Jamie Mackay, host of The Country, (formerly known as The Farming Show) has interviewed leaders of the National and Labour parties every week for years, with one exception.
That exception was then-Labour leader David Cunliffe who declined the opportunity because he thought he wouldn’t get a fair hearing.
There’s now a second exception, one of Cunliffe’s successors, Jacinda Ardern who has said she’ll now only be doing a monthly slot.
The Country is the most expensive advertising hour on radio which indicates the size of its audience.
The show goes nationwide, with a sizeable number of urban listeners and it’s a must-listen for most rural people.
Interviews with party leaders are almost always pre-recorded at a time that’s convenient to them and last about five minutes.
What does it say about a PM who doesn’t have a very few minutes to spare for an audience that big?
People wanting to listen to interviews with the PM will no doubt be able to find others but the ones on The Country deal with rural issues in a way others don’t.
If she’s not available for weekly interviews on The Country she’s not interested in talking to country people.
Homepaddock 
Reblogged this on The Inquiring Mind and commented:
No empathy for farmers from Ardern,she is urban elitist to the core, but she will campaign as just a girl from Morrinsville when it is convenient
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Not only is she not interested in country people, she’s not interested in the entire South Island. Only 1.9% of the $13b infrastructure announced yesterday will go on roads in the South Island.
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She was too busy for Chch radio show so why would Dunedin get better terms? Only started playing in Akld last year via sport station. Jamie is such a Winston/Jacinda fan that makes it a puzzle to reduce such an easy interview.
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