't finished moving north. In fact,
I think it's going to move south from the tropics.
There's yet another heavy rain warning for north.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
We've got more head and range warnings out tonight and
for the next couple of days. It's looking you're potentially
a lot more rain around. So I just urged people
to get prepared in case and make sure you've got
the bottle of water you've got to, you've got a generator,
make sure you've got a bit of diesel or whatever
you need or petrol to run it. And that's and
get your stocked to at a higher ground thankfully this
(03:21):
time of stars and will wear no stock losses. But
you know, farmers, because there was a little warning, some
were caught out a wee bit of stock on lower ground.
So just give that some thought. People really important.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You're a dairy farmer. When you're not the national MP
for Northland, I guess you can take drought off the
table at this stage of the season. Grant.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yeah, it's unbelievable. I mean, I'm putting aside the extremness
of the of some of the rain. We've had a
great season so far, keeps raining. I've got a big
pile of silage that I haven't touched, which is unusual
this time year. We'll usually you know, we've been feeding
it out for up to a month. So yeah, it's
been quite a reasonable season for us. So but you know,
which we've got to take because next year could be
(04:03):
a drought. That's farming as we all know. Jamie, what
are you going to do?
Speaker 1 (04:06):
You supply Fontira, don't you?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
What are you going to do with your two dollars
per share capital repayment.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Now Nowaday, that will be chelling. That will be chelling,
but there'll be a bit of debt paid off. I
think there'll be a bit of debt paid off, which
is a good thing. And we will work out. We've
got some other things on the farm we want to do,
you know, because we farmers, we like spending money to
help make your farms more productive. So we've got a
few ideas there. But don't worry, Jamie, I won't won't
(04:34):
be doing anything too outlandish with it.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
No, Okay, final one for you, And I know you're
going to duck for cover, but I've got to ask
you because the state of the nation from are your
prime Minister, your glorious leader is at one? Yeah, I mean,
what's thirty five minutes amongst friends, grant what's in us?
We know that we know there's not an election date,
we know that's not in it, and we also know
(04:57):
that we're going to tip toe around Trump.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Well, all I know is this, Jamie is the humble
MP for Northland if I wish to remain in that
illustrious role. But best not to go spilling the beans
beforehand because that would not go down well. But what
I do know is the Boss will be focusing on
very much fixing the basics and building the future, which
is what our focuses this year, because we've got a
(05:22):
good story to tell how we're turning this economy around
slowly after we hear it of the mess from the
last light, and we're.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Starting to sound like like some to get you want
to get the barnacles off the boat, to get the
car out of the bitch. Let me be clear about this, Grant.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yes, exactly, exactly. Those are good guys.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
You've been listening, Yes, I have been all right. Thank you,
thanks for your time, and good luck to all the
folk and Northland, especially the farmers. Yeah right, Grant McCallum,
Northland dairy farmer and the local MP as well.
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