Our government has choices to make just like during the times in the past when we have had to choose between good and evil but this time things are different.
The demarcation lines are blurred.
In order to make the right choice we must decide whether we want to be popular amongst the majority UN membership who have sold their souls to false prophets or remain in partnership with those who believe in individual freedom.
My guess is that we will choose the former and if we do, I fear we will pay a heavy price.
While a likely recognition of Palestine will bring warm plaudits from those who have conveniently forgotten what happened in Israel on October 7th, it will also destroy any chance of negotiating the removal of our 15% tariff with the United States - one of our major trading partners. Strangely, while Luxon pontificates about the morality of the war in Gaza, and when our red meat exports are at record levels, our government chooses to play politics at the risk of alienating the friend of our greatest friend.
It just doesn’t make sense.
A bit of background history.
As traders in markets mainly on the other side of the world, our communal lifestyle depends almost exclusively on the ability of exporters producing saleable goods that the rest of the world wants to buy at premium prices.
This current competitive market is not how it has always been and New Zealanders have had to learn the hard way about how to survive based on our own abilities when responding to adverse events and unfavourable markets.
It has not been easy but we have come through all the challenges in much better shape than when we relied solely on Mother Hen.
People my age will well remember waiting with bated breath as our Chief Trade Negotiator at the time, (The Rt. Honourable Sir Jack Marshall) negotiated new trade deals with both the UK and the EU following British entry into the European Common Market with its associated Defence and Judicial arrangements that excluded us.
Almost overnight our economic survival changed from being The United Kingdom’s food basket, where our commonwealth head took virtually everything we produced and generally paid us well for the privilege, to a situation where we had to compete on open markets in countries where previously we had little in common.
To say that experience was a rude awakening to the harsh reality of trading in markets where our competitors had preferential treatment is an understatement.
For years after, our exporters had difficulty establishing themselves in markets where we had little or no leverage, but thankfully, in those circumstances they quickly acquired new negotiating skills that complimented the more efficient production systems being adopted here at home.
Since then, we have become very adept at anticipating changing markets and adapting our manufacturing and farm production techniques to suit the demands set by those who are keen to buy what we have to sell.
In that context it is no surprise that our current marketing strategy is paying huge dividends in markets that respect our indepenent but trustworthy negotiators.
At a time when the world is being torn apart by the two superpowers going head-to-head in a world wide trade battle, our position as a producer of quality goods at reasonable prices is one that we can and will defend.
But let’s no lose sight of how we got to where we are.
The list of people who have represented us so well on the extremely competitive world stage is too long for naming them individually - suffice to say that those Marketing, Manufacturing and Agricultural Production and defence alliance experts are our unsung heroes of the 21st Century.
We need to be thankful to them that our standards of excellence are maintained in whatever activity they undertake - either on the sporting field or on the farms, they consistently rank amongst the best of the best.
Finally, my guess is that our record as a reliable trading partner and trustworthy member of defence alliances will ensure we are able to negotiate access to markets reserved for those who are more than just fair-weather friends.
Australia’s current difficulties trying to secure meetings with the big players in this tariff war suggest our access to the most lucrative markets will be determined more by the company we keep than the products we are selling.
It is a position that is built on trust and one that we should guard as if our lives depend on it.
There is simply too much at stake.
Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.
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