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%).