(Media release)
We were hopeful after the last Groundswell protest that the Government might finally start listening. But Jacinda Ardern and Damien O’Connor have refused to meet with the organisers of Groundswell to even listen to their concerns.
Rural New Zealand has become a punching bag for the Government. They’ve taken blow after blow as a raft of new regulations shows just what this Government really thinks about the primary sector.
Whether it’s freshwater and winter grazing, a ban on live exports, Significant Natural Areas, indigenous biodiversity or a tax on utes, rural New Zealand has taken a hammering.
ACT has had more than 40,000 signatures on our petition to Dump Three Waters, more than 25,000 signatures to Stop Labour’s Car Tax and thousands have signed up to Stop the SNA land grab.
My Member’s Bill would have ensured the baton of environmental regulations was given to regional councils and taken out of the hands of Wellington bureaucrats – but Labour voted it down.
ACT is the loudest voice in Parliament when it comes to standing up for the rights of rural New Zealand. As a dairy farmer myself, I know that farmers are the best environmentalists around. We kept the economy going through COVID. It’s time the Government gave us a break.
ACT MPs locations from North to South:
Mark Cameron – Dargaville
Brooke van Velden and Damien Smith – Auckland
James McDowall – Tauranga
Simon Court – Hastings
Chris Baillie – Nelson
David Seymour, Karen Chhour and Toni Severin – Rangiora
Nicole McKee – Gore
(This protest is also supported by National. —Eds)
Well done ACT. Why is Federated Farmers so wimpish? I understand Feds will not support Groundswell. Have Feds been ‘bought’ by government just as media has caved in to cash payments?
Federated Farmers is a political advocacy for farmers isn’t it?
Act are trying to co-opt a movement they didn’t start. Act and National are all for Jacindas jab roll out. Think about that and wonder why there is no political party opposed to this desire to stick everyone with a harmful, experimental, gene altering, ineffective and unnecessary medication,
While I think it is great that political parties are supporting Groundswell It must be remembered that Groundswell is a non political organisation and we are not an anti vaccine movement either. We leave that to people to decide for them selves and concentrate on trying to get more workable out comes for farmers. Hard with a government who clearly do not care about the opinions of the public which their handling of the 3 waters debacle clearly show. They never intended there to be choice. Thanks to all the well behaved farmers and supporters who turned out in their thousands all over the country! Here in Blenheim my guess would be between 3 and 5 thousand people took part. Hard to say exactly when we were not allowed to leave our vehicle because of covid. Well done Marlboorugh!
It would be fair to say there won’t be (m)any Green/Labour voters among the protestors.
AS a floating voter I was dismayed to see ACT leader Seymour say in Blenheim (today’s paper) “Just get f—ing vaccinated.”
You just lost my vote Davey Boy.
It’s one thing to be a vaxhead, quite another to coerce people. He proposed recently an instant PCR test as an alternative?
Anyone who calls for an “instant” PCR test has no idea what one is or how they work.
Damien O’Connor, Minister of Agriculture, refuses to talk to Groundswell people???
What a disgrace and a flop as Minister for Ag.
Minister for agriculture is actually anti agriculture.
Minster for health is actually anti health.
Minster for science and research is actually anti science.
Minister for transport is actually anti transport.
Prime minister of New Zealand is actually anti new Zealand
Any more?