Iâm happy to see farmers taking protest action as part of having their say in a democracy.
But the saddest thing about Fridayâs farmer protest is that while farmer complaints are unjustified, the government will bend over backwards yet again, will water down planned environmental protections further and extend the timelines for compliance. Weâve seen this too many times before. Gutless governments refusing the challenge farmer ignorance and arrogance head on.
When interviewed on TV after the protests Agriculture Minister Damien OâConnor, who has always been a foot-dragger on environmental protection policies, has said his door is open to discuss farmer concerns. He says they want to work with farmers. Translation = we will backdown.
New Plymouth's mayor is calling on the Government to support Taranaki, questioning what the region has to show for its ‘just transition’ towards cleaner energy.
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