Groundswell protests, such as this one in central Wellington, took place nationwide on Thursday. Photo / Nick James
Groundswell protests, such as this one in central Wellington, took place nationwide on Thursday. Photo / Nick James
I was listening to the Farming Show on the radio.
The host was supporting the Groundswell protest and saying how unfair the Government's emission proposals were. Then he interviewed a correspondent in Australia in regard to the Victoria and NSW flooding disasters, which I would imagine have devastated many farms,stock and buildings. When similar disasters have occurred in NZ, the Government has stepped in to support the farmers' losses; many of those farmers [were] probably at the Groundswell protest.
My point being that climate change disasters are going to devastate farms and livelihoods, more so than any reduction in stock or planting of trees.
Jacinda Ardern and the Government are not the anti-farmers that some would have us believe. Just the opposite. Their aim is to protect farms from climate change disasters, so they are there for future generations.
My hope is that both sides can reach a meaningful, effective agreement.
From the time of its formation, the NZ Labour Party has harboured a deep resentment of farming and farmers.
When the Labour Party was formed there were reasons for this resentment - land holdings were large, and a class of landowners held attitudes to labouring people that in 2022 is more prevalent among the urban professional elite than they are amongst today's working farmers.
Notwithstanding this, the modern Labour Party continues to be anti-farming and has attacked farmers with unworkable regulations culminating in the imposition of a tax on greenhouse gas emissions that will impoverish not just NZ farmers but all New Zealanders.
In spite of considerable evidence to the contrary, Labour persists with the myth that agriculture is responsible for 50 per cent of NZ's CO2 and methane emissions.
The International Panel on Climate Change has recently stated NZ's constant methane emissions are overstated by a factor of 3 or 4.
Owen Jennings, in his recent opinion piece, asks why this new research is ignored by both the media and the Labour Party.
The Paris Agreement – which NZ signed - says food production should not suffer at the expense of any regulations seeking to mitigate climate change. Given that any food production displaced from NZ to another country will result in overall higher global greenhouse gas emissions, it becomes obvious the Labour-Green coalition decisions have been driven by emotion rather than reason.
RON FREW Ohakune
On daylight saving
One or the other, keeping on changing is just too much for everyone, town and country, young and old, children or not ...
