Mike's Minute: Is this why the National vote is soft?

Federated Farmers have quite rightly raised what you would loosely call "the alarm" around a rush of new deals between councils and local Māori.

The rush is on because of the Government's new Natural Environment and Planning bills.

They were released late last year, saying you can't do local Māori deals under it. It's passed its first reading and is sitting at committee level and due back soon.

John MacDonald: Bird-flipping ECan needs its wings clipped

I know the real reason why Federated Farmers is so brassed-off with Environment Canterbury. Nevertheless, I agree with them.

They’re saying that ECan is showing “flagrant disregard” for the community, with this push it’s making for Ngāi Tahu to have a permanent role in the region’s resource management after ECan disappears.

Because, with the Government’s local government reforms, ECan is toast.

Ele Ludemann: Partisan problem

There’s a partisan problem with some unions.

In an interview with PPTA president Chris Abercrombie on Wednesday morning Ryan Bridge asked if the union was political from 32:40.

Abercrombie admitted it was and said, it was like Federated Farmers.

DTNZ: Fed Farmers urges government to scrap “unworkable” Te Mana o te Wai rules

Federated Farmers has launched a strong call for the Government to abandon the controversial Te Mana o te Wai framework, describing it as vague, impractical, and unworkable.

Mark Hooper, speaking on behalf of the organisation in its weekly email newsletter, said the rules place the health of water ahead of people, requiring councils to regulate not only measurable aspects such as clarity, fish life, and E. coli levels, but also spiritual concepts like the “mauri” or “life force” of water.

Steven Mark Gaskell: Water Wars - When “Co-Governance” Becomes “You Sit Down, We’re in Charge”

Well, here we go again. Another round of “give us control” dressed up as cultural justice.

This time, it’s Ngāi Tahu marching into the High Court demanding rangatiratanga over freshwater. That’s not just some symbolic title—they want the power to make, regulate, alter, and enforce water decisions. In other words, they want to hold the hose, write the rules, and charge you rent to drink from your own tap.

Ele Ludemann: Paris Accord could determine election

The government’s commitment to the Paris Accord has garnered opposition from farmers and farming organisations.

Federated Farmers is not supportive:

Dr Eric Crampton: New Zealand’s creative farming lobby

I am kicking myself that we at the Initiative had not read Federated Farmers’ submission to the Banking inquiry before drafting our own.

Their submission exhibits a creativity that I had thought New Zealand had lost decades ago – sometime around 1987, if we had to pin a date on it.

Before 1987, the government provided subsidised loans to farmers. That support ended, along with a host of other subsidies.

Peter Williams: What is MfE up to?

The Feds reject their bribe

There’s something very sinister going on at the Ministry for the Environment.

Quite possibly with encouragement from Minister David Parker’s office, the Ministry has tried to get organisations like Federated Farmers, and other NGOs, non-governmental organisations, to take part in planning, resource management and freshwater management processes in the weeks before the election.

Point of Order: Why this is not the time for govt to be heaping regulatory costs on farmers and requiring a culling of the dairy herd

On-farm inflation is at its highest level in almost 40 years, according to Beef + Lamb NZ’s Economic Service, and costs are expected to increase. Meanwhile Federated Farmers says farmers’ satisfaction with their banks is relatively stable but more are feeling under pressure and the costs of finance are rising.

“Inflation is putting many New Zealanders and businesses under pressure, and our food producers are no different,” Feds President and economic spokesperson Andrew Hoggard says.

While Consumer Price Index (CPI) data has the annual inflation rate at 6.9%, the latest on-farm inflation rate has hit 10.2% – the highest it’s been since 1985-86 (13.2%).