December 19, 2024 • 36 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Sir John Key, Don Carson, Stu Duncan and Stu Loe, Jim Hopkins, and Jeremy Rookes.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mckue. Thanks to Brent. You're specialist in
John Deer construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Thank girls in Disgust. Lights up were up all across
the land. John's a brand new born. This comestpar.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Where the child is born, Get a New Zealand Welcome
to the Country. Keeping a Kiwi with Lily T. James.
I'm Jamie mckaye. The show's brought to you by Brent.
Got a special guest to kick it off, former Prime
Minister so John Keith Don Carson. Haven't heard from him
him for quite a while on the show. He's worn
(00:56):
many hats in pr in the primary sector, farmers, the
wall Board, seafood ends, d Forest Owners' Association and a
long held tradition he will name his ag person. It's
the Year Farmer Panel today, ste Duncan and Stu Low.
Jim Hopkins for a cameo appearance. Jeremy Rooks, if he
(01:18):
can get over himself, is going to wrap the year.
Barry Sober if I can find him. No, Chris Brandolino
unfortunately from me. He's already started his holiday break. But
we're hearing reports of some really good rain and parts
of the North Island fill me in, Let me fill
in the country on this one. So five double oh
nine's at text number. If you're in some of those
(01:40):
dry regions, especially in the North Island, throw me a
rainfall number. We're also going to announce the winner of
the Rabobank thousand dollars cash to go to the charity
of your choice, and we'll tell you who won that
shortly on the Country. But up first it's the former PM.
(02:01):
He presided over a rock star economy. What's happened to it?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Mister where job?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
He's a bit of a special guest today on the
Country to wrap the show for the year former Prime
Minister Sir John Key two thousand and eight to twenty sixteen,
when he presided over a rock star economy. John, what's
happened to it?
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Jamie? How are well? I hope you're saving the best
for the last with me, Jamie. But yeah, look, I
don't know what a holla of a number you'd have
to say. And I think you know to be Frank,
living in Auckland as I do, you can really feel
it like I be. In the restaurants have been telling
(02:59):
me this is the worst year they've ever had. Construction's
been through the floor. I mean, really the saving grace
has been the agriculture sector, as you know, I mean
quy for doing incredibly well, you know, been good commodity prices,
but overall you have been able to feel that. And actually, frankly,
I was I was arguing for a while actually that
(03:21):
we'd see this seventy five basis point cut last time.
I think we should have seen that rate should be lower.
That's that's missing. And frankly, as A and Z said yesterday, look,
I just don't know whether they cut fifty or seventy
five in February, but they need to get on with
it because they've got the in straits in the wrong
place and Adrian Or needs to accept that.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Why the hell is the Reserve Bank having effectively almost
a three month Christmas break. Surely they've got to reconvene
and do something. That's part one of the questions. Part
two of the questions, Sir john Key, is should Adrian
Or effectively be sacked on the spot?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Well, it's like the first one. I don't disagree. I mean,
I think you know, they might say, look, all of
lagging indicators, and they always are, and they'd say, well,
we had the rate cut that took place, you know,
not the last one or the one for that. And
it's starting so through that is true, and you are
starting in certain areas like real estate for instance, to
see more sales taking place, but still people are holding off.
(04:17):
So I'm with you. I look, if you talk to
the chief economists today and Z I mean, I'm not
Chimney anymore, but it's all sharing. I think she's excellent.
She has been saying for a while. Fundamentally, the economy
itself is sort of fine. I mean, commodity prices are good,
you can get tourists coming back, there are lots and
lots of things. But what's clearly been wrong has been
(04:38):
the level of interest rates. There are just simply too
high for the economy, and they're choking off way to
demand when inflation is not there and not likely to
be there. So you know, I look, I don't think
I'm going to do an emergency and edying. I think
they'll just leave it till February. I think that's disappointing,
but that'll be where it'll be at. I mean, in
terms of his position, well, though, Look, it's not for
(05:01):
me to judge you and get yourself in the power
power of trouble with all that sort of stuff. But certainly,
all I can tell you is that in all the
time that I've kind of been wandering around, I've seen
a lot most sixty three years of broadly living in
New Zealand, this is still a very very difficult time
for a hell of a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
John, you're damning the Reserve Bank governor with faint praise there.
All right, let's look at how we can get out
of this hole. You've mentioned farming, it's got the primary
sector has to do the heavy lifting. But I'm going
to throw another one at you. Why don't we raise
the age of eligibility for national super to sixty seven?
I realized there'll be a couple of dead bodies lying
over that proposal, namely yours and Winston. If you had
(05:43):
your time again, would you step back on that one? Look?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Probably not if I'm really honest, and let me sort
of tell you why. I mean, Okay, you basically have
a big bubble of people that are aging. We get
a lot, but we're also that big bubble of people
are living a lot longer. So the reality is if
you raise the age of super, which you do by
the way, you give them what would do very slowly
(06:09):
over a decade or so. You do stop some people
going through that key hole at sixty five, because they
go through it at sixty six or sixty seven. But
you stop them going through that saves you some money, granted,
but actually doesn't save you nearly as much as you
think because we used to look at all of those
numbers because offset. The other way is people just living
at one hell of a lot longer. So the truth is,
(06:31):
I don't think that's the real problem in New Zealand.
I don't think Super has ever really been the massive issuing.
We were still were a small percentage of GDP to
fund Super back in my day, four percent or something.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
I think the worst it.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Get to the seven and the super fun prefunds that
I tell you what I think you need to do
really if you want to solve the problems, and it's
what the government is starting to do and what Chris
and the team are doing, and that is you have
to make this Bok go faster. And the way to
do that is cut regulation. Frankly, it is actually cutting taxes.
It is a free trade deal that is loosening labor laws,
(07:06):
that is getting rid of half the bureaucracy because there's
just too much bureaucracy clogging up the system. And if
you look at what Donald Trump did in the first
four years he was in sixteen to twenty, the media
drowned out all the things they don't like about him.
And I accept that. I'm claiming to be a big
Donald Trump fan. I'm just saying what you didn't notice
(07:27):
and what made that economy go very strongly was the
cut of bureaucracy and red tape. And honestly, that's what
I think Elon and these guys are going to do
in the next round. And we've got to be able
to compete with those people. So to do that, we
need we need a system that just operates a lot
more quickly, and that is fixing things like the RMA
(07:47):
and all the stuff that they're attempting to do.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
We talked about raising the age of eligibility for national
super over Winston's dead body while he's still alive and kicking.
He's seventy nine and still going strong. Are you surprised,
because I know you had your moments with him. Are
you surprised at how statesman like he has been, especially
in that foreign affairs portfolio role. He's doing a really
good job as foreign minister.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Yeah, no, I'm not surprised. I mean, actually here he
said this couple of guys that they've been foreign minister
and as you say, done a good job of it.
And I think to be to credit where credits to
Winston's actually working hard, you know, like I mean all
the things I hear and the stuff I see, I
think he genuinely like he entertains a lot of people.
He's doing a lot of visits. I mean, yes, they're
(08:31):
actually give him credit for having the energy there he's
got and what he's doing. I always said to Chris Lackson, look,
I think in government, dealing with Winston will be a
lot easier than you think. And there's many many reasons
for that, and I think broadly speaking that's proven to
be the case. Actually, I mean the reality when I
(08:53):
became Promiston iait and I ruled him out. He was
never coming with us. He was always going to go
to calling Clark and Lay and I think personal he
just literally I think you get used to your coalition
partners and he'd been with them, and years later they
did a doc oh I think, or a book I
can't remember, and when some basically came out and said
Helen Clark and Michael Cullen were the best people I
(09:14):
worked with, Well, that just shows you what he would
have done in O eight. So we were right to
rule them out. But actually I personally thought Chris was
right to rule them in in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
What about Seymour? Is he riding roughshod over the coalition
government and as he's showing up Christopher Luxen as being slightly.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Weak, I don't think so. I mean, firstly, look, we
live in an MVP environment. You have coalition agreements. You
have to honor those agreements. If you don't, then you
busts up the government. You're having another election. That's the
crude reality of it. Yeah, some people can say, wow,
he shouldn't have signed there those coalition agreements, but again
(09:51):
there's a lot of pressure form of government. People don't
want other elections. So it is what it is. And
he's dealing with the treaties. Principal Bill as and Chris
Lackson is as quickly as as you can expect them
as prominise that it's not necessary comfortable, but he's doing it.
Speaker 6 (10:04):
I think.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Look, David's also been very transparent. He campaigned on it,
he talked about it. I personally don't agree with the
bill and I've seen publicly before because I don't think
it actually solves your problem. I think what it does
is if it's ever got parts, it would actually write
down a set of principles, would codified them. Then in
years to come future governments would change and they'd be worse.
(10:27):
So I actually think he's doing a disservice, not a
not a solution to the country. But you know, intellectually,
I can understand is aguently wants.
Speaker 5 (10:35):
To debate it.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
What I'd rather say David really do, though, and I've
said this film personally, is that he really really needs
to focus on that role he's got in regulatory reduction
because over the period of time that labor were notice
they hide an enormous number of people. Now, those people
in Wellington, you know the good they're good people. But
in the end, if you're in that job, you find
a reasons full end of the day, and that is
(10:57):
more and more bureaucracy and so a lot of the stuff.
If you're seeing the government starting to cut through and
David's starting to do it's absolutely critical. I mean, if
we're going to mean it's like some of the stuff.
I mean, you go and talk to your average farmer.
I think they'll tell you, yeah, the interest rates are
high to off here'll be better if we had a
free trade agreement with India or whatever. But what's really
ris and mad is some of the bureaucracy that they've
(11:19):
got to go through and do simple things on farm.
We know that ninety nine point ninety seen them are
great custodians of the land. They actually want to pass
their farm most of the time to a future generation
and they care more about the success of their farm
and that it's environmentally doing the right thing for New
Zealand anything else. So you know, we don't need the
(11:40):
level of red tape these people are tied up in.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
So John Keith, thank you very much for your time. Quick. Yes,
no question to finish with. Are you missing politics?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
No, But like grandparents, I think it's it's good looking
on having all the love and care but no responsibility.
Though by days days are done and we've got a
good prime minister in a good government. So I'll just
let you get on them.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Well, grandkids winstance like a grandfather. You can take them
for a night, cuddle them, and then return them the
next morning. Is that what you mean?
Speaker 4 (12:12):
I think the means of picture of me when something.
People coughing up their lunch or the tea as they
hear this, So we'll just leave their.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
Fits are out.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
So John Key, thanks for your toime. Thanks for wrapping
the air for us on the country nineteen after twelve.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
There you go.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
That's an interesting image to conjure up in your mind,
isn't it. Thanks for the rainfall numbers. The reason I
asked is I got a text from Dave Martin, who
runs the East Coast Farming Expo and Warrah, and he
told me he'd had one hundred and seventy miles of rain,
which seems a hell of a lot of rain to me.
Maybe it was a typo, I don't know, but there's
(12:49):
some good numbers coming in. Seventy five seventy five mills
and Gisbone that'll be most welcome parts of Hawks Bay,
fifty mils, others less than tens eleven mills. TEK A
witty twenty one mills, Winchester in South Canterbury, twenty five
mills and North Otago rights to what a great Christmas present?
(13:11):
Keep the rainfall numbers coming in is one Jamie john
Key needs to butt out. The majority of National supporters
want David Seymour's bill. That's from Roger good On. You're Roger,
thanks for contributing. We're going to take a break and
I've dragged a matter of retirement especially for this slot.
(13:33):
Don Carson, who is who is his ag Person of
the Year. He's up next. It is a long hold
tradition here on the country. The artist formerly known as
(13:54):
the Farming Show for this man to have a say
on the final day. His name is Don Carson. If
you wonder we have heard that name before. He's worn
many PR hats. And the rural sector, the primary sector,
Federated Farmers, the Wool Board, Seafood, New Zealand Forest Owners Association,
the former voice of Midday and Rural Report on National Radio.
(14:18):
And it's heyday and Don you're ag Person of the Year.
Speaker 7 (14:21):
Drum roll Yeah, indeed, Well I've got to go through
the shortlist first. I mean our obviously the Smithfield closure.
While it was a local events, a national significance, and
so Mark went there as chair of the board and
international do because always on this good or bad for
the rural sector inside or outside of New Zealand. And
(14:46):
so the second one on my list is of delay
and the czar of all the Europeans doing a swifty
deal or the fresh were distracted with their political crisis
opening up the European market for cheap South American meat,
which world at some stage have some effect on New
Zealand's trade access into Europe, or at least the cost
and trying to make a profit when there's cheap meat
(15:07):
flooding in there. But the one I decided to eventually
go for was the free trade deal that was done
by the government with the Golf Cooperation Council in the
Persian Gulf twenty years in the making. So the free
statement said, well, it was more like forty years, because
I was on delegations over there that long ago trying
(15:29):
to open up that golf market. Lucrative, small, not that
much really at the moment for New Zealand, not even
though potentially up to the grade of India. But India,
for a number of reasons, is not going to happen
for a long time. So in the meantime, the one
that was opened was the golf and the minister concerned,
the Ag and Trade Minister Todd mcley, for my money,
(15:51):
the AG Person of the Year for twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Yeah, and he's been a warm favorite amongst all of
our correspondents. Before I let you go. You sort of
semi retired now, but you still come up with hair
brain schemes. I remember a few years ago you suggesting
we needed to build a floating rugby stadium and tow
it round to the various cities where we could play
test matches. What's your latest hair brain scheme?
Speaker 8 (16:14):
Ah, well, I.
Speaker 7 (16:15):
Could talk about the Giant Chief project again, which seems
to be the subject of some of the science cuts
the government is doing. And that's one of my royal gripes.
No science advisor for the Prime Minister not being appointed.
And if the government wants increased productivity must have fund
some indulgent stuff there. But generally in the primary sector
(16:37):
where the funding for science has been cut at is suicide,
really stupid stuff, and the government needs to have a
serious thing cutting funding for all sorts of things. Yet
look at it seriously, but in the science area it's madness.
And also, while I'm grizzly, I might as well add
in the other one more time to watch sport these
days now I'm retired, but at least Andrews in the
(16:59):
Olympic and the sprint fantastic performance. My highlight of the year.
But the real grizzle I have is Raisers still having
Damien McKenzie Boden Barrett as an option rather than being
on the paddock together for the full eighty minutes. The
best one to two combination of attacking rugby in the world,
bar Nune and why can't we have it?
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Well, I think there's a guy called Will Jordan that
Raiser wants to play at fallback. But I'm not agreeing
to disagree because I love Bowden Barrett and Damien McKenzie
as well. Hey, Don Carson Todd mcclay's your AG Person
of the Year. Thanks for your time today. I'll catch
you next year.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
Okay, look forward to it, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Thank you, Don. Twenty seven after twelve years with the Country,
brought to you by Brandt Michelle's wandered in here. We
had one thousand dollars worth of Rabobank cash to give
away to the charity of your choice and the chooser
if that's the correct terminology. Was David Stevens from the
White CUTO. Whar did he pick? Michelle?
Speaker 9 (17:56):
He picked it Camp Quality.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Now.
Speaker 9 (17:58):
Camp Quality organized camps for children living with cancer and
they have them across the country in New Zealand, so
a great choice.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Yeah. Camp Quality is the only organization providing camps for
children with cancer. That's a tough pill to swallow at
Christmas time, isn't it. You know, cancers insidious at the
best of times, but in kids just damn awful. Okay,
thank you very much Rabobank. Good on your David Stevens
for nominating Camp Quality one hundred Did I say one hundred?
(18:29):
Multiply that by teen David. A thousand dollars worth of
cash is going to Camp Quality because of your generous nomination.
Up next, it's the final Farmer panel for the year, STUW.
Duncan and Stuelow.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
The Farmer Battle with cortev Agrasciens enriching Wlaves for Generations
to come.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Our final Farmer panel for twenty twenty four. The two
Stew's Stu Duncan and the Many a Toto Stu Low
and North Canterbury, both of them were getting pretty dry.
We're hearing reports of good rain, especially in parts of
the North Island. Stu Low, I'll go to you in
North Canterbury. How are you faring?
Speaker 5 (19:14):
You know, we're getting a good wedding rain as we speak.
Jamie to City odd Mills on Monday, and I think
the probably haven't turned the corner, but it's just stretching.
Speaker 8 (19:27):
Well.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
It's certainly giving green feed in winter cross that we've
got on the ground for next year. It's giving them
a boost at the moment. It's really good.
Speaker 6 (19:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
With the promise of a bit more on the forecast
Stu Duncan and the Mani a Toto you're a bit
more inland, there will that easterly stuff come in and
get you.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
We just had a wee bit of drizzle now coming
in and there's a bit in the forecast. Hopefully we
get ten or twenty mills anyway to you go in
and we're at the same we're really dry and stockwater
was running out with a lot of the creeks were
just ding to dry up. So it's getting a bit true.
But yeah, definitely it's come easily and low cloud and drizzling,
and hopefully it just rolls bay for a couple of
(20:06):
days and we'll get twenty to thirty mill out of it.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Before we ask you for your respective agg Persons of
the Year, Stue low how's your farming you have been
and I know the answer challenging.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Yeah, well, we'll well through my lembs now obviously a
lamb bore earlier than the other shoe, so you were
well well through. And the money stayed pretty much the
same all the way through, which is unheard of since
tobbing farming. It's still around the eight dollar mart which
is great. The beef price of anything that's snuck up
for prime beef on well through mckill there as well.
(20:39):
So via the tail end of the year, returns wise
has been really really good. Yeah, but challenging sort of
autumn winter as far as just like a moisture, but yeah,
that's been rixiplied a weaver at the moment, so you
know it's it's going to probably finish finishing a good
in a good way, hopefully.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Stew Stu Lowoff got with me, of course, what do
you do for the rest of the summer? Spray the
gorse and then go on holiday for two months.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Well, I've actually got a knee off in the new year,
so I've sort of wound things down because of that.
So but yeah, I'll probably on the bike and trying
to keep fit and get foot Yeah, well.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Good on you, and that the knee injury will be
an old war wound from your rugby days. You should
be sending the ends that are you a bill for this?
Speaker 5 (21:28):
No, actually I think it's more farming related actually, so
it's just just wearing tears. Yeah, a half knee, so
hopefully alleviate a bit of pain and so I can
get back then the golf course. Maybe, good on you.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Stu Duncan. What about you? How's your farming here been.
Speaker 6 (21:43):
We've been pretty tough, really, we were really dry. We
were good up to November last year got really dry
that affected conception rates and then we had a horrid winter.
Really we fed out more hay, three thousand balls of
hey we fed out this year and use everything we
had and including the grains, fed a lot out and then,
like we've talked about before, we got hammered in the
(22:03):
rain and the snow. So we'll be on thy fifteen
hundred lambs down on our average, but our crops we've
put a lot of crops in or we just made
a thousand bolls of baile. It's this last week or
ten days, so got lots of wind feed in and
I've just been looking at the fire bea looks outstanding
and most of the kale and swedes are up, so
we've got a good start now, So hopefully lambs like
(22:23):
shoes got eight dollars, and people have been just starting
to kill a wee few lambs and the miniotato now
and they've been yielding really well, so hopefully what the
lambs we have got, we can pick up the forty
or fifty dollars on that. And the cattle been really good.
They've picked up in condition that feeds come away for them,
so hopefully we pull into the next part. And there's
a bit of demand for store lambs as well if
you did have to sell into them, and there's a
(22:45):
lot of buyers around here buy and store lambs just
to make up some cash flow that they've lost out
in their lambing. And they seems to pretty general over
the miniotato that the ones well down and lambs, so
that hopefully we come right a bit. You know, the
Steelo's given us a bit of hope because they've got
rid of the names stayed up and that stayed up
for us. So if we can do the same follow
line a couple of months after, we'll be right too.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
I hope it's too low. Who's your egg person of the.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
Year, you'll go on on Jaquan rolf theme. She put
us down at all the farmers as her people of
the year. So I'd put all the people associated with
my farm, like the skinners, the crutching, trailer boys and
you know contracts years stockage and fat stock buys and
track driders, all those fellows that you know, when they
(23:30):
turn up on time, everything runs smooth and just makes
your job so much better. So all the people that
you help special with my situations are one man band
sort of thing. All those people that are just associated
that you're just give them the thumbs up and thanks
and when they drive out the gate. So all those
sort of people, as far as I'm concerned, Oh.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
That's a good shout out. Stu Duncan.
Speaker 8 (23:51):
Yeah, well I go.
Speaker 6 (23:52):
But finally mad in the sense that I think it's
those young families and you know if you've been involved
with sheep and beef, and I know we've got a
lot of young Harry farmers and young families are starting
the Minietarta and they'll be involved with seating people probably
the worst financial year they're going to have in their lifetime.
And they are on the dog trials, they are liberating,
they're running the bars at the Apia Club for the funerals,
and they're on the board of trustees and taking their
(24:15):
kids to play center in sports. So I think those
young people that are sticking with agriculture and pretty tough
times and want to make a real fist of it
are going to be fantastic leaders in the future because
they're fantastic people now. So I think all those young
ones that feel that they're not getting hurt and not
getting to say though, that they're the real inspiration the
agriculture at the moment.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
All right, lads, thank you very much for your contribution
throughout twenty twenty four. We'll catch you back next to
you Merry Christmas, Verry Christmas, jam and all your listeners.
I think Smote Stu, Stu duncan no time to waste up.
Next Michelle with Rural News. Ruen is going to do
a cameo appearance with Sports News tru This would have
(25:07):
to be one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time.
The Pogues Rural News and Sports News cameo appearance from
Rowena Duncan, who's making away from Auckland where she's a jaffer,
down to Blue Ducks Station. I think we let's play
this week rural News, sting the.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Country's world news with cob Cadets, New Zealand's leading right
on lawn Bower brand visit Steelford dot Co dots for
your locals, Dockers, and we love.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
The team at Steelford. We've got one of those cub
cadets worth six ninety nine dollars to give away when
we get back in the new year. But Michelle, good
afternoon again. You were going to do some rural news
on Smithfield, but you said it was too depressing on
the eve of Christmas, and we rarely do, we really do.
Our hearts go out to all those workers, a lot
(25:56):
of them lifetime workers, who have lost their job at
Smithfield on the eve of Christmas. Who's your egg person
of the Year?
Speaker 9 (26:03):
My egg person of the Year Jamie is a bit
ley field. I've packed Ben Peruer, who won the Art
of Fenawa Young Farmer Award this year. You also won
the Dairy Farmer Award this year. And he's just doing
great things out there for people that are, you know,
doing it tough, coming out of prison, working on farms
and just doing a lot of good stuff out there.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
You're the second one this week to name him. Rowena Duncom.
Are you there? Where are you? Are you there? Right?
Speaker 10 (26:24):
I am hello?
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Well, you are a hard dog to keep on the porch.
Where are you at the moment?
Speaker 10 (26:29):
I'm in the main street of tomat annuis on my way.
If you say to Blue Duck Station.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Well, John mcavinny talking about steele Foot went to Blue
Duck Station. He said it was great.
Speaker 10 (26:39):
Oh, I'm so looking forward to it. I've kind of
I've learned a lot this year, Jamie. As we all know,
it was a year that started with me down there
in jnedin with you and ended with me in Auckland
and you and Donedin. But I have learned a lot.
And one of the things I've learned has been I
haven't had enough time off this year, so that's I'm
going to Blue Duck station two days with no cell
phone coverage. I'm not buying wife.
Speaker 7 (26:59):
Yeah, have you read have you.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Ever heard of a staycation that might help your cause? Anyhow,
I don't want to get on your case. I'm not
lecturing you with the life lesson. Who's your rag person
of the Year.
Speaker 10 (27:09):
Yeah, I loved Michelle's one of Ben Puduer. I think
he's amazing, but mine is actually Todd McLay. I think
the amount of overseas trips. You say, I'm a hard
dog to keep on the porch, the amount of travel
he has done this year. You know, if we don't
get some of these free trade agreements like India over
the line, it is not for lack of trying. I
think he has really done hard yet to try and
(27:30):
make these happen. And I think I can't wait to
see what happens in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Okay, there we go.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Sport with ASCO. Visit them online at AFCO, dot co,
dot NZED.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
And Liam Lawson no doubt is leading the sports snooze.
Speaker 10 (27:44):
Yes in your final sports news headlines on the country
for twenty twenty four. Thanks to our good mates at ASCO,
an emotional moment for Liam Lawson telling his father had
earned the second Formula One seat at Red Bull Racing
for twenty twenty five. The young kiwee driver has been
confirmed the Red Bulls partner to Max for Stubben Laws
and says his dad sat there silently for about two
(28:05):
minutes and sheared this belief and then got quite emotional.
How beautiful I am. The finalist semi finalists are ring
a lockdown for English Football's League Cap. Tottenham have booked
their place in the last four with a topsy turvy
four to three home win over Manchester United Boo and
Spurs will face Liverpool in one semi final Arsenal pay
Newcastle and the other and be safe. Everyone, make good
(28:27):
choices this summer and catch you back in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
There you go, Rowena, Duncan, look who We've got no
time to waste, So I do want to Muzz says
to d Rouena. Take a gun with it to blue
duck station. I don't think you're allowed to shoot the
blue ducks. But but but but but tes Neville in
Northland fifteen meals in the last six weeks in central
north and getting very dry up here. I think there's
some rain coming your way, Bruce and Mid Canterbury. Fifteen
(28:53):
meals of rain this morning, twenty two mills a few
days ago. So that's that's that's a useful start. Hopefully
some more rain coming for Christmas for you farmers. Up next,
it is Jim Hopkins, who's his AG person of the year.
(29:13):
He is coming off the bench and hopefully he's going
to come off hot. Jim Hopkins Rural rack on tour.
I'm getting a cameo appearance for his AG person of
the Year. I've said, Jim, limited to ninety seconds. And
I know you've never done that in your life before,
with a couple of exceptions probably in your personal life.
But my friend, tell me who your ag person of
(29:34):
the year is as you take time out from a
white Stone cheese tour in Oamoru.
Speaker 11 (29:39):
Hey you yes, brilliant cheese and brilliant town. And I
shall be brief, and I'm not going for one rural
person of the year. I've well as country, I've got
your country top ten hot number ten. Donald Trump, he'd
be higher, and he definitely will be high next year
once we know exactly what his terror plans are. But
I think his policies have already forced the recings trigger
(30:00):
to rethink in some local boardrooms. Number nine, Shane Jones
your Princes of the province as they'd be higher if
his focus was just on agriculture, but he's opted to
stick it to people like greenpeas that he's reminded Urban
Kiwi's just how important all the industries in the provinces
are to maintaining our standard of living.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
Number eight.
Speaker 11 (30:20):
For the same reasons that Jane Smith beatured yesterday, I'll
nominate Craig Wiggans along with Farm Safe and Rural Support.
Number seven You, Jamie, Yes, you forgive me so many
people a platform and for taking the show into every
town in the country except also christ Church. And you'd
be higher if it weren't for the fact that it's
(30:40):
so timid about having people on who challenge the increasingly
dubious global warming orthodoxy. Number six and five joint nominees again,
Jane Smith and Jackal and Rowers again for another year.
I'm convinced these two passionate ladies are the rural sector's
best public champions, play a great role as advocates and
(31:02):
I salute them both. Staying with advocates. Number four Wayne England.
He's made a very effective voice for federal agent farmers
and at number three Minister for Rural Communities and Associate
Minister of Agriculture Mark Patterson. I heard him recently at
a meeting of councils where he was saying how the
government had got and was going to back twenty irrigation
(31:23):
and more to sturage projects and stress that the government
knew how important the rural sector was as a key
driver of growth. Number two jointly again Minister of Agriculture
Tom McLay and PM Chris Luckson talking to talk and
walking the walk. I really take my hats off, hat
toof to both of them for they ever store in
the farmer's confidence road shows and I can't help quote
(31:48):
Christopher Luxeon congratulating farmers for every man, woman and child
in New Zealand, you farmers generate ten thousand dollars purpose
take notice New Zealand. And. Based on that. Number one
was going to be one person, but I've gone for two.
Jointly the CEO of the Year leading the Company of
the Year Fonterra boss Miles Hurral and along with Mils
(32:13):
the ghost of Eugeni stage. Why Eugenie, I hear you ask,
will remember the year, the part of Yuzini regularly the
outcing fonterra in parliament and what she called dirty dairy. Well,
this week we learn from you that tonterra and dairy
more generally earns forty five percent of all the dollars
(32:34):
we get overseas. Forty five percent of everything the rest
of the world pays God's own comes from cows and
the people who farm them and the people who process
what they produce. That forty five percent is vital people
if we want to stay in the first world. So
Eugeni's dirty dairy has become miles hurreles Darling dairy, and
(32:58):
that's why they should hear number one four.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Jim Hopkins. That is the longest ninety seconds of my life.
I can truly say, Missus Hopkins was a lucky woman
back in the day. If we're measuring on time, thank
you very much for your time. You keep up the
white Stone chief to a merry Christmas, my friend.
Speaker 11 (33:17):
Same for you, mate, you.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Christmases all around, and so the g Just before we
go to our final guest for twenty twenty four, and
what an honor it is for him to have the slot,
even though he doesn't appreciate it or respect that Jeremy
Rook's coming up. Just a quick message here from a
farm Strong handy reminder from the team at farm Strong.
(33:43):
It's a busy time on the farm and orchard, but
everyone needs recovery time stay on top of their game.
So if you're feeling under the pump, push the reset button,
get off farm for a bit of a catch up
with your mates and recharge, just like Jeremy Rooks does
on a daily basis. For more tips on how to
stay farm strong, head to farmstrong dot co dot n
z right. Jeremy my AG person of the Year. Ultimately,
(34:09):
I've put him here because he put the current farmer
friendly government into power and along with Todd McLay, he's
done a great job of getting off his backside unlike
his predecessor, and getting on a plane and selling New
Zealand to the world. My AG Person of the Year,
Jeremy Brooks was born in a Northland manger nearly eighty
(34:30):
years ago. My AG Person of the Year is Winston Peters.
Good afternoon, Jez.
Speaker 8 (34:36):
Hello Jamie. Well, actually I kind of agree but in
a different sense because if we didn't have Winston sitting
in the bench of the Parliament, we'd be stuffed because
it's just degenerated in there into an absolute shit show.
I mean, Jerry Browne can't can't see the control the
Maory Party in the Green. So I'm with you on Winston.
(34:56):
I think his presence is very very much appreciated at
the moment because he's the only one that'll take them off.
Speaker 11 (35:02):
Yeah, terrible.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Well, I honestly think he's getting better with age. I'm
almost threatening to vote from and I've never done that before. Okay,
who's your agg person of the ear. You've got a
minute nail it?
Speaker 8 (35:12):
Well, I've got I've got a couple of things today.
I'd like to have to sort of give give a
shout out to all the people on YouTube and social
media like Kiwi Farmer, Hill Country Farmer, Deep Deep South
Sheep and Beef because they put it out there on
YouTube for the world to see and they're great. And
on that note, part of that is I'd give the
Sexiest Man and Farming Award to Ben Dooley, who's just
(35:35):
brought a new pair of aviator front.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
To go with the Canterbury Studies. Yep, what else are
you going?
Speaker 8 (35:42):
I've got I was going to give it to Wayne Langford,
but yesterday he admitted he was a Michael Boublat fan
and I think that he's going to be resigned immediately
as head of Federated Farmers for report.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Take to music, You've got twenty seconds.
Speaker 8 (35:56):
It's just the same as Stu Duncan at some All
the young people out there that are so full of enthusiasm, optimism, energy,
they're into it. They enjoy the opportunity they've got and
they are the future, unlike Nigglie old buggers like me.
So all the young and young under forties out there
getting to keep going.
Speaker 5 (36:14):
There we go.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Jeremy Rooks with the final word for twenty twenty four.
Catch them back next year.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
You catch all the latest from the land. It's the
Country Podcast with Jamie McGue Thanks to Brent, your specialist
in John Deere Machinery.
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie mckue. Thanks to Brent. You're specialist in
John Deer construction equipment.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Thank girls in Disgust. Lights up were up all across
the land. John's a brand new born. This comestpar.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Where the child is born, Get a New Zealand Welcome
to the Country. Keeping a Kiwi with Lily T. James.
I'm Jamie mckaye. The show's brought to you by Brent.
Got a special guest to kick it off, former Prime
Minister so John Keith Don Carson. Haven't heard from him
him for quite a while on the show. He's worn
(00:56):
many hats in pr in the primary sector, farmers, the
wall Board, seafood ends, d Forest Owners' Association and a
long held tradition he will name his ag person. It's
the Year Farmer Panel today, ste Duncan and Stu Low.
Jim Hopkins for a cameo appearance. Jeremy Rooks, if he
(01:18):
can get over himself, is going to wrap the year.
Barry Sober if I can find him. No, Chris Brandolino
unfortunately from me. He's already started his holiday break. But
we're hearing reports of some really good rain and parts
of the North Island fill me in, Let me fill
in the country on this one. So five double oh
nine's at text number. If you're in some of those
(01:40):
dry regions, especially in the North Island, throw me a
rainfall number. We're also going to announce the winner of
the Rabobank thousand dollars cash to go to the charity
of your choice, and we'll tell you who won that
shortly on the Country. But up first it's the former PM.
(02:01):
He presided over a rock star economy. What's happened to it?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Mister where job?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
He's a bit of a special guest today on the
Country to wrap the show for the year former Prime
Minister Sir John Key two thousand and eight to twenty sixteen,
when he presided over a rock star economy. John, what's
happened to it?
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Jamie? How are well? I hope you're saving the best
for the last with me, Jamie. But yeah, look, I
don't know what a holla of a number you'd have
to say. And I think you know to be Frank,
living in Auckland as I do, you can really feel
it like I be. In the restaurants have been telling
(02:59):
me this is the worst year they've ever had. Construction's
been through the floor. I mean, really the saving grace
has been the agriculture sector, as you know, I mean
quy for doing incredibly well, you know, been good commodity prices,
but overall you have been able to feel that. And actually, frankly,
I was I was arguing for a while actually that
(03:21):
we'd see this seventy five basis point cut last time.
I think we should have seen that rate should be lower.
That's that's missing. And frankly, as A and Z said yesterday, look,
I just don't know whether they cut fifty or seventy
five in February, but they need to get on with
it because they've got the in straits in the wrong
place and Adrian Or needs to accept that.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Why the hell is the Reserve Bank having effectively almost
a three month Christmas break. Surely they've got to reconvene
and do something. That's part one of the questions. Part
two of the questions, Sir john Key, is should Adrian
Or effectively be sacked on the spot?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Well, it's like the first one. I don't disagree. I mean,
I think you know, they might say, look, all of
lagging indicators, and they always are, and they'd say, well,
we had the rate cut that took place, you know,
not the last one or the one for that. And
it's starting so through that is true, and you are
starting in certain areas like real estate for instance, to
see more sales taking place, but still people are holding off.
(04:17):
So I'm with you. I look, if you talk to
the chief economists today and Z I mean, I'm not
Chimney anymore, but it's all sharing. I think she's excellent.
She has been saying for a while. Fundamentally, the economy
itself is sort of fine. I mean, commodity prices are good,
you can get tourists coming back, there are lots and
lots of things. But what's clearly been wrong has been
(04:38):
the level of interest rates. There are just simply too
high for the economy, and they're choking off way to
demand when inflation is not there and not likely to
be there. So you know, I look, I don't think
I'm going to do an emergency and edying. I think
they'll just leave it till February. I think that's disappointing,
but that'll be where it'll be at. I mean, in
terms of his position, well, though, Look, it's not for
(05:01):
me to judge you and get yourself in the power
power of trouble with all that sort of stuff. But certainly,
all I can tell you is that in all the
time that I've kind of been wandering around, I've seen
a lot most sixty three years of broadly living in
New Zealand, this is still a very very difficult time
for a hell of a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
John, you're damning the Reserve Bank governor with faint praise there.
All right, let's look at how we can get out
of this hole. You've mentioned farming, it's got the primary
sector has to do the heavy lifting. But I'm going
to throw another one at you. Why don't we raise
the age of eligibility for national super to sixty seven?
I realized there'll be a couple of dead bodies lying
over that proposal, namely yours and Winston. If you had
(05:43):
your time again, would you step back on that one? Look?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Probably not if I'm really honest, and let me sort
of tell you why. I mean, Okay, you basically have
a big bubble of people that are aging. We get
a lot, but we're also that big bubble of people
are living a lot longer. So the reality is if
you raise the age of super, which you do by
the way, you give them what would do very slowly
(06:09):
over a decade or so. You do stop some people
going through that key hole at sixty five, because they
go through it at sixty six or sixty seven. But
you stop them going through that saves you some money, granted,
but actually doesn't save you nearly as much as you
think because we used to look at all of those
numbers because offset. The other way is people just living
at one hell of a lot longer. So the truth is,
(06:31):
I don't think that's the real problem in New Zealand.
I don't think Super has ever really been the massive issuing.
We were still were a small percentage of GDP to
fund Super back in my day, four percent or something.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
I think the worst it.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Get to the seven and the super fun prefunds that
I tell you what I think you need to do
really if you want to solve the problems, and it's
what the government is starting to do and what Chris
and the team are doing, and that is you have
to make this Bok go faster. And the way to
do that is cut regulation. Frankly, it is actually cutting taxes.
It is a free trade deal that is loosening labor laws,
(07:06):
that is getting rid of half the bureaucracy because there's
just too much bureaucracy clogging up the system. And if
you look at what Donald Trump did in the first
four years he was in sixteen to twenty, the media
drowned out all the things they don't like about him.
And I accept that. I'm claiming to be a big
Donald Trump fan. I'm just saying what you didn't notice
(07:27):
and what made that economy go very strongly was the
cut of bureaucracy and red tape. And honestly, that's what
I think Elon and these guys are going to do
in the next round. And we've got to be able
to compete with those people. So to do that, we
need we need a system that just operates a lot
more quickly, and that is fixing things like the RMA
(07:47):
and all the stuff that they're attempting to do.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
We talked about raising the age of eligibility for national
super over Winston's dead body while he's still alive and kicking.
He's seventy nine and still going strong. Are you surprised,
because I know you had your moments with him. Are
you surprised at how statesman like he has been, especially
in that foreign affairs portfolio role. He's doing a really
good job as foreign minister.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Yeah, no, I'm not surprised. I mean, actually here he
said this couple of guys that they've been foreign minister
and as you say, done a good job of it.
And I think to be to credit where credits to
Winston's actually working hard, you know, like I mean all
the things I hear and the stuff I see, I
think he genuinely like he entertains a lot of people.
He's doing a lot of visits. I mean, yes, they're
(08:31):
actually give him credit for having the energy there he's
got and what he's doing. I always said to Chris Lackson, look,
I think in government, dealing with Winston will be a
lot easier than you think. And there's many many reasons
for that, and I think broadly speaking that's proven to
be the case. Actually, I mean the reality when I
(08:53):
became Promiston iait and I ruled him out. He was
never coming with us. He was always going to go
to calling Clark and Lay and I think personal he
just literally I think you get used to your coalition
partners and he'd been with them, and years later they
did a doc oh I think, or a book I
can't remember, and when some basically came out and said
Helen Clark and Michael Cullen were the best people I
(09:14):
worked with, Well, that just shows you what he would
have done in O eight. So we were right to
rule them out. But actually I personally thought Chris was
right to rule them in in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
What about Seymour? Is he riding roughshod over the coalition
government and as he's showing up Christopher Luxen as being slightly.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Weak, I don't think so. I mean, firstly, look, we
live in an MVP environment. You have coalition agreements. You
have to honor those agreements. If you don't, then you
busts up the government. You're having another election. That's the
crude reality of it. Yeah, some people can say, wow,
he shouldn't have signed there those coalition agreements, but again
(09:51):
there's a lot of pressure form of government. People don't
want other elections. So it is what it is. And
he's dealing with the treaties. Principal Bill as and Chris
Lackson is as quickly as as you can expect them
as prominise that it's not necessary comfortable, but he's doing it.
Speaker 6 (10:04):
I think.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Look, David's also been very transparent. He campaigned on it,
he talked about it. I personally don't agree with the
bill and I've seen publicly before because I don't think
it actually solves your problem. I think what it does
is if it's ever got parts, it would actually write
down a set of principles, would codified them. Then in
years to come future governments would change and they'd be worse.
(10:27):
So I actually think he's doing a disservice, not a
not a solution to the country. But you know, intellectually,
I can understand is aguently wants.
Speaker 5 (10:35):
To debate it.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
What I'd rather say David really do, though, and I've
said this film personally, is that he really really needs
to focus on that role he's got in regulatory reduction
because over the period of time that labor were notice
they hide an enormous number of people. Now, those people
in Wellington, you know the good they're good people. But
in the end, if you're in that job, you find
a reasons full end of the day, and that is
(10:57):
more and more bureaucracy and so a lot of the stuff.
If you're seeing the government starting to cut through and
David's starting to do it's absolutely critical. I mean, if
we're going to mean it's like some of the stuff.
I mean, you go and talk to your average farmer.
I think they'll tell you, yeah, the interest rates are
high to off here'll be better if we had a
free trade agreement with India or whatever. But what's really
ris and mad is some of the bureaucracy that they've
(11:19):
got to go through and do simple things on farm.
We know that ninety nine point ninety seen them are
great custodians of the land. They actually want to pass
their farm most of the time to a future generation
and they care more about the success of their farm
and that it's environmentally doing the right thing for New
Zealand anything else. So you know, we don't need the
(11:40):
level of red tape these people are tied up in.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
So John Keith, thank you very much for your time. Quick. Yes,
no question to finish with. Are you missing politics?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
No, But like grandparents, I think it's it's good looking
on having all the love and care but no responsibility.
Though by days days are done and we've got a
good prime minister in a good government. So I'll just
let you get on them.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Well, grandkids winstance like a grandfather. You can take them
for a night, cuddle them, and then return them the
next morning. Is that what you mean?
Speaker 4 (12:12):
I think the means of picture of me when something.
People coughing up their lunch or the tea as they
hear this, So we'll just leave their.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
Fits are out.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
So John Key, thanks for your toime. Thanks for wrapping
the air for us on the country nineteen after twelve.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
There you go.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
That's an interesting image to conjure up in your mind,
isn't it. Thanks for the rainfall numbers. The reason I
asked is I got a text from Dave Martin, who
runs the East Coast Farming Expo and Warrah, and he
told me he'd had one hundred and seventy miles of rain,
which seems a hell of a lot of rain to me.
Maybe it was a typo, I don't know, but there's
(12:49):
some good numbers coming in. Seventy five seventy five mills
and Gisbone that'll be most welcome parts of Hawks Bay,
fifty mils, others less than tens eleven mills. TEK A
witty twenty one mills, Winchester in South Canterbury, twenty five
mills and North Otago rights to what a great Christmas present?
(13:11):
Keep the rainfall numbers coming in is one Jamie john
Key needs to butt out. The majority of National supporters
want David Seymour's bill. That's from Roger good On. You're Roger,
thanks for contributing. We're going to take a break and
I've dragged a matter of retirement especially for this slot.
(13:33):
Don Carson, who is who is his ag Person of
the Year. He's up next. It is a long hold
tradition here on the country. The artist formerly known as
(13:54):
the Farming Show for this man to have a say
on the final day. His name is Don Carson. If
you wonder we have heard that name before. He's worn
many PR hats. And the rural sector, the primary sector,
Federated Farmers, the Wool Board, Seafood, New Zealand Forest Owners Association,
the former voice of Midday and Rural Report on National Radio.
(14:18):
And it's heyday and Don you're ag Person of the Year.
Speaker 7 (14:21):
Drum roll Yeah, indeed, Well I've got to go through
the shortlist first. I mean our obviously the Smithfield closure.
While it was a local events, a national significance, and
so Mark went there as chair of the board and
international do because always on this good or bad for
the rural sector inside or outside of New Zealand. And
(14:46):
so the second one on my list is of delay
and the czar of all the Europeans doing a swifty
deal or the fresh were distracted with their political crisis
opening up the European market for cheap South American meat,
which world at some stage have some effect on New
Zealand's trade access into Europe, or at least the cost
and trying to make a profit when there's cheap meat
(15:07):
flooding in there. But the one I decided to eventually
go for was the free trade deal that was done
by the government with the Golf Cooperation Council in the
Persian Gulf twenty years in the making. So the free
statement said, well, it was more like forty years, because
I was on delegations over there that long ago trying
(15:29):
to open up that golf market. Lucrative, small, not that
much really at the moment for New Zealand, not even
though potentially up to the grade of India. But India,
for a number of reasons, is not going to happen
for a long time. So in the meantime, the one
that was opened was the golf and the minister concerned,
the Ag and Trade Minister Todd mcley, for my money,
(15:51):
the AG Person of the Year for twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Yeah, and he's been a warm favorite amongst all of
our correspondents. Before I let you go. You sort of
semi retired now, but you still come up with hair
brain schemes. I remember a few years ago you suggesting
we needed to build a floating rugby stadium and tow
it round to the various cities where we could play
test matches. What's your latest hair brain scheme?
Speaker 8 (16:14):
Ah, well, I.
Speaker 7 (16:15):
Could talk about the Giant Chief project again, which seems
to be the subject of some of the science cuts
the government is doing. And that's one of my royal gripes.
No science advisor for the Prime Minister not being appointed.
And if the government wants increased productivity must have fund
some indulgent stuff there. But generally in the primary sector
(16:37):
where the funding for science has been cut at is suicide,
really stupid stuff, and the government needs to have a
serious thing cutting funding for all sorts of things. Yet
look at it seriously, but in the science area it's madness.
And also, while I'm grizzly, I might as well add
in the other one more time to watch sport these
days now I'm retired, but at least Andrews in the
(16:59):
Olympic and the sprint fantastic performance. My highlight of the year.
But the real grizzle I have is Raisers still having
Damien McKenzie Boden Barrett as an option rather than being
on the paddock together for the full eighty minutes. The
best one to two combination of attacking rugby in the world,
bar Nune and why can't we have it?
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Well, I think there's a guy called Will Jordan that
Raiser wants to play at fallback. But I'm not agreeing
to disagree because I love Bowden Barrett and Damien McKenzie
as well. Hey, Don Carson Todd mcclay's your AG Person
of the Year. Thanks for your time today. I'll catch
you next year.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
Okay, look forward to it, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Thank you, Don. Twenty seven after twelve years with the Country,
brought to you by Brandt Michelle's wandered in here. We
had one thousand dollars worth of Rabobank cash to give
away to the charity of your choice and the chooser
if that's the correct terminology. Was David Stevens from the
White CUTO. Whar did he pick? Michelle?
Speaker 9 (17:56):
He picked it Camp Quality.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Now.
Speaker 9 (17:58):
Camp Quality organized camps for children living with cancer and
they have them across the country in New Zealand, so
a great choice.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Yeah. Camp Quality is the only organization providing camps for
children with cancer. That's a tough pill to swallow at
Christmas time, isn't it. You know, cancers insidious at the
best of times, but in kids just damn awful. Okay,
thank you very much Rabobank. Good on your David Stevens
for nominating Camp Quality one hundred Did I say one hundred?
(18:29):
Multiply that by teen David. A thousand dollars worth of
cash is going to Camp Quality because of your generous nomination.
Up next, it's the final Farmer panel for the year, STUW.
Duncan and Stuelow.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
The Farmer Battle with cortev Agrasciens enriching Wlaves for Generations
to come.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Our final Farmer panel for twenty twenty four. The two
Stew's Stu Duncan and the Many a Toto Stu Low
and North Canterbury, both of them were getting pretty dry.
We're hearing reports of good rain, especially in parts of
the North Island. Stu Low, I'll go to you in
North Canterbury. How are you faring?
Speaker 5 (19:14):
You know, we're getting a good wedding rain as we speak.
Jamie to City odd Mills on Monday, and I think
the probably haven't turned the corner, but it's just stretching.
Speaker 8 (19:27):
Well.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
It's certainly giving green feed in winter cross that we've
got on the ground for next year. It's giving them
a boost at the moment. It's really good.
Speaker 6 (19:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
With the promise of a bit more on the forecast
Stu Duncan and the Mani a Toto you're a bit
more inland, there will that easterly stuff come in and
get you.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
We just had a wee bit of drizzle now coming
in and there's a bit in the forecast. Hopefully we
get ten or twenty mills anyway to you go in
and we're at the same we're really dry and stockwater
was running out with a lot of the creeks were
just ding to dry up. So it's getting a bit true.
But yeah, definitely it's come easily and low cloud and drizzling,
and hopefully it just rolls bay for a couple of
(20:06):
days and we'll get twenty to thirty mill out of it.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Before we ask you for your respective agg Persons of
the Year, Stue low how's your farming you have been
and I know the answer challenging.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Yeah, well, we'll well through my lembs now obviously a
lamb bore earlier than the other shoe, so you were
well well through. And the money stayed pretty much the
same all the way through, which is unheard of since
tobbing farming. It's still around the eight dollar mart which
is great. The beef price of anything that's snuck up
for prime beef on well through mckill there as well.
(20:39):
So via the tail end of the year, returns wise
has been really really good. Yeah, but challenging sort of
autumn winter as far as just like a moisture, but yeah,
that's been rixiplied a weaver at the moment, so you
know it's it's going to probably finish finishing a good
in a good way, hopefully.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Stew Stu Lowoff got with me, of course, what do
you do for the rest of the summer? Spray the
gorse and then go on holiday for two months.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Well, I've actually got a knee off in the new year,
so I've sort of wound things down because of that.
So but yeah, I'll probably on the bike and trying
to keep fit and get foot Yeah, well.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Good on you, and that the knee injury will be
an old war wound from your rugby days. You should
be sending the ends that are you a bill for this?
Speaker 5 (21:28):
No, actually I think it's more farming related actually, so
it's just just wearing tears. Yeah, a half knee, so
hopefully alleviate a bit of pain and so I can
get back then the golf course. Maybe, good on you.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Stu Duncan. What about you? How's your farming here been.
Speaker 6 (21:43):
We've been pretty tough, really, we were really dry. We
were good up to November last year got really dry
that affected conception rates and then we had a horrid winter.
Really we fed out more hay, three thousand balls of
hey we fed out this year and use everything we
had and including the grains, fed a lot out and then,
like we've talked about before, we got hammered in the
(22:03):
rain and the snow. So we'll be on thy fifteen
hundred lambs down on our average, but our crops we've
put a lot of crops in or we just made
a thousand bolls of baile. It's this last week or
ten days, so got lots of wind feed in and
I've just been looking at the fire bea looks outstanding
and most of the kale and swedes are up, so
we've got a good start now, So hopefully lambs like
(22:23):
shoes got eight dollars, and people have been just starting
to kill a wee few lambs and the miniotato now
and they've been yielding really well, so hopefully what the
lambs we have got, we can pick up the forty
or fifty dollars on that. And the cattle been really good.
They've picked up in condition that feeds come away for them,
so hopefully we pull into the next part. And there's
a bit of demand for store lambs as well if
you did have to sell into them, and there's a
(22:45):
lot of buyers around here buy and store lambs just
to make up some cash flow that they've lost out
in their lambing. And they seems to pretty general over
the miniotato that the ones well down and lambs, so
that hopefully we come right a bit. You know, the
Steelo's given us a bit of hope because they've got
rid of the names stayed up and that stayed up
for us. So if we can do the same follow
line a couple of months after, we'll be right too.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
I hope it's too low. Who's your egg person of the.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
Year, you'll go on on Jaquan rolf theme. She put
us down at all the farmers as her people of
the year. So I'd put all the people associated with
my farm, like the skinners, the crutching, trailer boys and
you know contracts years stockage and fat stock buys and
track driders, all those fellows that you know, when they
(23:30):
turn up on time, everything runs smooth and just makes
your job so much better. So all the people that
you help special with my situations are one man band
sort of thing. All those people that are just associated
that you're just give them the thumbs up and thanks
and when they drive out the gate. So all those
sort of people, as far as I'm concerned, Oh.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
That's a good shout out. Stu Duncan.
Speaker 8 (23:51):
Yeah, well I go.
Speaker 6 (23:52):
But finally mad in the sense that I think it's
those young families and you know if you've been involved
with sheep and beef, and I know we've got a
lot of young Harry farmers and young families are starting
the Minietarta and they'll be involved with seating people probably
the worst financial year they're going to have in their lifetime.
And they are on the dog trials, they are liberating,
they're running the bars at the Apia Club for the funerals,
and they're on the board of trustees and taking their
(24:15):
kids to play center in sports. So I think those
young people that are sticking with agriculture and pretty tough
times and want to make a real fist of it
are going to be fantastic leaders in the future because
they're fantastic people now. So I think all those young
ones that feel that they're not getting hurt and not
getting to say though, that they're the real inspiration the
agriculture at the moment.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
All right, lads, thank you very much for your contribution
throughout twenty twenty four. We'll catch you back next to
you Merry Christmas, Verry Christmas, jam and all your listeners.
I think Smote Stu, Stu duncan no time to waste up.
Next Michelle with Rural News. Ruen is going to do
a cameo appearance with Sports News tru This would have
(25:07):
to be one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time.
The Pogues Rural News and Sports News cameo appearance from
Rowena Duncan, who's making away from Auckland where she's a jaffer,
down to Blue Ducks Station. I think we let's play
this week rural News, sting the.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Country's world news with cob Cadets, New Zealand's leading right
on lawn Bower brand visit Steelford dot Co dots for
your locals, Dockers, and we love.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
The team at Steelford. We've got one of those cub
cadets worth six ninety nine dollars to give away when
we get back in the new year. But Michelle, good
afternoon again. You were going to do some rural news
on Smithfield, but you said it was too depressing on
the eve of Christmas, and we rarely do, we really do.
Our hearts go out to all those workers, a lot
(25:56):
of them lifetime workers, who have lost their job at
Smithfield on the eve of Christmas. Who's your egg person
of the Year?
Speaker 9 (26:03):
My egg person of the Year Jamie is a bit
ley field. I've packed Ben Peruer, who won the Art
of Fenawa Young Farmer Award this year. You also won
the Dairy Farmer Award this year. And he's just doing
great things out there for people that are, you know,
doing it tough, coming out of prison, working on farms
and just doing a lot of good stuff out there.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
You're the second one this week to name him. Rowena Duncom.
Are you there? Where are you? Are you there? Right?
Speaker 10 (26:24):
I am hello?
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Well, you are a hard dog to keep on the porch.
Where are you at the moment?
Speaker 10 (26:29):
I'm in the main street of tomat annuis on my way.
If you say to Blue Duck Station.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Well, John mcavinny talking about steele Foot went to Blue
Duck Station. He said it was great.
Speaker 10 (26:39):
Oh, I'm so looking forward to it. I've kind of
I've learned a lot this year, Jamie. As we all know,
it was a year that started with me down there
in jnedin with you and ended with me in Auckland
and you and Donedin. But I have learned a lot.
And one of the things I've learned has been I
haven't had enough time off this year, so that's I'm
going to Blue Duck station two days with no cell
phone coverage. I'm not buying wife.
Speaker 7 (26:59):
Yeah, have you read have you.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Ever heard of a staycation that might help your cause? Anyhow,
I don't want to get on your case. I'm not
lecturing you with the life lesson. Who's your rag person
of the Year.
Speaker 10 (27:09):
Yeah, I loved Michelle's one of Ben Puduer. I think
he's amazing, but mine is actually Todd McLay. I think
the amount of overseas trips. You say, I'm a hard
dog to keep on the porch, the amount of travel
he has done this year. You know, if we don't
get some of these free trade agreements like India over
the line, it is not for lack of trying. I
think he has really done hard yet to try and
(27:30):
make these happen. And I think I can't wait to
see what happens in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Okay, there we go.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Sport with ASCO. Visit them online at AFCO, dot co,
dot NZED.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
And Liam Lawson no doubt is leading the sports snooze.
Speaker 10 (27:44):
Yes in your final sports news headlines on the country
for twenty twenty four. Thanks to our good mates at ASCO,
an emotional moment for Liam Lawson telling his father had
earned the second Formula One seat at Red Bull Racing
for twenty twenty five. The young kiwee driver has been
confirmed the Red Bulls partner to Max for Stubben Laws
and says his dad sat there silently for about two
(28:05):
minutes and sheared this belief and then got quite emotional.
How beautiful I am. The finalist semi finalists are ring
a lockdown for English Football's League Cap. Tottenham have booked
their place in the last four with a topsy turvy
four to three home win over Manchester United Boo and
Spurs will face Liverpool in one semi final Arsenal pay
Newcastle and the other and be safe. Everyone, make good
(28:27):
choices this summer and catch you back in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
There you go, Rowena, Duncan, look who We've got no
time to waste, So I do want to Muzz says
to d Rouena. Take a gun with it to blue
duck station. I don't think you're allowed to shoot the
blue ducks. But but but but but tes Neville in
Northland fifteen meals in the last six weeks in central
north and getting very dry up here. I think there's
some rain coming your way, Bruce and Mid Canterbury. Fifteen
(28:53):
meals of rain this morning, twenty two mills a few
days ago. So that's that's that's a useful start. Hopefully
some more rain coming for Christmas for you farmers. Up next,
it is Jim Hopkins, who's his AG person of the year.
(29:13):
He is coming off the bench and hopefully he's going
to come off hot. Jim Hopkins Rural rack on tour.
I'm getting a cameo appearance for his AG person of
the Year. I've said, Jim, limited to ninety seconds. And
I know you've never done that in your life before,
with a couple of exceptions probably in your personal life.
But my friend, tell me who your ag person of
(29:34):
the year is as you take time out from a
white Stone cheese tour in Oamoru.
Speaker 11 (29:39):
Hey you yes, brilliant cheese and brilliant town. And I
shall be brief, and I'm not going for one rural
person of the year. I've well as country, I've got
your country top ten hot number ten. Donald Trump, he'd
be higher, and he definitely will be high next year
once we know exactly what his terror plans are. But
I think his policies have already forced the recings trigger
(30:00):
to rethink in some local boardrooms. Number nine, Shane Jones
your Princes of the province as they'd be higher if
his focus was just on agriculture, but he's opted to
stick it to people like greenpeas that he's reminded Urban
Kiwi's just how important all the industries in the provinces
are to maintaining our standard of living.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
Number eight.
Speaker 11 (30:20):
For the same reasons that Jane Smith beatured yesterday, I'll
nominate Craig Wiggans along with Farm Safe and Rural Support.
Number seven You, Jamie, Yes, you forgive me so many
people a platform and for taking the show into every
town in the country except also christ Church. And you'd
be higher if it weren't for the fact that it's
(30:40):
so timid about having people on who challenge the increasingly
dubious global warming orthodoxy. Number six and five joint nominees again,
Jane Smith and Jackal and Rowers again for another year.
I'm convinced these two passionate ladies are the rural sector's
best public champions, play a great role as advocates and
(31:02):
I salute them both. Staying with advocates. Number four Wayne England.
He's made a very effective voice for federal agent farmers
and at number three Minister for Rural Communities and Associate
Minister of Agriculture Mark Patterson. I heard him recently at
a meeting of councils where he was saying how the
government had got and was going to back twenty irrigation
(31:23):
and more to sturage projects and stress that the government
knew how important the rural sector was as a key
driver of growth. Number two jointly again Minister of Agriculture
Tom McLay and PM Chris Luckson talking to talk and
walking the walk. I really take my hats off, hat
toof to both of them for they ever store in
the farmer's confidence road shows and I can't help quote
(31:48):
Christopher Luxeon congratulating farmers for every man, woman and child
in New Zealand, you farmers generate ten thousand dollars purpose
take notice New Zealand. And. Based on that. Number one
was going to be one person, but I've gone for two.
Jointly the CEO of the Year leading the Company of
the Year Fonterra boss Miles Hurral and along with Mils
(32:13):
the ghost of Eugeni stage. Why Eugenie, I hear you ask,
will remember the year, the part of Yuzini regularly the
outcing fonterra in parliament and what she called dirty dairy. Well,
this week we learn from you that tonterra and dairy
more generally earns forty five percent of all the dollars
(32:34):
we get overseas. Forty five percent of everything the rest
of the world pays God's own comes from cows and
the people who farm them and the people who process
what they produce. That forty five percent is vital people
if we want to stay in the first world. So
Eugeni's dirty dairy has become miles hurreles Darling dairy, and
(32:58):
that's why they should hear number one four.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Jim Hopkins. That is the longest ninety seconds of my life.
I can truly say, Missus Hopkins was a lucky woman
back in the day. If we're measuring on time, thank
you very much for your time. You keep up the
white Stone chief to a merry Christmas, my friend.
Speaker 11 (33:17):
Same for you, mate, you.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Christmases all around, and so the g Just before we
go to our final guest for twenty twenty four, and
what an honor it is for him to have the slot,
even though he doesn't appreciate it or respect that Jeremy
Rook's coming up. Just a quick message here from a
farm Strong handy reminder from the team at farm Strong.
(33:43):
It's a busy time on the farm and orchard, but
everyone needs recovery time stay on top of their game.
So if you're feeling under the pump, push the reset button,
get off farm for a bit of a catch up
with your mates and recharge, just like Jeremy Rooks does
on a daily basis. For more tips on how to
stay farm strong, head to farmstrong dot co dot n
z right. Jeremy my AG person of the Year. Ultimately,
(34:09):
I've put him here because he put the current farmer
friendly government into power and along with Todd McLay, he's
done a great job of getting off his backside unlike
his predecessor, and getting on a plane and selling New
Zealand to the world. My AG Person of the Year,
Jeremy Brooks was born in a Northland manger nearly eighty
(34:30):
years ago. My AG Person of the Year is Winston Peters.
Good afternoon, Jez.
Speaker 8 (34:36):
Hello Jamie. Well, actually I kind of agree but in
a different sense because if we didn't have Winston sitting
in the bench of the Parliament, we'd be stuffed because
it's just degenerated in there into an absolute shit show.
I mean, Jerry Browne can't can't see the control the
Maory Party in the Green. So I'm with you on Winston.
(34:56):
I think his presence is very very much appreciated at
the moment because he's the only one that'll take them off.
Speaker 11 (35:02):
Yeah, terrible.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Well, I honestly think he's getting better with age. I'm
almost threatening to vote from and I've never done that before. Okay,
who's your agg person of the ear. You've got a
minute nail it?
Speaker 8 (35:12):
Well, I've got I've got a couple of things today.
I'd like to have to sort of give give a
shout out to all the people on YouTube and social
media like Kiwi Farmer, Hill Country Farmer, Deep Deep South
Sheep and Beef because they put it out there on
YouTube for the world to see and they're great. And
on that note, part of that is I'd give the
Sexiest Man and Farming Award to Ben Dooley, who's just
(35:35):
brought a new pair of aviator front.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
To go with the Canterbury Studies. Yep, what else are
you going?
Speaker 8 (35:42):
I've got I was going to give it to Wayne Langford,
but yesterday he admitted he was a Michael Boublat fan
and I think that he's going to be resigned immediately
as head of Federated Farmers for report.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Take to music, You've got twenty seconds.
Speaker 8 (35:56):
It's just the same as Stu Duncan at some All
the young people out there that are so full of enthusiasm, optimism, energy,
they're into it. They enjoy the opportunity they've got and
they are the future, unlike Nigglie old buggers like me.
So all the young and young under forties out there
getting to keep going.
Speaker 5 (36:14):
There we go.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Jeremy Rooks with the final word for twenty twenty four.
Catch them back next year.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
You catch all the latest from the land. It's the
Country Podcast with Jamie McGue Thanks to Brent, your specialist
in John Deere Machinery.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
40s and Free Agents: NFL Draft Season
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.