17 November 2008
Ministerial appointments welcomed by farmers
Federated Farmers president, Don Nicolson, has welcomed confirmation the Hon David Carter MP is New Zealand’s next
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and that Finance Minister, the Hon. Bill English MP, will be taking on the key
Infrastructure portfolio.
“David Carter will bring practical farming experience to the portfolio and to the cabinet table. Bill English’s
appointment as Minster of Infrastructure perfectly ties up the issues of funding and delivery.
“Both Ministers know how rough things have been for farming, especially for meat and fibre producers suffering their
worst returns for five decades. That makes it vitally important we have the infrastructure tools, such as water storage,
to ensure we can farm profitability for New Zealand.
“The squeeze on farm profitability is a big issue for our members. We’ll be looking to Mr Carter for initiatives that
will help alleviate the compliance burden farmers are shouldering. In this I am certain he will find common ground with
Act’s Rodney Hide, as that person is Minister of Local Government and for Regulatory Reform. Two areas of interest for
farmers.
“Mr Carter is a very good political operator. I know he is comfortable working with parties on all sides of the spectrum
in the MMP environment. These skills are needed to get cross party consensus on the prime driver of the New Zealand
economy, agriculture,” Mr Nicolson said.
Federated Farmers felt the current economic climate presented New Zealand with a lot of challenges. The country is in
recession facing fiscal, trade and balance of payments deficits. Farming represents New Zealand's best option to lift
its economic performance. Farmers looked to the new Minister and the National-led government to facilitate what amounts
to an ‘agricultural wave.’
“If I can voice one disappointment that is Mr Carter’s Cabinet rank of ten. I would have hoped agriculture and Mr Carter
deserved a much higher ranking to send the important signal that New Zealand needs to farm its way out of recession.”
“Federated Farmers looks forward to sitting down with the new ministerial teams to discuss the review of the emissions
trading scheme, RMA reform, property rights, animal identification and tracing as well as the Federation’s other top
election issues," Mr Nicolson concluded.
ENDS