Clive Bibby: The facts that should matter to voters

As a farmer whose survival has been for the last 46 years, dependant on prices received for the goods we produce, it frustrates me watching debates about which group of politicians can best manage the income we receive from the international markets on which those goods are sold.

And it matters not a tad if the Party leaders on show at the debate appear to be close relatives of either Genghis Khan or Darth Vader.

Clive Bibby: Opening salvos in Election Campaigns almost always matter

With the exception of only a few military campaigns throughout history, the tactics used and the strategic positioning of the major firepower on the battleground was almost always crucial to the end result.

So too it has always been with political debate - no matter what forum.

Clive Bibby: The Nation Building Conundrum

I make no claims to being even a knowledgeable local historian and certainly not a commentator in the same league as Professor Paul Moon who is renowned for his abilities as a fact checker at a time when our national sovereignty is under threat from radical, separatist academics who have a passion for making things up.

Clive Bibby: Responding to a changing economy

Having just relocated to the Naki from our beloved East Coast, I am able to view the Government’s handling of a changing economy from a different regional perspective.

And while there appear to be similar debilitating pressures on the family budget, no matter which part of the country you regard as home, there are also distinct differences based both on how citizens are handling the hard times but also the remedies they are using in trying to accommodate them.

Clive Bibby: Shutting the door after the horse has bolted

The East Coast of New Zealand’s North Island is one of the country’s more remote farming regions but it has survived economically for decades mainly because the majority of its livestock farming soils produce some of the best red meat grown anywhere in the world.

Clive Bibby: An insensitive response and a lost opportunity

A classic example of why PM Christopher Luxon is losing support amongst what should have been his most traditional supporters is his treatment of the current Air New Zealand CEO's performance in charge of the Nation's airline during the last turbulent trading year.

Clive Bibby: Another Shakespearian Gem

"There is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune"

I make no apologies for repeatedly quoting the Bard in some of my humble offerings in the columns of this blog.

Clive Bibby: Finding and adopting our Multi-Cultural Heritage

When I was a kid, I had little control over what we ate.

In retrospect, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing as most Mum's were a damn sight better judge of the food that was good for us than the stuff dished up if it had been left to us youngsters.

Mind you. I personally would have preferred a roast meal every night rather than occasionally being force fed sheep offal like tripe.

Clive Bibby: The misuse of kindness and other politically overused metaphors to describe our leaders

We appear to be living at a time when it is virtually impossible to rely on the political character references being sold by the party propaganda machine.

In that context, one has to wonder why our former Prime Minister, Dame Jacinda Ardern, has chosen a country other than the one she led for almost two terms in which to settle after her " flash in the pan, meteoric" political career ended so abruptly.

Clive Bibby: The wilful destruction of the New Zealand pastoral economy

Waking early to catch up on world and local news is becoming a bit of a habit for old blokes like me with nothing much else to do.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I do find at this time of the day, a useful number of interesting topics that could form the basis of a blog - which others may also enjoy debating.

Clive Bibby: Separatism by Stealth

As a nation, are we sleep walking to self destruction?

At a time when, relative to most other First World countries, our prospects for future prosperity appear guaranteed, why is it that we seem unable to recognise the obvious roadblocks that could derail our plans for a utopian existence.

Clive Bibby: Common Sense, Trust and Vision

Leadership that actually benefits the people of any country is almost always the result of a visionary approach to the problems faced - either those that are self-inflicted by previous governments or ones that are the result of extreme climatic variations over which there is little control.

Clive Bibby: Time passes but real friendships endure

A recent encounter with an old school mate from 1958 has provided the opportunity to share a story which reflects on a bygone era that helped to make us what we are today.

Sadly, due to the selfish and deliberately divisive activities of some modern politicians and community leaders, those days of racial harmony appear lost forever.

Clive Bibby: The Aspirational Element

It would seem like stating the obvious when identifying one human characteristic that sets individuals apart from their contemporaries.

We can talk about “courage, natural sports talent, above average IQ or abnormal leadership qualities” - to name but a few.

Clive Bibby: Politicians and Your Money

As the general election draws nearer, politicians of all persuasions are hitting the streets in an effort to bribe us with our own money.

For the rest of the year, we might as well not exist.

I accept that this appearance on street corners is part of the ritual we must endure in order to get a handle on who is promising value for money but it would be so much easier and a less debilitating process if they all actually did what they promised when in charge of the Treasury Benches.

Clive Bibby: “The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things…”

My ability to quote famous poetry usually amounts to only one line of a piece that has retained relevance for mankind over time. I wish it were better than that.

For this column l have chosen Lewis Carroll’s brilliant poem about “The Walrus and the Carpenter”.

Clive Bibby: There is a price for sovereignty - and we don’t have much left to spend

Previous governments of all colours have from time to time waxed lyrical about the importance of maintaining independent foreign policies in the modern world.

No longer are we so tied to the UK for our very survival that there was no need to be thinking about alternative trading partners - she took everything we could produce and paid us handsomely for the privilege.

Clive Bibby: We allow this madness at our peril!

A recent decision by the Australian Federal Court sets a precedent in Law that will become difficult to overturn but, for the sake of humanity, overcoming it we must.

The ruling by three activist judges is in many ways a battle between “good and evil” or in the modern vernacular, it is a fight between identity ideology and biological science - a situation which, in spite of all the noise, there should be only one argument.

Clive Bibby: A bubble that has burst - will politicians ever learn?

One of the hallmarks of the original “Welfare State” concept was its promise of State funded welfare that would meet the basic needs of every citizen irrespective of race, political affiliations or position on the social ladder. It would be available to all.

Clive Bibby: Kiwis that punch above their weight

Watching Country Calendar each week will introduce you to the growing number of entrepreneurial Kiwi farmers, agricultural scientists plus associate businessmen and women who contribute towards our international reputation for innovation and fiscal integrity in the rural sector.