March 28, 2025 • 40 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Conor English, Claire Taylor, Greer Paterson, Christopher Luxon, and Graham Mourie.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The best of the country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
And again Jeff Belsade ahead give switched to.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Ooh, Gooday and good Morning New Zealand. My name's Jamie McKay.
This is the best of the country here on news
Talk sai'd be brought to you each and every Saturday
morning by a Rabobank. We're growing a better New Zealand.
Together we play the best bits of our weekdays show
twelve to one. This is Bob Goudoff, Sir Bob Goudoff,
these days from the boomtown rats in Auckland last night,
(00:37):
Wellington tonight. Enjoy his show. If you're heading along there,
we've got a show to get on with. Earlier in
the week, I caught up with Connor English, younger brother
of former Prime Minister Bill English, former chief executive of
Federated Farmers. Connor was our former advisor to the Reserve Bank.
Had some really interesting comments to make on Trump and
(00:57):
Tariff's Thursday our time. We'll find out what he's up to.
Claire Taylor, Scottish, Ozzie Farmer Nuffield Scholar. We welcome her
back to the show. She is bright and bubbly, as
is Grehare Patterson at Chatham Island's Farming correspondent. Grere is
a teacher, a farmer and a fencer, you know as
in building fences. We talked about some of the challenges
(01:18):
of living and farming and our furthest outpost. We're going
to wrap it with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and former
All Blacks Captain Graham Murray. It's the best of the
country and it's brought to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
The best of the country with Ravobank, choose the bank
for a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Ravo Bank boxer Mike Tyson famously said everyone has a
plan until they get punched in the face. So writes
Connor English. Of course, Connor is the younger brother of
Sir William. He's a former chief executive of Federated Farmers,
got Hiss and many many business pies. Connor, I never
had you down for a Trump t tariff fan.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Well, I'm not a Trump terror plan fan, but I'm
intrigued about what the new president is attempting to do
along with his Cabinet, which is effectively a big tax tax,
which from reducing income tax and increasing tariff taxes effectively,
because they've got.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
A big problem over there. They've got dead of thirty
six trillion, their GDP's only twenty nine trillion, and they're
running deficits of two trillion on expenditure of six and
a half trillion and only four point five trillion revenue.
So they're looking to get the revenue up for the
country and they're looking to reduce costs. So that's why
(02:51):
they've got Elon Musk on the dodge trying to get
rid of a trillion dollars of what he calls waste,
fraud and abuse. And they've got Howard looking on external revenue,
trying to get revenue up from tariffs and selling what
they called a trump card, which.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Is but connor English. Aren't you arguing against yourself?
Speaker 6 (03:09):
There?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I read a really interesting column you'd written in the Listener,
and you went back nearly one hundred years ago, nearly
a century ago to nineteen thirty. President Hoover introduced tariffs
under this Smoot Hawley Tariff Act of nineteen thirty, and
it was a disaster for the US economy.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
It was an absolute disaster. And that just shows you
the risk that the new administration in America is taking
on the Trump on the tariffs, and the issue there
is that when they did increase tariffs on over twenty
thousand items, other countries did punch back. And the big
(03:49):
what happened there was that imports did for sixty six percent,
from four point four billion the nineteen twenty nine to
only one and a half billion in nineteen thirty three.
So you think, okay, well that's good. We haven't got
imports coming in. There must be more jobs for Americans.
But unfortunately, other countries decided not to buy the exports
from America, and so exports dropped from five point four
(04:13):
billion down to two point one So I dropped another
sixty percent, and GMP haved and so unemployment went from
eight percent to nineteen thirty to twenty five percent of
nineteen thirty three.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Mind you, Connor, let me hang on, Connor, Let's just
temper this because we did have a great recession during
that period.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Well you had the Smoothhawley Act was implemented partly in
response to the Shoemaker crash of nineteen twenty nine, but
after that sar market crash, they still only had five
percent unemployment at nineteen thirty, So it took another three
years of those tariffs. And when you can't sell your
goods to other countries, you don't need factories with workers.
(04:55):
And the challenge for the Donald Trump and his administer
now as for that not to be repeated.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Okay, apologies, I said the Great recession. I meant the
Great depression. But here's a question for you. Let's fast
forward a century to where Trump is at the moment
and how he's affecting the world. Is his cure worse
than the disease.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
Well, he's looking at it from a point of view
of America, and he's making an assumption that trade flows well,
I think he's making an assumption that trade flows will
be similar to what they are now. And he's looking
at it as tariff as a revenue owner. And what
people may have forgotten is that tariffs came in in
America in about seventeen eighty nine or something like that.
(05:41):
In New Zealand eighteen forty, and it was a very
legitimate way of getting revenue for a government. And then
we brought an income tax fifty years later. And he's
just looking to reverse that so that you get the
advantages of Ireland for a light from a low taxation
regime as he sees it, and you know, you get
the rest of the world to pay in tariffs to
(06:03):
fund the rest of your government activities in the United States.
So it's a massive punt and a lot of risk,
and we're going to find out how it goes.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
What are you expecting to happen on April the second.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Well, I think the administration is signal that it's going
to tell a whole lot of countries that they're going
to be paying tariffs. And you know, New Zealand is hoping,
of course, that we get an exemption. And when you
look at our trade with America, our our second biggest
trading partner now with about twenty five billion New Zealand
dollars in trade, about half and half roughly of imports
(06:40):
and exports, we are running a deficit of about three
and a half billion. As fair goal is about revenue
and raising revenue for America, it is hard to see
how we would get an exemption if that's their strategy.
So I'm expecting they're going to tell a lot of
countries that they're going to start paying.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
That's bad news for us. We're a free trade nation.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Yeah, I mean there is a possibility that we could
get an exemption. I mean, we have low levels of
tariffs and President Trump's articulated a lot about reciprocity. You know,
other countries charging higher tariffs on American goods than Americans
charge on their goods and that's unfear Well, that can't
be said about New Zealand. So if he's walking on
(07:26):
the fairness strategy, we could get an exemption that. If
he's working on just getting revenue up, that might not
be the case. So you know, we've got a lot
of primary goods there, you know, two point two about
two and a half billion of meat and one point
two billion of dairy and eight and a million of
wine or something like that. You know, you throw twenty
(07:47):
five percent terrify on that, that's well over a billion
dollars that is going to come out of the pockets
of New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Well, we will eagerly a white what he has to say.
On April the second, Connor English have been really interested
in what you had to say. As Mike Tyson said,
everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
I love it great from your rugby days.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Of course, Jamie, I stood.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Out the back well away from that. I fired the verbals,
not the punchers. See you later, Connor, see you good morning.
My name is Jamie mckaye. Ignore what Connor English had
to say talking about rugby. We've got a famous all
black captain to wrap the show, Graham Murray. We've got
the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxen. But up next on the
(08:32):
Best of the Country, brought to you by Rabobank, as
we paid tribute to Sabob Galdoff. Couple of bright and
breezy young women, Clear Taylor and Grea Patterson. You're going
to love them. And no old buddy's gone a Dardistan
today she's gone to me.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank, the bank with
local agri banking experts passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Rabobank great to welcome back to the country our favorite
Scottish Ozzie farmer slash nuffield scholar, in the form of
Clear Taylor. Cleaiar Taylor. We last caught up with you
in August of last year. You were in the studios
here in Dunedin in March of last year. I think
that you are completing or about to complete, the longest
Nuffield scholarship in the history of Nouffield scholarships.
Speaker 7 (09:19):
Clear, Hi, Jamie, screat you back on the program. I am.
Last time you spoke to me, I was visiting Australia,
and now I've moved to Australia and I'm at the
final stages of my nus Field report was to on
hold slightly as I moved continents, I moved to different hemispheres,
but yeah, I'm getting to the end of it now,
so it's yeah, the end is in sight.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Well, I played a wee bit of wet wet wet
lovers all around into you clear here today, and that's
what brought you to Australia. Love with a guy. By that,
I am of Mitch Hyatt, who's a former Xander McDonald
Reward winner and you and you can thank Shane mcmanaway,
the matchmaker.
Speaker 7 (10:00):
And I laughed about it because I think it was
just before I went to Australia where I met Mitch.
I'd been on your program, Jamie and having everybody been
warning me in New Zealand that I wasn't to meet
an Aussie farmer. I was to marry a Kiwi farmer.
So that made me laugh. So I think it was
day two of Australia. I accidentally was introduced to Mitch
and here I am over here later living here. So
things have definitely changed now.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Your not Field scholarship was based around turning the tide
on the anti farming agenda. Gee, I'll tell you what.
You're a Aussie Nell Clay, but I think your home country,
Scotland needs you the why Sirkaia Stamer is going tough
times at home.
Speaker 7 (10:38):
Yeah, it's been really difficult watching and speaking to people
at home. I mean, just to give your listeners a
bit of a summary. They they haven't really got the
background on it. Last Majune we had the Labor Government
come into was elected into parliament for the UK, we
have a conservative government in for many years. Labor Government
came in and when their first buddy came out in
(11:00):
the in the October, they basically announced that they were
going to lift inheritance tax relief for farmers and this
sent absolute shockwaves throughout the whole of the United Kingdom
because they set the limit at a million pounds, so
any property that was worth the value over a million
would have to find twenty percent to pay back. But
(11:21):
the problem is in the UK farmers are they're very
sort of low in cash flow, but they're sitting on
land assets are high in value. And it's just sent
shockways because family farms, who are they're sitting on you know,
profit margins zero point five one percent. There's no way
they had the castle to pay this off and it's
really sparked this upset about could this be the end
(11:42):
of family farming, which is why we're seeing protests around
the country. I mean these have been going off now
since November. I was there in November, I went to
some of the pro well protests, rallies. It's been all
sorts of things happening. But this has continued right into March.
There was one only last week. So yeah, a lot
of concern in Scotland right now.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Tell me about that, Yeah, tell me about the new
business you've set up in Australia, but you're looking for
business here in New Zealand as well, and no doubt
Beck in the UK, I'll give you a shimeless plug.
Clay Tayler.
Speaker 7 (12:14):
Yeah, so off the back of my scholarship, I wanted
to put my learning into practice and you said there, Jamie,
that I've been looking at how do we turn the
tide an anti farming sentiment, and a lot of that
has been about how can we help farmers, how can
you help different individuals, businesses, organizations better respond to growing
scrutiny because you've just given the example there, the UK
scrutiny is growing and farming and my business is all
(12:37):
about basically looking at how we're communicating and how we're
advocating it. So it's advocacy consulting is what I've called it,
and it's going to be looking at really amplifying the
voice of agriculture more positively, and there's various things I'm
doing as part of that. I basically want to help
farmers really get out with echo chambers and build relationships,
build social license and put them on the front foot
(13:00):
because I do think farming right around the world is
under the cost. And yes, I've moved from Scotland to Australia,
but since I've been doing my scholarship, I've been so
passionate about what's happening around the world and farming. We
often get into the doorstep, don't weave in our own country.
But really it's much bigger than that. We've got to
think more collaboratively globally, so that's why it's going to
be all about how can I work with different countries.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Hell's you? And you know, A final question for you
in Orange with the love of your life now, Mitch
Hyatt AlSi farmer you've been. You've been pretty draw and
inline New South Wales.
Speaker 7 (13:34):
Yeah, we've been really struggling. I mean I've been here
ten weeks and I think I can count in two
hands how many times it's rained. So you can imagine
what a shock that is coming from Scotland, especially where
I live in the West Coast, which it's just rain
almost every day. But yeah, we had a bit of
rain recently. I'm staying here in a beautiful place called
Orange for about four hours west of Sydney. It's a
(13:54):
cool climate, bit of similarity to Scotland. We're pretty famous
here for our cells, doors or wayne or cherries, some
beautiful cattle production, so there's part that it does still
feel lake home. And yeah, Mitch has been great moving
here and he's got fantastic business of being able to
learn more about that has been Yeah, it's been a
wonderful experience so far.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Well, Claire Taylor has been great to catch up. Look
forward to your final publication of your Nuffield Scholarship around
turning the tide on the anti farming agenda. Don't be
a stranger. Good luck with your new life.
Speaker 7 (14:25):
Thanks Jamie, Take care.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
The best of the country with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
First time on the country with me anyhow. For Grea
Patterson at Chatham Islands Farming correspondent, Grea, good afternoon, welcome
to the show. I know you chatted to Rowena before,
but just remind me because this is the first time
I've chatted to you. How did you end up? How
did a Roxburgh girl end up on the Chatham Islands.
Speaker 8 (14:54):
Yeah, I came over a number of years ago actually
with an ex partner of mine for a I'm job
and I took a job at the local school at
Johnny School, teaching and yeah, long story short, he left
and I stayed and fell in love with the Chadam
Islander and here I am today. Seven years later with
a young family and a business here.
Speaker 9 (15:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Now your business is a fencing contractor, I reckon that
would be a pretty good business on the Chatham Islands
because all the wires would rust.
Speaker 8 (15:24):
Yes, yeah, yeah, you get about seven years out of
the wire on a fence here, so there's definitely a
bit of maintenance. And we definitely get some great contracts
through the Department of Conservation and other big farms and
organizations here for fifteen for conservation purposes, things like the
billion Trees projects. So yeah, it's busy, We're busy, busy.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, you're also very multi skilled you right, for the
Shepherdess magazine, which is a wonderful publication by the way.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Grier, thank you.
Speaker 8 (15:57):
Yeah, it's an amazing team to be a part of.
Celebrated us this anniversary. Actually, yeah, it's a great magazine
to be a part of. Amazing that I can work
for sites from over here, and yeah, I love love
the work I do with them, and love love the
publication and what it does for women and women on
the land.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
How was connectivity on the Channel Islands?
Speaker 8 (16:21):
Well, actually, it's come a long way since I first
came seven years ago. When I first arrived, we had
no cell coverage on the island, and where I was
living was quite far down the south coast, and we
didn't actually have internet access either, and you could get
into met but it was a stupid amount to get
it there, and it cost about three hundred dollars a
month to have it going if it was even working.
(16:43):
So since then we've had the cell towers installed here,
so that's been a real game changer for people. It's
meant that, you know, we can actually use cell phones
to call people when they're working. And the starlink has
actually also been a real game changer here for the
most households and businesses have got starlink now and Anternet
is really reliable here now, so it's come a long way,
(17:06):
even in the seven years I've been here.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, I haven't been to the Chatham Islands. I missed
out on the early eighties because I was too young
to go with our local rugby team. I'm very disappointed
about that. It is on my bucket list. I understand
it's mainly sheep and beef farms on the island, but
I'm assuming Grea Pattison that there must be a dairy farm.
I mean, you're not going to bring all your milk
over from the mainland.
Speaker 8 (17:26):
Yeah, actually we do. There's no no dairy here. There
is a few people that have got their own house cows,
but yeah, all of our milk either comes and buy
boat or plane. I buy the old UHT, the Long
Life milk and boxes the twelve and yeah, if you
can buy a bottle of fresh milk at the shop,
I think it's about fourteen dollars for a two liter
(17:48):
if you want to splash out, but otherwise it's here
the Long Life on the sp.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Well, I hang on, Grea, isn't that a business opportunity
for you, an entrepreneur like yourself? Why don't you startup
or we dairy farm a boutique milk that's the word.
Speaker 8 (18:01):
Definitely, Yeah, definitely an opportunity there. Maybe when I find
the time.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
You're very busy, As I said, let's just finish on.
We talked about connectivity. What about sustainability in terms of
your energy on Stuart Island. I know Stuart Island, let
me correct myself, Chatham Islands. Stuart Island's a beautiful place
to go to as well, but in terms you're very
dependent once again on diesel supplies from the mainland. Can
(18:27):
you be self sufficient and energy?
Speaker 8 (18:30):
Yeah, so, I think that's probably one of the exciting
things happening on island at the moment is the installation
of the windmills. So we've got two of them going
in at the moment down the south coast and along
with the batteries of not one hundred percent sure on
the details of how they work, but that will make
(18:51):
our islands a lot less reliant on the diesel generators.
So currently everything on island, if you're hooked up to power,
you're relying on the diesel generators, and not only is
that not sustainable, but it's also very expensive. I think
we pay the most pro units in the world apparently,
So it'll be the wind will be amazing and that
(19:13):
it is a renewable energy source, but also it is
going to reduce and pabbles quite significantly over the course
of a year, which is very exciting for locals as well.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Hey Greer Patterson, it's been lovely to catch up with
you for the first time. I think we'll keep you
on your good talent. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 8 (19:29):
Thanks so much, Jamie, have a good one.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
The best of the country. With Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Choose the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Good morning, New Zealand. I'm Jamie Mackay. Thanks for joining
me this morning for the Best of the Country. It's
brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing a better New
Zealand together. Subob goudofs in Town. So we're playing songs
from his live aid concerts held simultaneously on the thirteenth
of July nineteen eighty five, that's forty years ago in
(20:04):
JFK Stadium in Philadelphia and of course Wembley Stadium where
it all kicked off in London. Star started lineup both
sides of the Atlantic. One guy, This guy, Phil Collins
played at both venues that as London gig jumped onto
the concord played again in Philadelphia. Amazing. Up next on
the Best of the Country Christoph Luxen, Prime Minister, just
(20:27):
back from India. And Graham Murray former All Blacks captain
paying tribute to Gris Wiley and talking about the Q
two National Trust. Now talking about Rabobank. This is a
great primo. Entries are open now for the Rabobank Community
Hub competition. It's running for the first time this year,
the competition provides entrance with a chance to win five
(20:47):
thousand dollars to go towards the improvement of their rural
community hall, club rooms or marai. Twenty winners will be
selected from across the country who will each receive five
k of funding to help upgrade their rural commune y hub.
So all you need to do to enter is go
to the Rabobank website rabobank dot co dot Nz. Entries
close on Monday up next to the Prime Minister.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
The best of the Country with Rabobank, the bank with
local acribanking experts passionate about the future of rural communities Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Wednesdays on the Country. The Prime Minister kicks off the show.
I ring him at quarter to eight religiously this morning.
This is obviously a pre record. He was running late,
so I just started reading the Herald website and there
was a story on Winston Peter's health and his diet.
I went to phone up the Prime Minister at eight
o'clock as instructed, I phoned the wrong number. I had
(21:44):
Winston on my mind. I got him. I had to
apologize Prime Minister for ringing the Deputy Prime Minister. But
I'm very impressed. I'm very impressed by Winston's diet. How's yours.
Speaker 10 (21:57):
It's a constant struggle with tayweight giving you got so
much on. But Winston is really decent, really really good
at it, and he's very disciplined, so you know, he's
got a limited number of desserts he has. He's in
great shape, so he's managed it very well well.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
He puts it down to a decision he made on
the fifth of June nineteen eighty. Some of his fellow
politicians their waistcoats, wist coats were bursting at the scene,
so he thought, I'm not going to do that. So
I'm going to eat lots of fish, protein, lots of veggies,
get rid of the carbohydrates. He doesn't mention in this
story written by I think Audrey Young and the Herald
(22:33):
the Whiskey though.
Speaker 10 (22:36):
All the smoke he's doing it. Whatever he's doing, it's
suddenly working so done. He's managed it really well, and
he's got a big travel schedule he's got. Parliament's not
the easiest place to throw and get food at the
right times and to manage.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
All of that.
Speaker 10 (22:49):
So they say every year he had five kg's But yeah,
it's a continent battle. But now he's a great example.
But more important, he's been out in the world doing
some good stuff for us over the last year. So
and just last night he and I were hosting obviously Prome,
Minister of Papa and New Giddy as well in town,
which was good. So it's really good head and good shape.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Well he's not the only one out and about in
the world doing good work for New Zealand. Look, in
the past couple of weeks since we last chatted, you've
had your India FDA trip, You've had your investment summit,
You've produced much needed changes to the RAMA. Even while
you were away, the GDP went up point seven percent
for the last quarter of twenty twenty four. Christopher Luxen,
(23:25):
why don't more New Zealanders like you?
Speaker 10 (23:28):
Well, look, I mean it's not about that. It's really,
frankly about getting this country sort of and getting it
in the right direction. And you're right, it's pretty encouraging
actually to see those GDP numbers come back in that
last quarter of last year. That's really good. What's also
really good to see what the outlook is for the
agriculture sector Derei's looking strong. You've got Nathan guy who
was away with me in India actually tooking red meat.
(23:49):
You know, talk about a extra one point two billion
coming into that sector over the coming year. And you've
even got war guys that I've spoken to in farmers
I was down at the wannic at AMP show down
at the Canary AMP show tomorrow and they're telling me
they're actually doing better than they've ever done for a while.
So that's good.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Still still we.
Speaker 10 (24:04):
Had to go, but it is agriculture once again leading
us out. Good to see tourism up. Tourisms are twenty
three percent, services, manufacturing growing for the first time. You've
got interest rates down I think for the retail interest
rates down for third month in a row. So you know,
there's really you know, we've turned the corner. There's some
really encouraging signs. Now we've got to push on and ultimately,
as I said to the investors, you know, shape the
(24:25):
country we want to have, because we've got a great country,
great future, but we've got to get some investment into
the place so that we can actually get things built
for people and lift our living.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Yeah, but we're a long way from out of the woods.
Yet employment confidence latest numbers out lowest since the lockdown
September twenty twenty. Unemployment has yet to peak.
Speaker 10 (24:44):
Well, that's the last thing that gets faxed, right. I mean,
if you spend eighty four percent more of your money,
you borrow a lot, you spend a lot, you end
up driving inflation. That drives interest rates. Interest rates drives
into a recession. Recession drives into unemployment. So that's the
history of economics, and that's what we've had to relearn
as a country. And that's what the last lot didn't know.
We've fixed. You know, we've got spending a constant job
(25:06):
to make sure we're disciplined. Government'spending getting value for money.
Inflations down, interest rates are down. He started to see
the economy grow for the first time in a long time,
and with that will come rising employment. So you know,
that's that is certainly the lag effect, because once you've
dealt with high inflation, high costs, and suppressed demand, you're
left with very few options but to lay off people.
And that's not what we want to see. So you know,
that's that's that's due to peak in the middle of
(25:28):
the year and then we'll start to track down from there.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
I just want to finish with Winston Peters and a
Facebook post this week he said, why are we making
a ride for our own backs being part of the
Paris Accord, punishing our farmers and our taxpayers and our
economy When China or the US could sneeze and produce
more CO two overnight than we do in a year.
You're going to have a problem convincing Winston and see
More perhaps that you need to stay in the Paris Accord.
Speaker 10 (25:53):
Well, no, they both signed up for it. They both
signed up for it as a cabinet decision just recently
where we actually said, look, we you know it's in
New Zealand's and the reason they did it is because
it's in our national interests to do so. Right now,
we're not interested in punishing our farmers. We want agriculture
pumping the economy growing as fast as it possibly can.
And I'm telling you, when I was down at the
wannerkr Amp show the other day, farmers say, yep, I
(26:16):
can tell you there are multinational, big large multinational companies
and many other countries that compete with us. And think
about the dairy producing countries around the world who would
love nothing more than to use this as an excuse
to keeck New Zealand products off our shells around the world.
I'm telling it they will do that. So this is
brutally us acting in our own national interests to do so.
We've been very pragmatic. The increase that we've you know,
(26:37):
the fifty one percent over two thousand and five compared
to the previous fifty fifty percent is actually know as
a very pragmatic increase. It puts us back into line
with our nets there are domestic numbers rather having a
different commitment internationally. That's all really good stuff. So no,
this is about brutally in our national interest. We're not
going to risk punishing our farmers by having their products
(26:58):
kicked off shells. That ain't going to happen.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I just want to finish once more. It sounds like
I'm fixated on Winston, but he's had a war of
words this week with Chippy Chris Hipkins. Chris Hipkins basically
called him an angry old man. This is actually good
news for you because the only pathway I could see
to Labour winning the election at the end the next
year as if they could convince New Zealand first to
change sides. No one wants to party Maori anywhere near
(27:22):
the treasury benches. Are you going to win this election
by default?
Speaker 10 (27:26):
No, We're going to do everything we can to show
New Zealanders in twenty twenty six that they are better
off than they were three years ago. And at this
Colors Department and manage things a difficult situation well, and
they need to see results. And that's why it's odd
sixteen months into it, Jamie Frankly be talking about an
election with a long way to go, with a lot
to do, and I want everybody focus on my team
(27:47):
on making sure every day they show up here they
are actually in the country forward. And that's what you're seeing.
GCC deal, the UAE deal India is kicking off, negotiations,
Investor Summits improving, GDP, improving many of the sectors. It's
coming and so we're moving, you know. That's the plan.
That's the plan we had from day one. And we
have three years to show the New Zealm people that
(28:09):
they are better off under us, and they are under
the last lot. And I'm telling you, yep, a labor
Greens to party, MARTI would be chaos. You've got a
whole bunch of you just heard the Greens in the
House yesterday wanting to not have growth, not wanting people
to make profit. You know, just completely ideologically insane. So
I just say to you, I'm not worried about the election.
I think it's way too real to be talking about it,
and I don't think about it because I actually am
(28:31):
here every quarter to make sure I'm doing the business
for New Zealand and make sure we're improving the joint.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Prime Honester, thanks for your time. Well done on Undia.
Speaker 10 (28:39):
Thanks Leg had a great week.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Yeah, the best of the country with Rubbo back.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience, grow with Rubboback.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
News out yesterday that the Q two National Trust has
elected Marie Taylor and former All Black Captain Graham Murray
to serve as directors on the Q two board for
the next three years. No surprise to see Graham Murray
re elected for his third term. Graham, just before we
talk about the QI two, that you're involved with the
trust and also Southern pastures would be remissive me not
(29:11):
to ask you, as a former All Black captain about
Gris Wiley, who passed away in the weekend. Now, I'm
a bit of a student of the game, loved the
history of the game, and I realized that you were
a young pretender to his throne in your early days,
and I don't want to paint Gris as a saint.
I reckon he would have belted the hell out of here.
Speaker 6 (29:32):
Yeah, well, I was probably you know, I was lucky
I played off the back of the lineout. I know that.
I think we played during your All Blacks against the
All Blacks and than Eden, and Grizz was working his
way along the line out, trying to teach the young guys.
You know, they shouldn't have actually bothered turning up, and
I was actually getting further and further into the the
middle of the field I think as the game went
(29:54):
on at the lineups. But yeah, I mean, obviously Gris
was it was a good player. But you're right, I
mean I think he definitely had a reputation as an
enforcer and not someone you'd want to be spending too
much time trying to socialize with on the field.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
I understand you pulled a bit of a quick one
on him during an Auckland on not Auckland Wellington you
were playing for at the time, Canterbury game.
Speaker 6 (30:24):
Yeah, I was probably a bit stupid at the time.
I was pretty young, and I think Canterbury we just
won the Ramfrewy Shield actually and from South Canterbury on
the Tuesday and played Mid Canterbury. As the old days
you played four games a week, played Mid Canterbury on
the Thursday, and we played Canterbury on the Saturday. And
it was a pretty tight game. I think Gris was
(30:46):
heading off down the field from the back of the
line out and I sidled up alongside him. He couldn't
quite see me, I'm sure and said, Gris, pass it
to me, and he gave me the ball and we
turned around and I ran a few meters and passed
two Mark Sayers who scored under the post far end.
And for another time. I spent the rest of again
(31:08):
trying to avoid him.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
Gone but never forgotten. Grisriiley rest.
Speaker 10 (31:13):
You know.
Speaker 6 (31:13):
She was a servant of the game, it's for sure.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Yeah, and absolutely great records as a coach of Canterbury
and the All Blacks. Okay, so I don't think you
would be surprised being re elected. Marie Taylor's the other
one that's going to serve. She's got a good CV
as well. But tell me, what do you bring to
the q E two National Trust.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Ah, yes, I guess passion for the for the trust. Really,
I think I had set up my first covenants back
in the eighties when I was on my home farm.
I think I set up the covenant on the home
farm to protect We did about twenty eggs of bush
on that and I didn't want to see anything happen
to it when I moved on, so I set up
(31:53):
a covenant then, and I've set up a couple of
more covenants on my exit and my current farm in Taranniki,
and then obviously with Southern Pastures, we've we've also been
involved in setting up covenants because you know, I think
if you look back at the history of New Zealand,
you know it was basically a bottleist's paradise really initially
(32:18):
and probably eighty or ninety percent covered in forest, and
over the years from the early early Mary settlers and others,
you know, we've lost it. And I think Kiwi too
is actually the one private organization which is actually protecting enough.
You know, a lot of lead that so there's small
(32:39):
land and que two colonists, and there is a number
of the national parks in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Yeah, and we protect it in perpetuity. The land use
can never change. I'm lucky enough to have a covenant
in the South. I think it's a wonderful institution. And
I see you've got some more funding from the government.
The best thing they could do, Graham Murray to save
the planet is give you guys heaps more money. I
hope you still petitioning them for more.
Speaker 6 (33:02):
Yeah. I think we were very happy. I mean we've
obviously I think probably the history of that is that
Chewy two hadn't had any funding increase four ten years,
and obviously things had changed a lot over that ten years.
And it also in that time we had protected covenant
at another over a thousand more properties, So that obviously
(33:26):
brings costs because each of those properties is inspected by
one of our guys out in the field, one of
our field workers every two years and just giving them
support and advice on how the covenants need to be maintained.
So yeah, so yeah, really great. I think Tama Potucker
(33:47):
down at the Bluegrigs conference, took a society and we
went to one of the covenants and he announced that
they were giving us some more money and that was
going to go for another three years. So I guess
we've had a stay of execution, if you want to
call it that. And you're very very grateful for that,
and you're really impressed with time, with his understanding of
(34:08):
what we do, and now the whole thing works.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Let me just finish briefly on your farming interests. You're
the director in charge of farming for Southern Pastures. It's
an institutional, a dairy fund. You're running. How many farms,
Graham Murray.
Speaker 6 (34:24):
We've got eighteen farms in about sixteen thousand cares at
the moment. Yes, a lot of a lot.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Of those as I understand that are in mid Canterbury
under irrigation. But do you have it have farms in
the North Island. How are they firing with the dry Yeah.
Speaker 6 (34:38):
We've got nine farms in the central norther Island and
there again it's it's been pretty tough up there. I think,
you know, just for most North Island farmers, time time
has time's gone on it's sort of spread around the
place and it's cer. You know, we definitely made sure
(34:58):
we've got their coals off to pregnancy test and that,
I would say is going to be a reasonably short
year for a many many of the North Island farmers
this year at Dairy Farmers.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Particularly, you're Openaki's most famous son, I think, am I
say right and saying that Crayon Murray, But anyhow, I
think Peter Snell's oh he got you there, well, he
was there before me and I always you know, I
guess the one thing that I take a bit of
pride at actually's watching the All Black today because obviously
(35:29):
coached Smiley Barrett and his brother, so they they were
there and obviously had those young Barrett boys, who four
of them have actually played super rugby from one family.
Speaker 6 (35:43):
That's amazing. So they are actually young young leads running
around the side of the field. When I was coaching
Opeki and later Coastal.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Well well, Smiley had a wee bit a Griswili and
him too when it came to the line outs. But anyway,
I won't go there. I just I just I want
to finish by asking you about the Openaki dairy farm,
the home farm. I think you've still got it. I
was talking to Smiley as Fate would have it on
Friday Show and we're talking about the drought, and he
was saying his father was telling him, you know, it
(36:14):
hasn't been that dry since the seventies. What are your memories.
Speaker 6 (36:18):
Yeah, definitely, I think fifty years ago, since sort of
seventy four seventy five that I remember that. And I
mean obviously in those days you probably didn't carry the
supplement that and have access to other feeds that farmers
have dairy farmers have these days. So yeah, definitely, probably
(36:38):
the seventies there were two or three pretty pretty major droughts,
but definitely again in Taranaka, I think the home farm there,
we're hanging in there, but it would be a shorter season.
I think probably in fact, they got it. They've got
about I think we've going to wear the station about
a kilometer from the farm, and there was about sixty
(37:00):
mills of rain over the last week on three days.
So very fortunately get that, maybe just in time, but
you never know these days.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Graham Murray, I could chat to you all day, but
I'm out of time. Thanks for yours today and congratulations
on being re elected as a director to the Q
two National Trust. The institution's doing wonderful work protecting some
of our best land and perpetuity. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 6 (37:23):
Thank you very much. Great have a good name.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Choose the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Rabobank, Graham Murray, rapping the Best of the Country and
rest in peace, alex for as Wili. Good morning. My
name's Jamie McKay. The show is called the Best of
the Country. It's brought to you by Ravobank. We're growing
a better New Zealand together, Sabob goudofs and New Zealand.
(37:53):
So we're playing songs from his live Aid concert way
back in July of nineteen eighty five. They wrapped the
Philadelphia concert with USA for Africa and We Are the World.
They wrapped London with Do they know It's Christmas by
band Aid? But it's much too early to play Christmas music.
I'll leave you with USA for Africa. We are.
Speaker 5 (38:15):
We are children.
Speaker 8 (38:19):
We are wont to make a brandy So let's talk eve.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
What we say.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
Do we make a better day?
Speaker 9 (38:35):
Just you and me.
Speaker 8 (38:39):
We are turning down to missing.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
But if you tell me sto.
Speaker 6 (38:49):
Wicked for.
Speaker 9 (38:59):
Where we scared to get the restaurant, there's a choice
(39:46):
for me again. We say hold lns till we make
a better day. Just give me. We are the word.
Well we got you. We are the one to make
(40:06):
a better day.
Speaker 5 (40:08):
So let's talk give.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
Me, let's talk you.
Speaker 9 (40:11):
There's a just women.
Speaker 6 (40:15):
We're saying.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
It's true, we.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Make a better day.
Speaker 9 (40:21):
Just give me me
The best of the country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
And again Jeff Belsade ahead give switched to.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Ooh, Gooday and good Morning New Zealand. My name's Jamie McKay.
This is the best of the country here on news
Talk sai'd be brought to you each and every Saturday
morning by a Rabobank. We're growing a better New Zealand.
Together we play the best bits of our weekdays show
twelve to one. This is Bob Goudoff, Sir Bob Goudoff,
these days from the boomtown rats in Auckland last night,
(00:37):
Wellington tonight. Enjoy his show. If you're heading along there,
we've got a show to get on with. Earlier in
the week, I caught up with Connor English, younger brother
of former Prime Minister Bill English, former chief executive of
Federated Farmers. Connor was our former advisor to the Reserve Bank.
Had some really interesting comments to make on Trump and
(00:57):
Tariff's Thursday our time. We'll find out what he's up to.
Claire Taylor, Scottish, Ozzie Farmer Nuffield Scholar. We welcome her
back to the show. She is bright and bubbly, as
is Grehare Patterson at Chatham Island's Farming correspondent. Grere is
a teacher, a farmer and a fencer, you know as
in building fences. We talked about some of the challenges
(01:18):
of living and farming and our furthest outpost. We're going
to wrap it with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and former
All Blacks Captain Graham Murray. It's the best of the
country and it's brought to you by Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
The best of the country with Ravobank, choose the bank
for a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Ravo Bank boxer Mike Tyson famously said everyone has a
plan until they get punched in the face. So writes
Connor English. Of course, Connor is the younger brother of
Sir William. He's a former chief executive of Federated Farmers,
got Hiss and many many business pies. Connor, I never
had you down for a Trump t tariff fan.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Well, I'm not a Trump terror plan fan, but I'm
intrigued about what the new president is attempting to do
along with his Cabinet, which is effectively a big tax tax,
which from reducing income tax and increasing tariff taxes effectively,
because they've got.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
A big problem over there. They've got dead of thirty
six trillion, their GDP's only twenty nine trillion, and they're
running deficits of two trillion on expenditure of six and
a half trillion and only four point five trillion revenue.
So they're looking to get the revenue up for the
country and they're looking to reduce costs. So that's why
(02:51):
they've got Elon Musk on the dodge trying to get
rid of a trillion dollars of what he calls waste,
fraud and abuse. And they've got Howard looking on external revenue,
trying to get revenue up from tariffs and selling what
they called a trump card, which.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Is but connor English. Aren't you arguing against yourself?
Speaker 6 (03:09):
There?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I read a really interesting column you'd written in the Listener,
and you went back nearly one hundred years ago, nearly
a century ago to nineteen thirty. President Hoover introduced tariffs
under this Smoot Hawley Tariff Act of nineteen thirty, and
it was a disaster for the US economy.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
It was an absolute disaster. And that just shows you
the risk that the new administration in America is taking
on the Trump on the tariffs, and the issue there
is that when they did increase tariffs on over twenty
thousand items, other countries did punch back. And the big
(03:49):
what happened there was that imports did for sixty six percent,
from four point four billion the nineteen twenty nine to
only one and a half billion in nineteen thirty three.
So you think, okay, well that's good. We haven't got
imports coming in. There must be more jobs for Americans.
But unfortunately, other countries decided not to buy the exports
from America, and so exports dropped from five point four
(04:13):
billion down to two point one So I dropped another
sixty percent, and GMP haved and so unemployment went from
eight percent to nineteen thirty to twenty five percent of
nineteen thirty three.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Mind you, Connor, let me hang on, Connor, Let's just
temper this because we did have a great recession during
that period.
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Well you had the Smoothhawley Act was implemented partly in
response to the Shoemaker crash of nineteen twenty nine, but
after that sar market crash, they still only had five
percent unemployment at nineteen thirty, So it took another three
years of those tariffs. And when you can't sell your
goods to other countries, you don't need factories with workers.
(04:55):
And the challenge for the Donald Trump and his administer
now as for that not to be repeated.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Okay, apologies, I said the Great recession. I meant the
Great depression. But here's a question for you. Let's fast
forward a century to where Trump is at the moment
and how he's affecting the world. Is his cure worse
than the disease.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
Well, he's looking at it from a point of view
of America, and he's making an assumption that trade flows well,
I think he's making an assumption that trade flows will
be similar to what they are now. And he's looking
at it as tariff as a revenue owner. And what
people may have forgotten is that tariffs came in in
America in about seventeen eighty nine or something like that.
(05:41):
In New Zealand eighteen forty, and it was a very
legitimate way of getting revenue for a government. And then
we brought an income tax fifty years later. And he's
just looking to reverse that so that you get the
advantages of Ireland for a light from a low taxation
regime as he sees it, and you know, you get
the rest of the world to pay in tariffs to
(06:03):
fund the rest of your government activities in the United States.
So it's a massive punt and a lot of risk,
and we're going to find out how it goes.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
What are you expecting to happen on April the second.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Well, I think the administration is signal that it's going
to tell a whole lot of countries that they're going
to be paying tariffs. And you know, New Zealand is hoping,
of course, that we get an exemption. And when you
look at our trade with America, our our second biggest
trading partner now with about twenty five billion New Zealand
dollars in trade, about half and half roughly of imports
(06:40):
and exports, we are running a deficit of about three
and a half billion. As fair goal is about revenue
and raising revenue for America, it is hard to see
how we would get an exemption if that's their strategy.
So I'm expecting they're going to tell a lot of
countries that they're going to start paying.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
That's bad news for us. We're a free trade nation.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
Yeah, I mean there is a possibility that we could
get an exemption. I mean, we have low levels of
tariffs and President Trump's articulated a lot about reciprocity. You know,
other countries charging higher tariffs on American goods than Americans
charge on their goods and that's unfear Well, that can't
be said about New Zealand. So if he's walking on
(07:26):
the fairness strategy, we could get an exemption that. If
he's working on just getting revenue up, that might not
be the case. So you know, we've got a lot
of primary goods there, you know, two point two about
two and a half billion of meat and one point
two billion of dairy and eight and a million of
wine or something like that. You know, you throw twenty
(07:47):
five percent terrify on that, that's well over a billion
dollars that is going to come out of the pockets
of New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Well, we will eagerly a white what he has to say.
On April the second, Connor English have been really interested
in what you had to say. As Mike Tyson said,
everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
I love it great from your rugby days.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Of course, Jamie, I stood.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Out the back well away from that. I fired the verbals,
not the punchers. See you later, Connor, see you good morning.
My name is Jamie mckaye. Ignore what Connor English had
to say talking about rugby. We've got a famous all
black captain to wrap the show, Graham Murray. We've got
the Prime Minister, Christopher Luxen. But up next on the
(08:32):
Best of the Country, brought to you by Rabobank, as
we paid tribute to Sabob Galdoff. Couple of bright and
breezy young women, Clear Taylor and Grea Patterson. You're going
to love them. And no old buddy's gone a Dardistan
today she's gone to me.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank, the bank with
local agri banking experts passionate about the future of rural communities.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Rabobank great to welcome back to the country our favorite
Scottish Ozzie farmer slash nuffield scholar, in the form of
Clear Taylor. Cleaiar Taylor. We last caught up with you
in August of last year. You were in the studios
here in Dunedin in March of last year. I think
that you are completing or about to complete, the longest
Nuffield scholarship in the history of Nouffield scholarships.
Speaker 7 (09:19):
Clear, Hi, Jamie, screat you back on the program. I am.
Last time you spoke to me, I was visiting Australia,
and now I've moved to Australia and I'm at the
final stages of my nus Field report was to on
hold slightly as I moved continents, I moved to different hemispheres,
but yeah, I'm getting to the end of it now,
so it's yeah, the end is in sight.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Well, I played a wee bit of wet wet wet
lovers all around into you clear here today, and that's
what brought you to Australia. Love with a guy. By that,
I am of Mitch Hyatt, who's a former Xander McDonald
Reward winner and you and you can thank Shane mcmanaway,
the matchmaker.
Speaker 7 (10:00):
And I laughed about it because I think it was
just before I went to Australia where I met Mitch.
I'd been on your program, Jamie and having everybody been
warning me in New Zealand that I wasn't to meet
an Aussie farmer. I was to marry a Kiwi farmer.
So that made me laugh. So I think it was
day two of Australia. I accidentally was introduced to Mitch
and here I am over here later living here. So
things have definitely changed now.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Your not Field scholarship was based around turning the tide
on the anti farming agenda. Gee, I'll tell you what.
You're a Aussie Nell Clay, but I think your home country,
Scotland needs you the why Sirkaia Stamer is going tough
times at home.
Speaker 7 (10:38):
Yeah, it's been really difficult watching and speaking to people
at home. I mean, just to give your listeners a
bit of a summary. They they haven't really got the
background on it. Last Majune we had the Labor Government
come into was elected into parliament for the UK, we
have a conservative government in for many years. Labor Government
came in and when their first buddy came out in
(11:00):
the in the October, they basically announced that they were
going to lift inheritance tax relief for farmers and this
sent absolute shockwaves throughout the whole of the United Kingdom
because they set the limit at a million pounds, so
any property that was worth the value over a million
would have to find twenty percent to pay back. But
(11:21):
the problem is in the UK farmers are they're very
sort of low in cash flow, but they're sitting on
land assets are high in value. And it's just sent
shockways because family farms, who are they're sitting on you know,
profit margins zero point five one percent. There's no way
they had the castle to pay this off and it's
really sparked this upset about could this be the end
(11:42):
of family farming, which is why we're seeing protests around
the country. I mean these have been going off now
since November. I was there in November, I went to
some of the pro well protests, rallies. It's been all
sorts of things happening. But this has continued right into March.
There was one only last week. So yeah, a lot
of concern in Scotland right now.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Tell me about that, Yeah, tell me about the new
business you've set up in Australia, but you're looking for
business here in New Zealand as well, and no doubt
Beck in the UK, I'll give you a shimeless plug.
Clay Tayler.
Speaker 7 (12:14):
Yeah, so off the back of my scholarship, I wanted
to put my learning into practice and you said there, Jamie,
that I've been looking at how do we turn the
tide an anti farming sentiment, and a lot of that
has been about how can we help farmers, how can
you help different individuals, businesses, organizations better respond to growing
scrutiny because you've just given the example there, the UK
scrutiny is growing and farming and my business is all
(12:37):
about basically looking at how we're communicating and how we're
advocating it. So it's advocacy consulting is what I've called it,
and it's going to be looking at really amplifying the
voice of agriculture more positively, and there's various things I'm
doing as part of that. I basically want to help
farmers really get out with echo chambers and build relationships,
build social license and put them on the front foot
(13:00):
because I do think farming right around the world is
under the cost. And yes, I've moved from Scotland to Australia,
but since I've been doing my scholarship, I've been so
passionate about what's happening around the world and farming. We
often get into the doorstep, don't weave in our own country.
But really it's much bigger than that. We've got to
think more collaboratively globally, so that's why it's going to
be all about how can I work with different countries.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
Hell's you? And you know, A final question for you
in Orange with the love of your life now, Mitch
Hyatt AlSi farmer you've been. You've been pretty draw and
inline New South Wales.
Speaker 7 (13:34):
Yeah, we've been really struggling. I mean I've been here
ten weeks and I think I can count in two
hands how many times it's rained. So you can imagine
what a shock that is coming from Scotland, especially where
I live in the West Coast, which it's just rain
almost every day. But yeah, we had a bit of
rain recently. I'm staying here in a beautiful place called
Orange for about four hours west of Sydney. It's a
(13:54):
cool climate, bit of similarity to Scotland. We're pretty famous
here for our cells, doors or wayne or cherries, some
beautiful cattle production, so there's part that it does still
feel lake home. And yeah, Mitch has been great moving
here and he's got fantastic business of being able to
learn more about that has been Yeah, it's been a
wonderful experience so far.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Well, Claire Taylor has been great to catch up. Look
forward to your final publication of your Nuffield Scholarship around
turning the tide on the anti farming agenda. Don't be
a stranger. Good luck with your new life.
Speaker 7 (14:25):
Thanks Jamie, Take care.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
The best of the country with Rubbobank.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Grow with Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
First time on the country with me anyhow. For Grea
Patterson at Chatham Islands Farming correspondent, Grea, good afternoon, welcome
to the show. I know you chatted to Rowena before,
but just remind me because this is the first time
I've chatted to you. How did you end up? How
did a Roxburgh girl end up on the Chatham Islands.
Speaker 8 (14:54):
Yeah, I came over a number of years ago actually
with an ex partner of mine for a I'm job
and I took a job at the local school at
Johnny School, teaching and yeah, long story short, he left
and I stayed and fell in love with the Chadam
Islander and here I am today. Seven years later with
a young family and a business here.
Speaker 9 (15:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Now your business is a fencing contractor, I reckon that
would be a pretty good business on the Chatham Islands
because all the wires would rust.
Speaker 8 (15:24):
Yes, yeah, yeah, you get about seven years out of
the wire on a fence here, so there's definitely a
bit of maintenance. And we definitely get some great contracts
through the Department of Conservation and other big farms and
organizations here for fifteen for conservation purposes, things like the
billion Trees projects. So yeah, it's busy, We're busy, busy.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, you're also very multi skilled you right, for the
Shepherdess magazine, which is a wonderful publication by the way.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Grier, thank you.
Speaker 8 (15:57):
Yeah, it's an amazing team to be a part of.
Celebrated us this anniversary. Actually, yeah, it's a great magazine
to be a part of. Amazing that I can work
for sites from over here, and yeah, I love love
the work I do with them, and love love the
publication and what it does for women and women on
the land.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
How was connectivity on the Channel Islands?
Speaker 8 (16:21):
Well, actually, it's come a long way since I first
came seven years ago. When I first arrived, we had
no cell coverage on the island, and where I was
living was quite far down the south coast, and we
didn't actually have internet access either, and you could get
into met but it was a stupid amount to get
it there, and it cost about three hundred dollars a
month to have it going if it was even working.
(16:43):
So since then we've had the cell towers installed here,
so that's been a real game changer for people. It's
meant that, you know, we can actually use cell phones
to call people when they're working. And the starlink has
actually also been a real game changer here for the
most households and businesses have got starlink now and Anternet
is really reliable here now, so it's come a long way,
(17:06):
even in the seven years I've been here.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, I haven't been to the Chatham Islands. I missed
out on the early eighties because I was too young
to go with our local rugby team. I'm very disappointed
about that. It is on my bucket list. I understand
it's mainly sheep and beef farms on the island, but
I'm assuming Grea Pattison that there must be a dairy farm.
I mean, you're not going to bring all your milk
over from the mainland.
Speaker 8 (17:26):
Yeah, actually we do. There's no no dairy here. There
is a few people that have got their own house cows,
but yeah, all of our milk either comes and buy
boat or plane. I buy the old UHT, the Long
Life milk and boxes the twelve and yeah, if you
can buy a bottle of fresh milk at the shop,
I think it's about fourteen dollars for a two liter
(17:48):
if you want to splash out, but otherwise it's here
the Long Life on the sp.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Well, I hang on, Grea, isn't that a business opportunity
for you, an entrepreneur like yourself? Why don't you startup
or we dairy farm a boutique milk that's the word.
Speaker 8 (18:01):
Definitely, Yeah, definitely an opportunity there. Maybe when I find
the time.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
You're very busy, As I said, let's just finish on.
We talked about connectivity. What about sustainability in terms of
your energy on Stuart Island. I know Stuart Island, let
me correct myself, Chatham Islands. Stuart Island's a beautiful place
to go to as well, but in terms you're very
dependent once again on diesel supplies from the mainland. Can
(18:27):
you be self sufficient and energy?
Speaker 8 (18:30):
Yeah, so, I think that's probably one of the exciting
things happening on island at the moment is the installation
of the windmills. So we've got two of them going
in at the moment down the south coast and along
with the batteries of not one hundred percent sure on
the details of how they work, but that will make
(18:51):
our islands a lot less reliant on the diesel generators.
So currently everything on island, if you're hooked up to power,
you're relying on the diesel generators, and not only is
that not sustainable, but it's also very expensive. I think
we pay the most pro units in the world apparently,
So it'll be the wind will be amazing and that
(19:13):
it is a renewable energy source, but also it is
going to reduce and pabbles quite significantly over the course
of a year, which is very exciting for locals as well.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Hey Greer Patterson, it's been lovely to catch up with
you for the first time. I think we'll keep you
on your good talent. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 8 (19:29):
Thanks so much, Jamie, have a good one.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
The best of the country. With Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Choose the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Rabobank.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Good morning, New Zealand. I'm Jamie Mackay. Thanks for joining
me this morning for the Best of the Country. It's
brought to you by Rabobank. We're growing a better New
Zealand together. Subob goudofs in Town. So we're playing songs
from his live aid concerts held simultaneously on the thirteenth
of July nineteen eighty five, that's forty years ago in
(20:04):
JFK Stadium in Philadelphia and of course Wembley Stadium where
it all kicked off in London. Star started lineup both
sides of the Atlantic. One guy, This guy, Phil Collins
played at both venues that as London gig jumped onto
the concord played again in Philadelphia. Amazing. Up next on
the Best of the Country Christoph Luxen, Prime Minister, just
(20:27):
back from India. And Graham Murray former All Blacks captain
paying tribute to Gris Wiley and talking about the Q
two National Trust. Now talking about Rabobank. This is a
great primo. Entries are open now for the Rabobank Community
Hub competition. It's running for the first time this year,
the competition provides entrance with a chance to win five
(20:47):
thousand dollars to go towards the improvement of their rural
community hall, club rooms or marai. Twenty winners will be
selected from across the country who will each receive five
k of funding to help upgrade their rural commune y hub.
So all you need to do to enter is go
to the Rabobank website rabobank dot co dot Nz. Entries
close on Monday up next to the Prime Minister.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
The best of the Country with Rabobank, the bank with
local acribanking experts passionate about the future of rural communities Rubbobank.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Wednesdays on the Country. The Prime Minister kicks off the show.
I ring him at quarter to eight religiously this morning.
This is obviously a pre record. He was running late,
so I just started reading the Herald website and there
was a story on Winston Peter's health and his diet.
I went to phone up the Prime Minister at eight
o'clock as instructed, I phoned the wrong number. I had
(21:44):
Winston on my mind. I got him. I had to
apologize Prime Minister for ringing the Deputy Prime Minister. But
I'm very impressed. I'm very impressed by Winston's diet. How's yours.
Speaker 10 (21:57):
It's a constant struggle with tayweight giving you got so
much on. But Winston is really decent, really really good
at it, and he's very disciplined, so you know, he's
got a limited number of desserts he has. He's in
great shape, so he's managed it very well well.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
He puts it down to a decision he made on
the fifth of June nineteen eighty. Some of his fellow
politicians their waistcoats, wist coats were bursting at the scene,
so he thought, I'm not going to do that. So
I'm going to eat lots of fish, protein, lots of veggies,
get rid of the carbohydrates. He doesn't mention in this
story written by I think Audrey Young and the Herald
(22:33):
the Whiskey though.
Speaker 10 (22:36):
All the smoke he's doing it. Whatever he's doing, it's
suddenly working so done. He's managed it really well, and
he's got a big travel schedule he's got. Parliament's not
the easiest place to throw and get food at the
right times and to manage.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
All of that.
Speaker 10 (22:49):
So they say every year he had five kg's But yeah,
it's a continent battle. But now he's a great example.
But more important, he's been out in the world doing
some good stuff for us over the last year. So
and just last night he and I were hosting obviously Prome,
Minister of Papa and New Giddy as well in town,
which was good. So it's really good head and good shape.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Well he's not the only one out and about in
the world doing good work for New Zealand. Look, in
the past couple of weeks since we last chatted, you've
had your India FDA trip, You've had your investment summit,
You've produced much needed changes to the RAMA. Even while
you were away, the GDP went up point seven percent
for the last quarter of twenty twenty four. Christopher Luxen,
(23:25):
why don't more New Zealanders like you?
Speaker 10 (23:28):
Well, look, I mean it's not about that. It's really,
frankly about getting this country sort of and getting it
in the right direction. And you're right, it's pretty encouraging
actually to see those GDP numbers come back in that
last quarter of last year. That's really good. What's also
really good to see what the outlook is for the
agriculture sector Derei's looking strong. You've got Nathan guy who
was away with me in India actually tooking red meat.
(23:49):
You know, talk about a extra one point two billion
coming into that sector over the coming year. And you've
even got war guys that I've spoken to in farmers
I was down at the wannic at AMP show down
at the Canary AMP show tomorrow and they're telling me
they're actually doing better than they've ever done for a while.
So that's good.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Still still we.
Speaker 10 (24:04):
Had to go, but it is agriculture once again leading
us out. Good to see tourism up. Tourisms are twenty
three percent, services, manufacturing growing for the first time. You've
got interest rates down I think for the retail interest
rates down for third month in a row. So you know,
there's really you know, we've turned the corner. There's some
really encouraging signs. Now we've got to push on and ultimately,
as I said to the investors, you know, shape the
(24:25):
country we want to have, because we've got a great country,
great future, but we've got to get some investment into
the place so that we can actually get things built
for people and lift our living.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Yeah, but we're a long way from out of the woods.
Yet employment confidence latest numbers out lowest since the lockdown
September twenty twenty. Unemployment has yet to peak.
Speaker 10 (24:44):
Well, that's the last thing that gets faxed, right. I mean,
if you spend eighty four percent more of your money,
you borrow a lot, you spend a lot, you end
up driving inflation. That drives interest rates. Interest rates drives
into a recession. Recession drives into unemployment. So that's the
history of economics, and that's what we've had to relearn
as a country. And that's what the last lot didn't know.
We've fixed. You know, we've got spending a constant job
(25:06):
to make sure we're disciplined. Government'spending getting value for money.
Inflations down, interest rates are down. He started to see
the economy grow for the first time in a long time,
and with that will come rising employment. So you know,
that's that is certainly the lag effect, because once you've
dealt with high inflation, high costs, and suppressed demand, you're
left with very few options but to lay off people.
And that's not what we want to see. So you know,
that's that's that's due to peak in the middle of
(25:28):
the year and then we'll start to track down from there.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
I just want to finish with Winston Peters and a
Facebook post this week he said, why are we making
a ride for our own backs being part of the
Paris Accord, punishing our farmers and our taxpayers and our
economy When China or the US could sneeze and produce
more CO two overnight than we do in a year.
You're going to have a problem convincing Winston and see
More perhaps that you need to stay in the Paris Accord.
Speaker 10 (25:53):
Well, no, they both signed up for it. They both
signed up for it as a cabinet decision just recently
where we actually said, look, we you know it's in
New Zealand's and the reason they did it is because
it's in our national interests to do so. Right now,
we're not interested in punishing our farmers. We want agriculture
pumping the economy growing as fast as it possibly can.
And I'm telling you, when I was down at the
wannerkr Amp show the other day, farmers say, yep, I
(26:16):
can tell you there are multinational, big large multinational companies
and many other countries that compete with us. And think
about the dairy producing countries around the world who would
love nothing more than to use this as an excuse
to keeck New Zealand products off our shells around the world.
I'm telling it they will do that. So this is
brutally us acting in our own national interests to do so.
We've been very pragmatic. The increase that we've you know,
(26:37):
the fifty one percent over two thousand and five compared
to the previous fifty fifty percent is actually know as
a very pragmatic increase. It puts us back into line
with our nets there are domestic numbers rather having a
different commitment internationally. That's all really good stuff. So no,
this is about brutally in our national interest. We're not
going to risk punishing our farmers by having their products
(26:58):
kicked off shells. That ain't going to happen.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I just want to finish once more. It sounds like
I'm fixated on Winston, but he's had a war of
words this week with Chippy Chris Hipkins. Chris Hipkins basically
called him an angry old man. This is actually good
news for you because the only pathway I could see
to Labour winning the election at the end the next
year as if they could convince New Zealand first to
change sides. No one wants to party Maori anywhere near
(27:22):
the treasury benches. Are you going to win this election
by default?
Speaker 10 (27:26):
No, We're going to do everything we can to show
New Zealanders in twenty twenty six that they are better
off than they were three years ago. And at this
Colors Department and manage things a difficult situation well, and
they need to see results. And that's why it's odd
sixteen months into it, Jamie Frankly be talking about an
election with a long way to go, with a lot
to do, and I want everybody focus on my team
(27:47):
on making sure every day they show up here they
are actually in the country forward. And that's what you're seeing.
GCC deal, the UAE deal India is kicking off, negotiations,
Investor Summits improving, GDP, improving many of the sectors. It's
coming and so we're moving, you know. That's the plan.
That's the plan we had from day one. And we
have three years to show the New Zealm people that
(28:09):
they are better off under us, and they are under
the last lot. And I'm telling you, yep, a labor
Greens to party, MARTI would be chaos. You've got a
whole bunch of you just heard the Greens in the
House yesterday wanting to not have growth, not wanting people
to make profit. You know, just completely ideologically insane. So
I just say to you, I'm not worried about the election.
I think it's way too real to be talking about it,
and I don't think about it because I actually am
(28:31):
here every quarter to make sure I'm doing the business
for New Zealand and make sure we're improving the joint.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Prime Honester, thanks for your time. Well done on Undia.
Speaker 10 (28:39):
Thanks Leg had a great week.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Yeah, the best of the country with Rubbo back.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Choose the bank with one hundred and twenty years global
agribusiness experience, grow with Rubboback.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
News out yesterday that the Q two National Trust has
elected Marie Taylor and former All Black Captain Graham Murray
to serve as directors on the Q two board for
the next three years. No surprise to see Graham Murray
re elected for his third term. Graham, just before we
talk about the QI two, that you're involved with the
trust and also Southern pastures would be remissive me not
(29:11):
to ask you, as a former All Black captain about
Gris Wiley, who passed away in the weekend. Now, I'm
a bit of a student of the game, loved the
history of the game, and I realized that you were
a young pretender to his throne in your early days,
and I don't want to paint Gris as a saint.
I reckon he would have belted the hell out of here.
Speaker 6 (29:32):
Yeah, well, I was probably you know, I was lucky
I played off the back of the lineout. I know that.
I think we played during your All Blacks against the
All Blacks and than Eden, and Grizz was working his
way along the line out, trying to teach the young guys.
You know, they shouldn't have actually bothered turning up, and
I was actually getting further and further into the the
middle of the field I think as the game went
(29:54):
on at the lineups. But yeah, I mean, obviously Gris
was it was a good player. But you're right, I
mean I think he definitely had a reputation as an
enforcer and not someone you'd want to be spending too
much time trying to socialize with on the field.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
I understand you pulled a bit of a quick one
on him during an Auckland on not Auckland Wellington you
were playing for at the time, Canterbury game.
Speaker 6 (30:24):
Yeah, I was probably a bit stupid at the time.
I was pretty young, and I think Canterbury we just
won the Ramfrewy Shield actually and from South Canterbury on
the Tuesday and played Mid Canterbury. As the old days
you played four games a week, played Mid Canterbury on
the Thursday, and we played Canterbury on the Saturday. And
it was a pretty tight game. I think Gris was
(30:46):
heading off down the field from the back of the
line out and I sidled up alongside him. He couldn't
quite see me, I'm sure and said, Gris, pass it
to me, and he gave me the ball and we
turned around and I ran a few meters and passed
two Mark Sayers who scored under the post far end.
And for another time. I spent the rest of again
(31:08):
trying to avoid him.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
Gone but never forgotten. Grisriiley rest.
Speaker 10 (31:13):
You know.
Speaker 6 (31:13):
She was a servant of the game, it's for sure.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Yeah, and absolutely great records as a coach of Canterbury
and the All Blacks. Okay, so I don't think you
would be surprised being re elected. Marie Taylor's the other
one that's going to serve. She's got a good CV
as well. But tell me, what do you bring to
the q E two National Trust.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Ah, yes, I guess passion for the for the trust. Really,
I think I had set up my first covenants back
in the eighties when I was on my home farm.
I think I set up the covenant on the home
farm to protect We did about twenty eggs of bush
on that and I didn't want to see anything happen
to it when I moved on, so I set up
(31:53):
a covenant then, and I've set up a couple of
more covenants on my exit and my current farm in Taranniki,
and then obviously with Southern Pastures, we've we've also been
involved in setting up covenants because you know, I think
if you look back at the history of New Zealand,
you know it was basically a bottleist's paradise really initially
(32:18):
and probably eighty or ninety percent covered in forest, and
over the years from the early early Mary settlers and others,
you know, we've lost it. And I think Kiwi too
is actually the one private organization which is actually protecting enough.
You know, a lot of lead that so there's small
(32:39):
land and que two colonists, and there is a number
of the national parks in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Yeah, and we protect it in perpetuity. The land use
can never change. I'm lucky enough to have a covenant
in the South. I think it's a wonderful institution. And
I see you've got some more funding from the government.
The best thing they could do, Graham Murray to save
the planet is give you guys heaps more money. I
hope you still petitioning them for more.
Speaker 6 (33:02):
Yeah. I think we were very happy. I mean we've
obviously I think probably the history of that is that
Chewy two hadn't had any funding increase four ten years,
and obviously things had changed a lot over that ten years.
And it also in that time we had protected covenant
at another over a thousand more properties, So that obviously
(33:26):
brings costs because each of those properties is inspected by
one of our guys out in the field, one of
our field workers every two years and just giving them
support and advice on how the covenants need to be maintained.
So yeah, so yeah, really great. I think Tama Potucker
(33:47):
down at the Bluegrigs conference, took a society and we
went to one of the covenants and he announced that
they were giving us some more money and that was
going to go for another three years. So I guess
we've had a stay of execution, if you want to
call it that. And you're very very grateful for that,
and you're really impressed with time, with his understanding of
(34:08):
what we do, and now the whole thing works.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Let me just finish briefly on your farming interests. You're
the director in charge of farming for Southern Pastures. It's
an institutional, a dairy fund. You're running. How many farms,
Graham Murray.
Speaker 6 (34:24):
We've got eighteen farms in about sixteen thousand cares at
the moment. Yes, a lot of a lot.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Of those as I understand that are in mid Canterbury
under irrigation. But do you have it have farms in
the North Island. How are they firing with the dry Yeah.
Speaker 6 (34:38):
We've got nine farms in the central norther Island and
there again it's it's been pretty tough up there. I think,
you know, just for most North Island farmers, time time
has time's gone on it's sort of spread around the
place and it's cer. You know, we definitely made sure
(34:58):
we've got their coals off to pregnancy test and that,
I would say is going to be a reasonably short
year for a many many of the North Island farmers
this year at Dairy Farmers.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Particularly, you're Openaki's most famous son, I think, am I
say right and saying that Crayon Murray, But anyhow, I
think Peter Snell's oh he got you there, well, he
was there before me and I always you know, I
guess the one thing that I take a bit of
pride at actually's watching the All Black today because obviously
(35:29):
coached Smiley Barrett and his brother, so they they were
there and obviously had those young Barrett boys, who four
of them have actually played super rugby from one family.
Speaker 6 (35:43):
That's amazing. So they are actually young young leads running
around the side of the field. When I was coaching
Opeki and later Coastal.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Well well, Smiley had a wee bit a Griswili and
him too when it came to the line outs. But anyway,
I won't go there. I just I just I want
to finish by asking you about the Openaki dairy farm,
the home farm. I think you've still got it. I
was talking to Smiley as Fate would have it on
Friday Show and we're talking about the drought, and he
was saying his father was telling him, you know, it
(36:14):
hasn't been that dry since the seventies. What are your memories.
Speaker 6 (36:18):
Yeah, definitely, I think fifty years ago, since sort of
seventy four seventy five that I remember that. And I
mean obviously in those days you probably didn't carry the
supplement that and have access to other feeds that farmers
have dairy farmers have these days. So yeah, definitely, probably
(36:38):
the seventies there were two or three pretty pretty major droughts,
but definitely again in Taranaka, I think the home farm there,
we're hanging in there, but it would be a shorter season.
I think probably in fact, they got it. They've got
about I think we've going to wear the station about
a kilometer from the farm, and there was about sixty
(37:00):
mills of rain over the last week on three days.
So very fortunately get that, maybe just in time, but
you never know these days.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Graham Murray, I could chat to you all day, but
I'm out of time. Thanks for yours today and congratulations
on being re elected as a director to the Q
two National Trust. The institution's doing wonderful work protecting some
of our best land and perpetuity. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 6 (37:23):
Thank you very much. Great have a good name.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
The Best of the Country with Rabobank.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Choose the bank with a huge network of progressive farming clients.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Rabobank, Graham Murray, rapping the Best of the Country and
rest in peace, alex for as Wili. Good morning. My
name's Jamie McKay. The show is called the Best of
the Country. It's brought to you by Ravobank. We're growing
a better New Zealand together, Sabob goudofs and New Zealand.
(37:53):
So we're playing songs from his live Aid concert way
back in July of nineteen eighty five. They wrapped the
Philadelphia concert with USA for Africa and We Are the World.
They wrapped London with Do they know It's Christmas by
band Aid? But it's much too early to play Christmas music.
I'll leave you with USA for Africa. We are.
Speaker 5 (38:15):
We are children.
Speaker 8 (38:19):
We are wont to make a brandy So let's talk eve.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
What we say.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
Do we make a better day?
Speaker 9 (38:35):
Just you and me.
Speaker 8 (38:39):
We are turning down to missing.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
But if you tell me sto.
Speaker 6 (38:49):
Wicked for.
Speaker 9 (38:59):
Where we scared to get the restaurant, there's a choice
(39:46):
for me again. We say hold lns till we make
a better day. Just give me. We are the word.
Well we got you. We are the one to make
(40:06):
a better day.
Speaker 5 (40:08):
So let's talk give.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
Me, let's talk you.
Speaker 9 (40:11):
There's a just women.
Speaker 6 (40:15):
We're saying.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
It's true, we.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Make a better day.
Speaker 9 (40:21):
Just give me me
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The Bobby Bones Show
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