July 20, 2026 • 8 mins
In the absence of a sick Jo Luxton (and some Labour ag policy), the gloves come off with the trade spokesman and former Minister of Agriculture. Today we debate the RMA changes, the Indian FTA and wool.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the country. Let's welcome on to the show.
Daddy cool. Can I call him that? Labour's trades folks person,
Damien Okonnor, you are kind of.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I just seen you ever?
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Were you kind of supping from the fountain of youth there,
Damien running gallivanting around the country on your motorbike in
fact you Let's just give a shameless plug out for
the good folk at Omoru Honda.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, they were great. I called him there yesterday, door
knocking around Omoru and it was great. Called him there.
Always motorbike shops always attractive. We've just seeing what's going on.
They've had a good year. Obviously the money to coming
into farming sectors helped them, and so good on them.
And I like, I've got Red bikes, so I've always
got to support someone with red.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well, my favorite Honda shop is you and Alan Honda,
but I'm a bit biased on that one. Radio Now,
Joe Luxton was going to be on the show today.
You're Eggs spokesperson. She well, she's sick. I think she
pulled her sicky because she's just afraid to come on
on the show. Because every time poor old Joe comes
on I badge her about some ag policy.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
You're such a nasty person at times, Jamie. I really
am disappointed. She's probably exhausted from driving around and around
the East Coast electored up here. I know she's doing
a great job campaigning and it probably is exhausted and
needs to take a day off. So you should offer
some sympathy, not kind of get into her. And we're
just following what was the last kind of National Party
approach to delete up the election, which was have no policy.
(01:30):
We're not doing that. We have some but we're going
to bring it out as we finalize it and as
a process underway. So hold your breath.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Well, we're what July now November election? Is it about time?
If you're serious about getting any rural votes. And I
don't know whether you are, Damien, I think you might
have given up the ghost on that one. But if
you're serious about getting some rural votes, get your policy
out there, tell the people what you stand for.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I know that some of the good ideas that we have,
we've been discussing it with people around the sectors, and
some of the leaked out and other parties will all
gobblows up. I know National tried to rush out with
their solar panel policy, which they put together in a hurry.
We've rolled out a better one, one that we've taken
up by more people, more affordable, and will make a
real difference to electricity prices. So you know, there is
(02:17):
a risk that we put out our good ideas, and
of course others try and coffee. That's, I guess good.
But we think it's actually better that we win and
get in and change.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Well, here's an idea for your Damien. What about a
bit of bipartisan politics. If you and National agree on
your solar panel policy, just get it through, support each
other to get it through. Hello, Damien, Damien, Earth the Damien?
Where's he gone? Let me just get away bit of
(02:49):
daddy call for you? And then Jamie, oh you've got
you now. I was going to have to play some
So what happened there, Well, I don't know what happened.
I think that while no no, I just policies, no no,
I just think you would ducking for cover because you
didn't have an answer.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
So I'm not sure what happened with my phone yet
that actually National are the ones that pull out of
any bipartisan deals, and quite frankly, we can go back
to a superannuation accord that we had in the nineties
day were long gone. When the pressure comes on, they
take off. And so it's a great theory, and I
know New Zealanders talk about it, but when you have
(03:24):
parties that don't hold to their agreements, it's really hard
to kind of pretend that they will do in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Hey, I know you didn't hear Cameron Bagray who was
on kicking off the show. He gave a really interesting
or gave some really interesting commentary on the political scene
in New Zealand as it stands at the moment. He said,
you know, Labor and National together barely makes sixty percent,
and we're getting these not extreme parties, but parties either
side of the centrist parties. And he used the example
(03:53):
of Top attracting young people, Winston obviously attracting the boomers.
So this election is really going to be decided not
by the two main parties, Damien, but by the periphery parties.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I guess if you go back to first place, the
post people thought it was the tyranny of the majority,
that is that the winner takes all. You know, Now
we've got to a point where it's the tyranny of
the minority. And so we've got some of these smaller parties.
Unless you negotiate a really solid coalition agreement, the small
parties just run rings around the major parties. And we
haven't thankfully been in that situation. We've been in coalitions.
(04:29):
But it is really important that people vote for the
major parties if they want the major parties to take control.
If you want a small percentage of a population having
a disproportionate say, then I vote for the minor parties
and we take the risk with the future of museum
and doing so.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Hey, Federated Farmers is claiming victory over its decision to
stop some of these RMA reforms getting rushed through with Ee,
what do you make of that? And we don't need
to talk about it for too long because I am
going to chat Sandra Faulkner from Federated Farmers about it.
Is it a victory for Federated Farmers? More importantly, is
it a victory for common sense?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Daymien O'Connor, Well, I see, fed Farmers have to be
careful what they ask for because sometimes and there are
many examples where it's been short termism and it's been
stupid and we have to have a robust and healthy,
progressive partnership with EWE across this country. And in terms
of resource areas around land management, around protection and biodiversity
(05:29):
and stuff like that and water quality, we should be
working with EWEI and most of them are really solid.
They have a long term vision, They share our aspirations
for a better New Zealand. Trying to shut them out
is really dumb because at some point, you know, they
will take up with us the illegal reponsibility and their
legal obligation and that is to implement, you know, what
(05:51):
was laid down in the treaty, implement the partnership that
we have as a country. It's something we should celebrate,
not try and jump away from or jump back from
at every opportunity.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Hey, you just want to quickly touch on the Indian
FTA and wall are you having a crack at Mark Patterson,
New Zealand's first Minister of not Minister of War. There
will spokesperst and I reckon he's doing a good job Mark,
but he was over in India And is that a
bit two faced, a bit duplicitous from New zealand first.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
On New Zealand First. You know, one of the big
exports to India is coal and Jones's championing their mining industry,
and the other has been will the potential for wall
and Mark's been over there trying to do a good job.
So I'm acknowledging you know, what he's been doing is
good and progressive. But why take a stupid position of
objecting to an to the STA. It's not perfect, it's
(06:40):
not what we would negotiate it. It's a pretty solid
step forward and we've acknowledged that is labor. But New
Zealand First don't know what they want for our relationship internationally,
and I have to say that, you know, one point
four billion people is a lot. There is a huge
amount of opportunity. We have to be careful in how
we manage that, protect our IP, make sure we've gone
(07:02):
good partnerships and somehow encourage a few people to invest
in India otherwise it might be unraveled. But on balance,
New Zealand First can't have their taking edit too. They
either want relationships with India or did I.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Now I'm with you on that one. Hate Do you
realize you accidentally came up with some egg policy there
supporting the Indian FDA. Could we loosely call that agg policy?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Well, if you could go back to the UK, to
the EU if free trade agreements, CPTPP Labor has done
a huge amount to negotiate access for our exporters and
we will continue to do so. The list that National
put out there was just a continuation. It was hardly
rocket science, and of course we will continue to do
our bit for exporters.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Just imagine what a sensible government you could be without
the Greens and Tapati Murray.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Well, you know, there's some issues that we have to
be reminded of. We have had healthy coalitions with them
in the past and we will do in the future.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
You watch this space, Damien O'Connor aka Daddy call here
on the country. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Hops.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I don't know where Damien's gone anyhow, having some trouble
with his phone.
Welcome back to the country. Let's welcome on to the show.
Daddy cool. Can I call him that? Labour's trades folks person,
Damien Okonnor, you are kind of.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I just seen you ever?
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Were you kind of supping from the fountain of youth there,
Damien running gallivanting around the country on your motorbike in
fact you Let's just give a shameless plug out for
the good folk at Omoru Honda.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, they were great. I called him there yesterday, door
knocking around Omoru and it was great. Called him there.
Always motorbike shops always attractive. We've just seeing what's going on.
They've had a good year. Obviously the money to coming
into farming sectors helped them, and so good on them.
And I like, I've got Red bikes, so I've always
got to support someone with red.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well, my favorite Honda shop is you and Alan Honda,
but I'm a bit biased on that one. Radio Now,
Joe Luxton was going to be on the show today.
You're Eggs spokesperson. She well, she's sick. I think she
pulled her sicky because she's just afraid to come on
on the show. Because every time poor old Joe comes
on I badge her about some ag policy.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
You're such a nasty person at times, Jamie. I really
am disappointed. She's probably exhausted from driving around and around
the East Coast electored up here. I know she's doing
a great job campaigning and it probably is exhausted and
needs to take a day off. So you should offer
some sympathy, not kind of get into her. And we're
just following what was the last kind of National Party
approach to delete up the election, which was have no policy.
(01:30):
We're not doing that. We have some but we're going
to bring it out as we finalize it and as
a process underway. So hold your breath.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Well, we're what July now November election? Is it about time?
If you're serious about getting any rural votes. And I
don't know whether you are, Damien, I think you might
have given up the ghost on that one. But if
you're serious about getting some rural votes, get your policy
out there, tell the people what you stand for.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I know that some of the good ideas that we have,
we've been discussing it with people around the sectors, and
some of the leaked out and other parties will all
gobblows up. I know National tried to rush out with
their solar panel policy, which they put together in a hurry.
We've rolled out a better one, one that we've taken
up by more people, more affordable, and will make a
real difference to electricity prices. So you know, there is
(02:17):
a risk that we put out our good ideas, and
of course others try and coffee. That's, I guess good.
But we think it's actually better that we win and
get in and change.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Well, here's an idea for your Damien. What about a
bit of bipartisan politics. If you and National agree on
your solar panel policy, just get it through, support each
other to get it through. Hello, Damien, Damien, Earth the Damien?
Where's he gone? Let me just get away bit of
(02:49):
daddy call for you? And then Jamie, oh you've got
you now. I was going to have to play some
So what happened there, Well, I don't know what happened.
I think that while no no, I just policies, no no,
I just think you would ducking for cover because you
didn't have an answer.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
So I'm not sure what happened with my phone yet
that actually National are the ones that pull out of
any bipartisan deals, and quite frankly, we can go back
to a superannuation accord that we had in the nineties
day were long gone. When the pressure comes on, they
take off. And so it's a great theory, and I
know New Zealanders talk about it, but when you have
(03:24):
parties that don't hold to their agreements, it's really hard
to kind of pretend that they will do in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Hey, I know you didn't hear Cameron Bagray who was
on kicking off the show. He gave a really interesting
or gave some really interesting commentary on the political scene
in New Zealand as it stands at the moment. He said,
you know, Labor and National together barely makes sixty percent,
and we're getting these not extreme parties, but parties either
side of the centrist parties. And he used the example
(03:53):
of Top attracting young people, Winston obviously attracting the boomers.
So this election is really going to be decided not
by the two main parties, Damien, but by the periphery parties.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I guess if you go back to first place, the
post people thought it was the tyranny of the majority,
that is that the winner takes all. You know, Now
we've got to a point where it's the tyranny of
the minority. And so we've got some of these smaller parties.
Unless you negotiate a really solid coalition agreement, the small
parties just run rings around the major parties. And we
haven't thankfully been in that situation. We've been in coalitions.
(04:29):
But it is really important that people vote for the
major parties if they want the major parties to take control.
If you want a small percentage of a population having
a disproportionate say, then I vote for the minor parties
and we take the risk with the future of museum
and doing so.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Hey, Federated Farmers is claiming victory over its decision to
stop some of these RMA reforms getting rushed through with Ee,
what do you make of that? And we don't need
to talk about it for too long because I am
going to chat Sandra Faulkner from Federated Farmers about it.
Is it a victory for Federated Farmers? More importantly, is
it a victory for common sense?
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Daymien O'Connor, Well, I see, fed Farmers have to be
careful what they ask for because sometimes and there are
many examples where it's been short termism and it's been
stupid and we have to have a robust and healthy,
progressive partnership with EWE across this country. And in terms
of resource areas around land management, around protection and biodiversity
(05:29):
and stuff like that and water quality, we should be
working with EWEI and most of them are really solid.
They have a long term vision, They share our aspirations
for a better New Zealand. Trying to shut them out
is really dumb because at some point, you know, they
will take up with us the illegal reponsibility and their
legal obligation and that is to implement, you know, what
(05:51):
was laid down in the treaty, implement the partnership that
we have as a country. It's something we should celebrate,
not try and jump away from or jump back from
at every opportunity.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Hey, you just want to quickly touch on the Indian
FTA and wall are you having a crack at Mark Patterson,
New Zealand's first Minister of not Minister of War. There
will spokesperst and I reckon he's doing a good job Mark,
but he was over in India And is that a
bit two faced, a bit duplicitous from New zealand first.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
On New Zealand First. You know, one of the big
exports to India is coal and Jones's championing their mining industry,
and the other has been will the potential for wall
and Mark's been over there trying to do a good job.
So I'm acknowledging you know, what he's been doing is
good and progressive. But why take a stupid position of
objecting to an to the STA. It's not perfect, it's
(06:40):
not what we would negotiate it. It's a pretty solid
step forward and we've acknowledged that is labor. But New
Zealand First don't know what they want for our relationship internationally,
and I have to say that, you know, one point
four billion people is a lot. There is a huge
amount of opportunity. We have to be careful in how
we manage that, protect our IP, make sure we've gone
(07:02):
good partnerships and somehow encourage a few people to invest
in India otherwise it might be unraveled. But on balance,
New Zealand First can't have their taking edit too. They
either want relationships with India or did I.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Now I'm with you on that one. Hate Do you
realize you accidentally came up with some egg policy there
supporting the Indian FDA. Could we loosely call that agg policy?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Well, if you could go back to the UK, to
the EU if free trade agreements, CPTPP Labor has done
a huge amount to negotiate access for our exporters and
we will continue to do so. The list that National
put out there was just a continuation. It was hardly
rocket science, and of course we will continue to do
our bit for exporters.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Just imagine what a sensible government you could be without
the Greens and Tapati Murray.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Well, you know, there's some issues that we have to
be reminded of. We have had healthy coalitions with them
in the past and we will do in the future.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
You watch this space, Damien O'Connor aka Daddy call here
on the country. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Hops.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I don't know where Damien's gone anyhow, having some trouble
with his phone.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.