Word of the day

Dowfart – a dull,  faint-hearted, foolish or stupid person; melancholy; so much under depression of spirits as to be in a state bordering on that of an idiot; of anything that does not answer the purpose for which it is used.

Sowell says

Nothing is easier for a politician than promising government benefits that cannot be delivered.https://t.co/FMVlSJNXJs

— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) November 21, 2019

Rural round-up

Jane Smith on what urban people really think about farmers:

Although the Government may be “factose intolerant” when it comes to farming, urban people are hungry for more information says Jane Smith.

The North Otago farmer told The Country’s Jamie Mackay that she had “some really robust conversations with urbanites” in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown recently.

“I’ve in effect sort of run my own referendum of what they really think about farmers and gosh, it’s been really insightful”. . .

Farmers fear significant losses – Toni Miller:

As farmers anxiously await the outcome of the Government’s Essential Freshwater plan, Ashburton farmer David Clark has outlined the significant losses it could have on his arable farm operation.

It includes crop income losses of 92%, sheep gross income losses of 62% and an expenditure decrease of 70%, affecting businesses, contractors and services in the district used by the farm.

He questioned how any government could suggest a plan that resulted in ”such economic vandalism”.

Mr Clark, attending a public meeting in Ashburton, organised by National Party opposition agricultural spokesman Todd Muller, said it was a comparative analysis based on a report done by Environment Canterbury’s head scientist Dr Tim Davie in 2017, using similar cutbacks for the Waihora Selwyn Zone. . .

Farmers fear loss of millions as slip repair wait continues – Aaron van Delden:

Waikura Valley farmers face missing out on millions in income during one of their most lucrative seasons of the year following a road slip three months ago.

Access to about 9000 hectares of some of the country’s most isolated productive land – about four hours’ drive north of Gisborne – was completely severed for several days when a slip came down on Waikura Road about 15km from the turnoff on State Highway 35.

The slip on 22 August left 36 valley residents from 13 households stranded in a part of the country that averages up to 3m of rain a year. . .

Out for a scout around with the drone and couldn’t resist dropping in for a closer look at one of the new arrivals pic.twitter.com/eGbYkUz0CN

— Duncan Humm (@duncanyzf20) November 19, 2019

OAD milking brings environmental, financial benefits – Yvonne O’Hara:

Milking once a day year-round has both environmental and financial benefits, Dipton dairy farmer Jim Andrew says.

Mr Andrew and his wife Sandra bought and converted the Lumsden-Dipton highway property specifically for once-a-day milking full time, about 10 years ago.

He was born and bred on a Wairarapa sheep and beef farm before moving to Southland to become a rural manager for the Bank of New Zealand.

The Andrews then bought their own farm as part of a syndicate before buying the Dipton property. . .

Apple industry changes prompt some growers to get environmentally creative with plastic waste:

Significant growth and redevelopment in the apple industry has prompted some growers to get environmentally creative with the way they dispose of kilometres of plastic irrigation pipes.

New Zealand’s largest organic apple grower, Bostock New Zealand, pulled out 80 kilometres of irrigation pipes during winter and has teamed up with Aotearoa New Zealand Made to recycle it into black damp-proof film for the building Industry and black rubbish bags.

Bostock New Zealand Orchard waste coordinator Lisa Arnold said the initiative is a good way to give a new meaningful life to orchard waste. . .

pic.twitter.com/jNyvgbrlDq

— Joe Stanley 🇺🇦 (@JoeWStanley) November 17, 2019

Promising signs for drive for milling wheat self-sufficiency:

A big drop in the amount of unsold cereal grain since July, and continuing strong demand for milling wheat, are key features of the latest Arable Industry Marketing Initiative (AIMI) survey.

It is estimated unsold stocks of cereal grain, summed over all six crops, reduced by 44% between 1 July and 10 October.  “That’s a good sign, even if deliveries hadn’t happened by the time of the October survey, that people have been meeting the market and getting product sold,” Federated Farmers Arable Vice-Chairperson Grains, Brian Leadley, said.

Total production from the 2019 harvest (wheat, barley and oats) was 799,900 tonnes, about 25,000t up on the 2018 harvest. . .

Not excuse for public funding of political parties

The questions over New Zealand First’s funding are a reason for an overhaul of electoral law.

They are not an excuse to introduce public funding of political parties.

A party needs only 500 members to register. That is a very small number for the power a party can wield should it get into government or even parliament.

Participatory democracy requires active involvement and engagement of members and supporters. Fundraising is part of that engagement and involvement.

If parties can persuade enough members and supporters to fund them, they don’t need taxpayer support.

If parties can’t persuade enough members and supporters to fund them, they don’t deserve it.

Word of the day

Panurgic – skilled in, or able to do, all kinds of work; ready for anything; a jack-of-all-trades.

Sowell says

The left is not necessarily aiming at totalitarianism. But their know-it-all mindset leads repeatedly and pervasively in that direction, even if by small steps, each of which might be called “micro-totalitarianism.”

— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) November 13, 2019

Rural round-up

Top farm is 100 not out – Jo Grigg:

Fraser and Shelley Avery, Bonavaree, have taken out top place in the Westpac Bayleys Marlborough Sheep and Beef Farmer of the Year 2019 and a $32,000 prize package.

Together with Fraser’s parents Doug and Wendy Avery, the inter-generational farm partnership first made award headlines in 2010, winning South Island Farmer of the Year.

Since then the business has grown in scale to 2232 hectares (effective) and six staff but the successful recipe around direct grazing of lucerne has not changed. 

Doug and Wendy have moved off the farm but maintain an interest and Fraser runs the business while Shelley has started working full-time for St John Ambulance. . . 

Sustainability award for Stonehenge – Annette Scott:

Otago sheep and beef farmers Andrew and Francine Hore have been internationally recognised for their environmentally friendly farming.

The couple who are fourth generation farmers on the family’s 18,000 hectare Stonehenge property in Maniototo took out the Reda Group’s Sustainability Award.

The Reda Group, a Biella, Italy, leader in the production of Merino wool fabrics held its annual conference in Queenstown earlier this month where it crowned the Hore’s Stonehenge Merinos as its second ever sustainability award winner.  . . 

Will apple trees replace pines in North Canterbury?:

Apple trees could be replacing pines in North Canterbury.

Ngāi Tahu Farming has ordered tree stocks for planting a trial orchard in the Culverden/Balmoral area in 2021.

The initial 15ha commercial pipfruit orchard could be the first in the wider Amuri Basin.

The area is known for long, hot, fine days and low rainfall. Local farmers have been known to grow fruit trees successfully for home consumption and it was partly this knowledge that prompted Ngāi Tahu Farming to consider trialling horticulture as an option in the area. . .

Bit of a drive around this afternoon, feeling a bit better about things pic.twitter.com/LlvwGloMyB

— Ben Dooley 🧢 (@BenDooley8) November 18, 2019

Merino-judging debut leads to success, chance to learn – Sally Rae:

Harriet Gardner has had a successful first attempt at judging merino sheep.

Miss Gardner (25), who comes from a sheep and beef farm at Waihaorunga, near Waimate, won the merino junior judging competition held at the Paterson family’s property Armidale in the Maniototo recently.

That qualified her to compete in the junior judging competition at the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch last week where she finished second.

She had previously won a cattle-judging competition, which saw her travel to Australia, but she had not tackled merino judging. . . 

Sisters maintain family tradition in Maniototo – Sally Rae:

It will be a sister act at Maniototo A&P Show in Ranfurly in February.

Siblings Margot Hall and Janine Smith will be at the helm of the show, as president and secretary respectively.

If their duties in those positions do not sound busy enough, Ms Smith will also be exhibiting about 25 sheep.

Mrs Hall was following in the footsteps of her father, well-known sheep breeder Ian Smith, who has had two stints as president.

Ms Smith took over last year from longstanding secretary Neville Wahrlich who was in the job for more than 40 years. “I haven’t got that in me”, she confided. . . 

No rain but ice cold wind instead now. pic.twitter.com/TsmxVzJ1HG

— Anieka Templer (@AniekaNick) November 18, 2019

Federal ‘green bank’ and Mike Cannon-Brookes back new ‘agrifood’ fund – John McDuling:

The federal government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Atlassian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes have teamed up to back a new $30 million venture capital fund targeting the “agrifood” sector.

The CEFC and Mr Cannon-Brookes’ personal investment fund, Grok Ventures, have each committed $8 million to Tenacious Ventures, which describes itself as “Australia’s first dedicated agrifood tech venture capital firm”.

Tenacious Ventures is seeking to raise $30 million and is led by Matthew Pryor, who helped found agrifood tech startup Observant, which was sold to India’s Jain Irrigation in 2017; and Sarah Nolet, CEO of agrifood tech advisory firm AgThentic.The fund plans to invest in early-stage startups focused on the agricultural supply chain and which are trying to lift farm efficiency and reduce waste. . .

Too few seats in South Island

The Boundaries Commission has announced proposed changes to electorate boundaries:

“Where possible the current boundaries have been retained to minimise the number of people affected by electorate boundary and name changes. Of the 71 existing electorates, 36 are unchanged. The adjustments in other electorates reflect changes in population since 2014 when the boundaries were last reviewed,” says Representation Commission chair Judge Craig Thompson.

The biggest areas of change are in the Auckland region, Christchurch, and Otago and Southland. . .

North Island general electorates

• Rodney is redrawn to include Dairy Flat and Coatesville, and renamed Whangaparāoa
• Helensville is extended into Northland, Rodney (now Whangaparāoa) and Upper Harbour, and loses the Waitakere Ranges to New Lynn
• The addition of population to New Lynn from the north means changes are also required to Mt Roskill, Maungakiekie, Manukau East, and Manurewa
• Flat Bush is created by drawing population from the existing electorates of Hunua, Manurewa and Papakuraand includes Wattle Downs and Takanini
• Population from Waikato is added to Hunua which is renamed Port Waikato. Adjustments are also made to the boundaries of Waikato with Coromandel, Hamilton West and Taupō
• Adjustments are also made to the boundaries of Whangarei and Bay of Plenty

South Island general electorates

• Brightwater is moved from Nelson to West Coast-Tasman
• Selwyn is redrawn and no longer includes Banks Peninsula. Adjustments are also made to Ilam, Wigram, Port Hills (renamed Banks Peninsula), Christchurch East and Rangitata
• Clutha-Southland gains the Alexandra and Clyde area from Waitaki
• Otago Peninsula is moved from Dunedin South to Dunedin North, and South Otago is added to Dunedin South from Clutha-Southland
• Winton and The Catlins are added to Invercargill from Clutha-Southland.

Few if any of these changes are unexpected.

In the south, Dunedin South might be regarded as a little more marginal, Invercargill will probably be a bit bluer and Dunedin North will still be red.

Clutha Southland and Waitaki will cover a little less area, still be larger than some countries, and still be blue.

Banks Peninsula will be a bit bluer than the Port Hills one it replaces.

Māori electorates

• Tāmaki Makaurau gains an area around Te Atatū South from Te Tai Tokerau and an area in East Manurewa from Hauraki Waikato
• A minor adjustment between Ikaroa-Rāwhiti and Te Tai Tonga is made in Naenae.

Names of electorates

Four electorate name changes are proposed: Rodney to Whangaparāoa, Hunua to Port Waikato, Rimutaka to Remutaka and Port Hills to Banks Peninsula.

The proposals create one new general electorate bringing the total number of electorates to 72: 16 general seats in the South Island, 49 in the North and seven Maori seats.

That will mean one less list seat – 48, down 12 from the 60 when MMP was introduced.

The number of seats in parliament is set at 120 (unless there’s an overhang) and the number of South Island seats is set at 16.

After every census the South’s population is divided by 16 to set the number of people per seat plus or minus 10%. The North’s population is growing faster than the South’s which is why it keeps getting an extra seat. That is likely to continue and it enough more people opt for the Maori roll rather than the general one, another Maori roll would result in the loss of another list seat.

Politik asks if there’s too many South Island seats.

There are not, there are too few.

Clutha Southland and Waitaki, the biggest and third biggest general electorates are getting a little smaller but are still far too big geographically and proposed changes will make West Coast Tasman, the second biggest general electorate, even bigger. They’re all bigger than all but one of the Maori electorates, Te Tai Tonga, which covers the whole of the South Island, Stewart Island and a bit of Wellington.

The difficulties of servicing electorates as large as these mean no matter how good their MPs are, they can’t possibly give their constituents the same attention that those with smaller electorates do.

If MMP’s proportionality is to be maintained, the number of MPs will have to be increased and I’d argue for at least one more South Island electorate to make the bigger ones a little more manageable.

You can find existing a proposed boundaries on a map here.

Word of the day

Deambulate  – to walk abroad; go out walking; stray from home.

Thatcher thinks

Popular capitalism, which is the economic expression of liberty, is a far more attractive means for diffusing power in our society. Socialists cry "Power to the people" & raise the clenched fist as they say it. We all know what they mean – power over people, power to the State. pic.twitter.com/orJ7q5XMfo

— Margaret Thatcher (@MrsMThatcher) November 14, 2019

Rural round-up

Small dog helping with big message – Sally Rae:

Poppy might be a miniature dachshund but the message the diminutive dog is helping spread is a big one.

Poppy is the constant companion of Harriet Bremner, a North Canterbury-based teacher-turned-author who is focused on making the most out of life.

Miss Bremner’s partner, James “Bob” Hayman, was killed in a farm machinery accident in the Hakataramea Valley in January 2017.

Following his death, she launched the brand Gurt and Pops and released her first children’s book Bob `n Pops, which was a tale of the special relationship between Mr Hayman and the couple’s dog Poppy. . . 

How banks peddled a product that killed farmers – Nikki Mandow:

The disastrous impact of banks selling risky financial derivatives to farmers is still being felt in rural communities more than a decade later. How did it happen and how can we stop banks doing it again?

Rural advocate Janette Walker has a storage box at her house. She calls it her “suicide box”. In it are letters from farmers – mostly men, mostly in late middle age – who tell her about the impact on their lives of the events surrounding the global financial crisis (GFC) back in 2007-2008. 

The letters came to Walker as part of a research project she worked on in 2010 with Massey University banking specialist Dr Claire Matthews. . . 

One of our cattle lines-from youngens to oldies & still inquisitive. A good mornings work on farm with @tekopaenz & ready to feed many #grassfed #noantibiotics #nznatural #nzfarmers #farmerscare #sustainableagri pic.twitter.com/LxSjqkF31T

— Sandra Matthews (@farmingwomennz) November 16, 2019

Spooked insurers walking away from agriculture – Ean Higgins:

Farmers face potential ruin as insurers spooked by climate change, drought and bushfires ­refuse to cover crops worth billions of dollars.

Plantation crops such as ­bananas and pineapples, some of which were destroyed in the latest Queensland bushfires, could be the next to be uninsurable, a ­report published on Monday by global insurance broker Gallagher warns.

“Plantation insurance will be one of the first casualties of climate change,” the report says. Other crops including grapes, citrus and almonds could be not far behind, with insurers pulling cover altogether or raising premiums to the point where they become unaffordable for most growers. . .

Research to help rural health – Pam Jones:

A Central Otago health professional hopes her upcoming research will help address some of the inequities faced in the rural health sector. Pam Jones talks to Sarah Walker about a national fellowship she has received that will help her look into the challenges and complexities faced by rural allied health professionals.

A Central Otago physiotherapist will notch up a national first following health research she hopes will help all rural communities.

Sarah Walker has just been named a recipient of a Health Research Council of New Zealand Clinical Research Training Fellowship.

The $204,000 fellowship will allow Mrs Walker, who is a physiotherapist for Central Otago Health Services (Cohsl), which operates from Dunstan Hospital, to begin a doctorate at the University of Otago next year. . . 

Who should take up the challenge? – Gravedodger:

Many people who spend their time in cities with occasional trips to popular places for relief, often  have little idea how much of NZ landscape is bereft of communications as they have evolved to in the closing second decade of century 21.

We store our mobile home around five Kms from the northern end of CHC main runway. A site we used as a “Town House ” during our time in Akaroa.
It has zero access to the Spark network and is marginal for Vodafone.

We also have a site at a small camp just south of the two bridges that cross the Rakaia where it emerges from its gorge. That site has even more precarious phone links and our site has a luvly old Cabbage Tree,  ‘ti kouka’,   that completely blocks line of site to Optus. . .

Meanwhile, My data collector simply decided that I was not paying enough to keep him hydrated out in the field. So my Rainfall Data is "very accurate", thanks to diligent assistant(s). pic.twitter.com/8LvHK8MgKd

— Dr Nyumba Tobias, PhD(Cantab), MSCF (York) (@jadunga) November 15, 2019

ClearTech a gamechanger for Canterbury dairy farmer:

A revolutionary dairy effluent treatment system is delivering enormous environmental benefits for Lincoln dairy farmer Tom Mason.

Ravensdown’s ClearTech system, developed in conjunction with Lincoln University, uses a coagulant to bind effluent particles together to settle them out from the water. This clarifying process reduces freshwater use, helps existing effluent storage go further and reduces the environmental and safety risks linked with farm dairy effluent (FDE). . .

Chipping away at property rights

Associate Housing Minister Kris Faafoi has announced changes aimed at protecting tenants:

• limiting rent increases to once every 12 months and banning the solicitation of rental bids by landlords
• improving tenants’ security by removing a landlord’s right to use no-cause terminations to end a periodic tenancy agreement
• making rental properties safer and more liveable by letting tenants add minor fittings such as brackets to secure furniture against earthquake risk, to baby-proof the property, install visual fire alarms and doorbells, and hang pictures
• improving compliance with the law by increasing financial penalties and introducing new tools to take direct action against parties who are not meeting their obligations. . .

What looks like gains for tenants add costs and difficulties for landlords.

“Every change Labour has made so far in this area has restricted supply and pushed up rents,” said National Party leader Simon Bridges. “These changes will be no different, hurting those they say they want to help.”

Baby and earthquake proofing measures could be justified on the grounds of safety but anything else which could leave holes in or marks on walls like putting up pictures ought to be left to negotiations between tenants and landlords.

That and no longer permitting no-cause terminations are chipping away at the home owners’ property rights and, as Eric Crampton points out, do nothing to fix the underlying problem of poor rentals which is a housing shortage.

If you really care about protecting tenants, you need to have massive increases in housing supply. You need to have landlords competing for tenants. You need to have the run-down, damp, grotty dungers left vacant because people have other places that they can afford to live instead. When you’re in a massive housing shortage and the alternative to a crappy house is a garage or a car, crappy houses get rented out. If we instead had a surplus of housing, those places would be left vacant and their owners would have to decide whether to refurbish or tear down. . .

Tenancy regulation will not build more houses. It can only address some of the current symptoms of a fundamentally broken housing market.

Worse, it is the kind of move that makes the most sense if the Government is pessimistic about its chances of fixing the real underlying problem – making it easier to get new housing built. . . 

Not only will regulation not build more houses, it will add to the costs and compliance which make leasing homes even more unattractive to landlords.

These ones do further damage by putting tenants right to occupy above those of the property rights of the house owners.

 

Word of the day

Inspirado – person who thinks her/himself inspired.

Sowell says

It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.

— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) November 13, 2019

Rural round-up

Tolaga Bay: A beach covered in forestry waste – Rebecca Black:

As temperatures rise in the Gisborne district, Tolaga Bay locals face a beach covered in logs and expect more debris every time it rains.

More than a year since a huge storm hit the district on Queen’s Birthday weekend 2018, washing over 40,000 cubic metres of wood onto beaches, rain is still sending forestry waste down the district’s rivers to Tolaga Bay beach.

On October 15, the beach was covered in 15,000 cubic metres of wood in what the Gisborne District Council described as, “a storm that could be expected every couple of years”. . . 

Recipient off to study operations – Yvonne O’Hara:

As one of five new Nuffield Scholarship recipients, sheep, beef and dairy farmer Ed Pinckney, of Manapouri, will be spending several months overseas next year exploring different farming operations.

The experience gained will enhance his own farming operations and also form part of a study project each scholar is required to do.

Although he has yet to distil his ideas into a specific topic, he is keen to look at how to encourage more people to enter the agricultural industry and develop their skills.

”There will be something to learn from most businesses [I visit] around the world and will be applicable back here to what we do,” Mr Pinckney said.

The Nuffield Scholarships provide new scholars with an opportunity to travel abroad in groups and individually, and study the latest developments in several leading agricultural countries. . . 

Amazing visit to Raincliff deer farm on Day 13 of the @ColegSirGar #TaithAgriNz An great eye opener into how the deer are farmed and velvet harvested #agristudents #NewZealand pic.twitter.com/RIok0RFXT3

— Hannah Wright (@hannah_wright00) November 17, 2019

New man at the helm – Jenny Ling:

The new person at the helm of the Dairy Industry Awards has never milked a cow but has business skills that will serve him well in the role. Jenny Ling reports.

A solid understanding of rural life combined with a high-flying international career in marketing and events has secured Robin Congdon his latest role as Dairy Industry Awards general manager.

Congdon has some big shoes to fill as he took over from long-serving leader Chris Keeping, who had 18 years in the role. . .

NZ, a great place for  agri-tech – Tim Dacombe-Bird:

New Zealand agritech start-ups are creating value, powered by technology.

We are at the beginning of a golden age of artificial intelligence and the possibilities of what it and other modern technologies can deliver are still to be seen.

The agritech sector here is in a unique position to address critical global issues such as meeting the food demand from a growing global population. . .

Spring Sheep is bringing sheep milk to Kiwi homes:

Following popular demand to make it available locally Kiwis are now able to receive the nutritious benefits of New Zealand’s own grass-fed sheep milk, with the launch of Spring Sheep® Full Cream Sheep Milk Powder in convenient 350g and 850g resealable pouches.

It is now available at Aelia Duty Free stores in Auckland and will be followed by select supermarkets in early 2020.  . . 

#Eoin out the hill! #highlandbull #isleofiona #nativebreeds #islandfarm pic.twitter.com/1Z08vJZq7C

— 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 andrew prentice (@maolfold) November 16, 2019

Groundspreaders’ Association encourages incident reporting amongst all members:

The New Zealand Groundspread Fertilisers Association (NZGFA) is actively encouraging all its members to sign up to free, real-time incident reporting app, Spotlight. The move comes as interest in best practice incident reporting is on the rise and as vigilance around health and safety continues to climb to the top of the industry’s agenda.

Grant Anderson, the NZGFA’s Health & Safety representative, says health and safety is of paramount importance  in every industry where there is risk and that ground spreaders are making great efforts to ensure their health and safety and incident prevention procedures are effective. . . 

Robert Ross ‘Blue Jeans’ McMillan 1929 – 2019

Naseby farmer and bush poet Ross ‘Blue Jeans’ McMillan has died.

The ODT profiled him here a couple of years ago.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dZVv1ZQ7Fgk

Holes in electoral law?

At last  New Zealand First’s funding is being exposed to sunlight:

Almost half a million dollars in political donations appear to have been hidden inside a secret slush fund controlled by a coterie of Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’ trusted advisers.

The secretive New Zealand First Foundation collected donations from wealthy donors and used the money to finance election campaigns, pay for an MP’s legal advice, advertising, fund a $5000 day at the Wellington races and even pay an IRD bill.

A New Zealand First spokesperson said on Monday the foundation had been in existence across several election cycles. “There has never been any suggestion that it is anything other than lawful,” she said.

Records uncovered in a Stuff investigation show a complex web that appears to be designed to hide donations to the NZ First Party via The New Zealand First Foundation. . . 

I was a regional and electorate chair for the National Party and am still a party member.

The necessity of  adherence to electoral law has always been drummed in at every level of the party, especially for fundraising and financial reporting.

No-one with any understanding of what’s involved could believe that a party like New Zealand First could function and run itself and successive election campaigns on lots and lots of small donations and few if any over the threshold for declaring who’s given how much.

Former NZ First treasurer Colin Forster claimed he was moved out of the party after questioning the financial records.

“When Winston wanted to hire a bus for the Northland by-election we were on the bones of our arse,” he said.

“We had about $20 in the bank and I would not let the party take out a loan. We were told not to worry about it and suddenly there was money.

“I could not understand where the money came from.”

Stuff has seen records for the foundation that suggest there have been breaches of the Electoral Act and that the foundation is being used to obscure political donations to the NZ First Party.

Donors to the foundation are primary industry leaders, wealthy investors and multi-millionaires. . .

Every other party in parliament, and most outside it, get donations like this, why would NZ First be any different?

Invoices paid by the foundation seem to show funds were being used for, what appear to be, party expenses.

Among other things, the foundation spent $9364 hiring boxer Joseph Parker to speak at the 2017 NZ First conference, $10,643 on travel reimbursement for MP Clayton Mitchell, $12,000 on legal advice from Russell McVeagh lawyers for Mitchell, and $5000 for a day at Wellington Cup Day races.

It also paid for the party’s Nation Builder website and donations platform, a cost of about $10,000 a month. . . 

Until now it’s been reported that the Foundation only made loans to the party. These payments don’t look like loans.

Efforts have been made by party officials to find out details of the foundation and some say they were removed from the party when they challenged Peters or Henry about finances. There is now a conga line of NZ First Party officials who say they have been forced out of the party. . . 

The party is known as Winston First because it looks like he has total control of it.

But absolute rule works only as long as there is absolute loyalty, or submission.

It looks like there are now enough people who are no longer loyal, or submitting, and they are talking.

The only surprise in this is that it has taken so long for the party’s funding to be questioned like this and that points to holes in electoral law or its administration.

H is for

When Labour, NZ First and the Green Party were in opposition they were very critical of National’s Cabinet Clubs through which people paid to attend meals at which senior politicians spoke.

Their criticism has dried up now they’re in government and Labour is charging $1500 for a lunch with Jacinda Ardern who happens to be Prime Minister but will be acting as Labour leader.

Running a political party and election campaigns costs a lot of money. It can be easier to get a sum like this from a few people than it is to raise a similar amount from a lot more people in much smaller amounts.

Anyone who thinks a politician can be bought for $1500 (minus the GST that will have to be paid), or even a lot more, has a very jaundiced view of the world and politicians.

I don’t have any concerns about this method of fundraising. I do have concerns about those who suggest state funding of political parties as an alternative.

And I’m not impressed with the hypocrisy from those who criticised National for raising funds this way but are saying nothing now it’s their end of the political spectrum doing it.

On the subject of hypocrisy, the Veteran  has spotted another large dose of it in Northland:

It appears that Labour has disregarded my quite inspired and well meaning advice that if  ‘they’ want to see Winston First back in parliament then they should have Kevin Davis go List only giving the Jones boy a clear run at the Te Tai Tokerau seat which he would win at a canter …

the prodigal son returning and all of that. I can report that Labour’s well respected Willow Jean Prime has been told she’s going to have to take one for the team and confine her campaigning to anywhere but Northland … Chatham Islands perhaps. . .

Labour did that to allow Winston Peters to win the Northland by-election.

That he wasn’t able to hold it at the next election ought to be a lesson for Northland voters who think another NZ First MP would be any better for them than the party’s leader was.

They should also learn from Southland, the West Coast and Taranaki where this government’s policies are doing far more harm than can be mitigated by dollops of money from the provincial slush fund.

Word of the day

Scrouge – to crowd, squeeze, press;  inconvenience or discomfort a person by pressing against him or her or by standing too close.

Thatcher thinks

They've got the usual Socialist disease – they've run out of other people's money. pic.twitter.com/RFp5DQUV7z

— Margaret Thatcher (@MrsMThatcher) November 11, 2019