1 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Kielder. 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,479 Speaker 2: I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:11,039 Speaker 2: daily podcast. 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: Presented by the New Zealand Herald. 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 2: New Zealand is a farming country and that's not going 6 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 2: to change anytime soon. Agriculture and the primary sector remain 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 2: central to our international trade, with export revenue hitting a 8 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 2: record fifty seven point eight billion dollars in the year. 9 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: To June twenty twenty three. 10 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: That number is expected to dip when the next figures 11 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 2: are announced as the tough economic climate is. 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: Felt throughout all parts of society. 13 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 2: Looking to get the most out of both the primary 14 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 2: sectors here and overseas is the Minister for Agriculture and Trade, 15 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: Todd McLay. 16 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: As he heads to field days this week. 17 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 2: The Minister joins us today on the Front Page to discuss. 18 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: The state of his key portfolios. 19 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 2: Minister nearly seven months into the job now, and you've 20 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,839 Speaker 2: been on a few international trips in that time. Hey, 21 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:15,040 Speaker 2: when you talk trade over seas, how important are our 22 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 2: primary sectors in those discussions? 23 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 3: Well, two things are really important. 24 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 4: One primary sector is an extremely important and valuable part 25 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 4: of the New Zealand economy. And secondly, it's a really 26 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 4: big part of our trade profile. If you think of 27 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 4: it this way, eighty percent of every single plane that 28 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 4: leaves an airport in New Zealand and eighty percent of 29 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 4: every single ship that leaves every port in New Zealand 30 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 4: is full with the goods from the primary sector that 31 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 4: we are selling overseas, and that's its contribution. The second 32 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 4: thing I think in every single market I've been in 33 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 4: through the Middle East, Europe, and of course a lot 34 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 4: through Asia is the very good high reputation New Zealand 35 00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 4: food and produce has has been safe, environmentally free, and 36 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 4: increasingly now people starting to be aware that, you know, 37 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 4: it is very good for climate change because of the 38 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 4: low carbon footprint that we have. And so we're just 39 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 4: going to make sure we keep talking those things up 40 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 4: and doing what we do best in New Zealand innovating 41 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 4: produce great things that the world's consumers want to buy 42 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 4: and are willing to pay more for. 43 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 2: Speaking of climate change, I know the government's just announced 44 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 2: it will be keeping agriculture out of the New Zealand 45 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 2: emissions trading scheme and will establish a new Pastoral Sector 46 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 2: group to tackle biogenic methane. 47 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: What's the reason for this? 48 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 3: Well, two things. 49 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 4: The first is we know that our food producers are 50 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,399 Speaker 4: some of the most carbon efficient producers of food anywhere 51 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 4: in the world. And if what we do to meet 52 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 4: our climate change obligations is have them produce less or 53 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 4: close farms down, we know that that food we produce 54 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 4: will be picked up by some other country and they 55 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 4: will be you know, the climate will be worse off 56 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 4: because they are less client carbon friendly, and Zealand will 57 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 4: be poorer and we're just not willing to do that. 58 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 4: But we must meet our obligations internationally to reach net 59 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 4: zero by twenty fifty and we want to do that 60 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 4: with the pastoral sector, which is the farmers that have 61 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 4: dairy and meat. We want to do it in such 62 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 4: a way as we reduce missions without reducing production, which 63 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 4: predominantly is around new technologies that are available overseas and 64 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 4: yet to be here, and through investing with them in 65 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 4: more research and commercializing some of the things that are 66 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 4: in labs in New Zealand now that will allow us 67 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 4: to do that. 68 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: Was the sector even a part of THEHS initiative to 69 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 2: begin with. 70 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 4: Well, the previous Labor government put them in as far 71 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 4: as on the first of January next year. In twenty 72 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 4: twenty five, if agriculture hadn't agreed a price to tax 73 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 4: its climate or methane production, then the ETS would swing 74 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 4: into effect. 75 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 3: And we just think that's just far too blunt a tool. 76 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 4: You know, if New Zealand was one of the worst 77 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 4: carbon emitters when it came to agriculture, may be fair enough, 78 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 4: but we're not. We're one of the most carbon efficient. 79 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 4: And all it would do is push production to the 80 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 4: US or to Europe, where we know that for every 81 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 4: time they produce food they emit more carbon. That would 82 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 4: be worse for climate change. But I come back to 83 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 4: what I said earlier. We must meet our climate change obligations. 84 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,040 Speaker 4: The government has committed to that. Agriculture has said they 85 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 4: will do their part, but we just have to do 86 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 4: it in a way that it doesn't shut them down. 87 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 3: And I know that there will be many things that 88 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 3: they're up for around. 89 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 4: Innovation and these new technologies that will help get us 90 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 4: there by twenty fifty. 91 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 2: The sector is one of the biggest in our country 92 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 2: in terms of emitting meeting though right. 93 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 4: Well, you know, agricultures is responsible about fifty percent of 94 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 4: New Zealand's emissions, but they are not responsible for fifty 95 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 4: percent of New Zealand's warming. 96 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 5: Farmers don't dispute. They're responsible for nearly half of New 97 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 5: Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions. 98 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 3: And not responsible is as for half the warming. 99 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 5: A report commissioned by Federated Farmers Dairy and z and 100 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,679 Speaker 5: Beef and Land New Zealand shows that since nineteen ninety 101 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 5: farming has been responsible for forty nine percent of total emissions, 102 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 5: but in that time the sector has been responsible for 103 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 5: just thirty seven percent of warming. 104 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 4: And that's why before the election we committed to an 105 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 4: independent scientific review, an independent review of the science and 106 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 4: targets of methane agriculture against additional warming, and Cabinet has 107 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 4: made that decision already we're going through the terms of 108 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 4: reference and we're looking for New Zealand and the world's 109 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 4: best scientists in this area to conduct that independent review 110 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 4: for us. 111 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 3: What they will do is give us. 112 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 4: Exactly the target of what agriculture must do, what they 113 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 4: must reduce, or the amount they must reduce by. And 114 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 4: you're going to remember the last government put in legislation 115 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 4: a reduction of agricultural emissions of between twenty four and 116 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 4: forty seven percent by twenty fifty. But that's not a target, 117 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 4: that's a really wide band that sort of says, we 118 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 4: don't really know what the target should be, so we'll 119 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 4: chuck some stuff and legislation and we'll work it out 120 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 4: later on. Well, we've said we want the world in 121 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 4: New Zealand's best scientists to help us make that decision. 122 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 4: We will accept the decision, you know, the advice they 123 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 4: come up with, and then we will work with agriculture 124 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 4: to ensure that they do their fair shared to help 125 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 4: New Zealand meets climate reduction obligations, and we'll do so 126 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 4: in such a way without sending those jobs and that 127 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 4: production overseas. 128 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 2: You said that the government is committing to meeting our 129 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 2: climate change obligations, like you've just told us as well. 130 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 2: But if farmers don't face consequences for their emissions, what 131 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 2: incentive do they have to reduce them. 132 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 4: Well, one of the most important incentives is access to 133 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 4: foreign market. And I mentioned at the beginning of our 134 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 4: top eighty percent of what we know we sell overseas 135 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 4: as food and fiber, it comes from the primary sector. 136 00:06:54,960 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 4: We know that customers overseas, and certainly consumers are recly 137 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 4: interested in the environmental and climate change footprint, and although 138 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 4: we are one of the world's most carbon efficient food producers, 139 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 4: that's not enough. 140 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 3: We need to do our fair share. And I know 141 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 3: my conversations with the. 142 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 4: Processors who export as well as the farmers and their 143 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 4: farming leaders that represent them, they know that they have 144 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 4: to do this. 145 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 3: They're up for the challenge. 146 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 4: They're just saying that a tax on food production, which 147 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 4: is what the last government was proposing and driving through 148 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 4: the utets, would merely put up prices for New Zealand 149 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 4: consumers and our supermarkets, and would make us less productive 150 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 4: overseas and wouldn't do anything at all to help the 151 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 4: world reduce agricultural emissions. 152 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 3: Well, we're being more responsible than that. 153 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 4: We're saying that we're going to work with the sector 154 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 4: set up a pricing regime by twenty thirty, but make 155 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 4: sure that the New Zealand regulatory system and our investment 156 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 4: allows some of those solutions that are available around the 157 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 4: world but not yet in New Zealand there for farmers 158 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 4: to take up. 159 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 6: We need to embrace the technology and the tools that 160 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 6: many other countries have. You know, there is technology that 161 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 6: exists today as a methane inhibitor that will reduce emissions 162 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 6: by thirty percent. It's available in thirty five other countries 163 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 6: and it's not yet available here in Zealand. We need 164 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 6: to give our farmers the tools and the technology to 165 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 6: be able. 166 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 3: To do that. 167 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 2: The last government didn't seem to get along too well 168 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 2: with the farming community at all. Hey, but Groundswell seems 169 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 2: to be one of the few groups not protesting the 170 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 2: government this time. What are you doing differently to work 171 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 2: with the farming community. Do you reckon that differs from 172 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 2: the last government? 173 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 4: Well, I think that most of the groups that represent 174 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 4: farmers from you know, directly on the farm to those 175 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 4: that have officers in Wellington, the levy bodies, all they 176 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 4: asked was the last government was to work constructively, you know, 177 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 4: Labor set up a hare Walker ECONO, a partnership and 178 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 4: they said it was the first true partnership with government 179 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 4: of farmers anywhere in the world to find solutions together 180 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 4: to reduce farm missions and scratching. Now, well we are 181 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:14,839 Speaker 4: and the reason for that is that the sector work 182 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 4: for two or three years, came up with those solutions 183 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 4: and the government said, no, we don't like it. The 184 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,440 Speaker 4: Labor government said we don't like it, and they destroyed 185 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:26,319 Speaker 4: any semblance of cooperation or good faith that existed. What 186 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 4: that shows me though, is that the sector is willing 187 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 4: to take on responsibility for itself and we are disbanding 188 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 4: here Walker Econoa because it's failed. It didn't achieve what 189 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 4: Labour said it would and I'm yet to see anybody 190 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 4: that has any faith it. In fact, even James Shaw 191 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 4: that was a member of the last government. Now if 192 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 4: Parliament said it didn't achieve the things that needed to, 193 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 4: it didn't work out. In its place, we have a 194 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 4: new Pastoral Sector group that will be representatives at a 195 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:56,560 Speaker 4: very high level of only those farmers involved with the dairy, sheep, 196 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,679 Speaker 4: beef and there because that's where the methane shall and 197 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 4: we will work constructively and focus with them on these solutions. 198 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,079 Speaker 4: But the sector knows and it has already said it 199 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 4: must meet its obligations. Are They're up for that, but 200 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 4: they need a government that will work with them. Merely 201 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 4: putting a tax on them that puts up the price 202 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 4: of food and sends jobs and production over seas won't 203 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 4: achieve that. 204 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 3: It'll just make New Zealand poorer. 205 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 2: How does it put a higher price on food though 206 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 2: being more environmentally friendly. Do you think other nations, perhaps 207 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 2: in exporting, wouldn't choose New Zealand because it's not doing 208 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 2: enough for the environment. 209 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 4: Well, no, it makes food more expensive for New Zealand 210 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 4: consumers and makes us less competitive over seas when we export. 211 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 4: So think of it this way. It's a bit like 212 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,839 Speaker 4: that ut tax. The last government put a tax on utes. 213 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 4: If people want to buy them and drive them, or 214 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 4: a farmer or a tradee there is nothing else they 215 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 4: can buy because there wasn't electorates. All they have to 216 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 4: do is pay a tax, pass that on to the 217 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 4: consumers or the people they're providing services to, because they're 218 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 4: not able to alter their behavior. In the case of 219 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 4: the last gouvernm with agriculture by saying they were putting 220 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 4: a price on agriculture, if there was nothing they could 221 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 4: do other than farm less and produce less food. Then 222 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 4: merely it puts up the price of food for New Zealanders, 223 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 4: or we. 224 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 3: Are less competitive overseas. 225 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 4: Are here blessed to sell And as I said earlier, 226 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 4: because we are so carbon efficient, it means the Americans 227 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,319 Speaker 4: or the Europeans would produce that food that world needs 228 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 4: and with a greater carbon footprint, which is worse for 229 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 4: climate change. Well, we're not willing to do that. But 230 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 4: I come back to what I have said each time 231 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 4: and repeat. We must meet our obligations. The sect there 232 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:36,319 Speaker 4: says they're up to that. We're going to work with 233 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 4: them on this on methane and use these new technologies 234 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 4: and make sure the tools are available to them so 235 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:44,679 Speaker 4: that we can get to the target of net zero 236 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:54,239 Speaker 4: on behalf of New Zealand by twenty fifty. 237 00:11:57,800 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 2: And one of the arguments the previous government used around 238 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 2: the emissions trading scheme and other policies was that the 239 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 2: New Zealand trades on its clean green image and farming 240 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 2: needs to reflect that. 241 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: Right Do you agree with that perspective? 242 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 4: Yes, I do, And we start from a very good 243 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 4: point in as far as we are one of the 244 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 4: world's most carbon efficient food producers. But we can't merely 245 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 4: say we're better than the rest of you. Therefore we're 246 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 4: not going to do anything. We have obligations and we 247 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 4: have to do our fear share. 248 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 3: That's in it. 249 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 2: It's just not in the scheme of the ets, right, 250 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 2: you're going to make them do other things. Does the 251 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 2: clean green image come up at all when you talk 252 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 2: with other countries. 253 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: Has that resonated overseas well? 254 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 4: Certainly consumers around the world recognizes that New Zealand produces 255 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:46,439 Speaker 4: very high quality save food and they recognize also that 256 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 4: we have high environmental standards. We need to keep enforcing 257 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 4: those and reinforcing them. But we also have to be 258 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 4: focused on the outcome, what we're trying to achieve, rather 259 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 4: than just a rule that often won't achieve what has 260 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 4: been suggested or just add cost. But we are thought 261 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 4: of very highly internationally. It is a reputation that has 262 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 4: developed and built upon by successive governments from the work 263 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:10,959 Speaker 4: the sector. 264 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:12,119 Speaker 3: And farmers do themselves. 265 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 4: We need to support that with good regulation and enhance it, 266 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 4: but not merely put in place rules that would create 267 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 4: attax and not achieve the things we need to. 268 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 2: And if we go back overseas and talk trade for 269 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 2: a minute, Minister, how's the mission to woo India going? 270 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 4: Well, it's very you look at We're in a really 271 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 4: really good space, I think, but there's a lot of 272 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 4: work to be done. It's fair to say over the 273 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:35,199 Speaker 4: last six to seven years, the relationship with India was underdone. 274 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 4: Prime Minister Luxeen has been very clear we want to 275 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 4: invest in that relationship and it is a strategic priority 276 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 4: for the government. I've been up there very soon after 277 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:47,319 Speaker 4: the government's formed last year. 278 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 3: Deputy Prime Minister Peters has paid a visit. 279 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 4: When I was there, I met with my counterpart, the 280 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:56,359 Speaker 4: Commerce Minister, and I invited him to send a delegation 281 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 4: of his high level officials to New Zealand to meet 282 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 4: with my trailer officials and talk about trade more broadly, 283 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 4: but also focus on some of the barriers that exist 284 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 4: that make it hard for New Zealanders to export to 285 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 4: India or Indians to New Zealand. That visit happened about 286 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 4: a month ago. It was very constructive. Since we've come 287 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 4: to government, the log trade has recommenced because India had 288 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 4: restricted logs from New Zealand. We've been able to find 289 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 4: a few products, including mangos, that can come down in 290 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 4: this direction. And the Prime Minister has said he will 291 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 4: visit India within a year of becoming Prime minister, and 292 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 4: that is scheduled with a big delegation before the end 293 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 4: of this year. So we're making important steps forward. The 294 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 4: end goal is a high quality trade agreement with India. 295 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 4: But before we can get to the stage of talking 296 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 4: trade and negotiating, we have to strengthen the relationship and 297 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 4: get ready for a ways that Kiwis and Indians can 298 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 4: buy and sell more from each other. 299 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 2: If you had a genie pop out of a bottle 300 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 2: and you could sign a trade agreement with any country 301 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 2: in the world that you're working on now, who's on 302 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 2: the top of the list. 303 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 4: It would be India because they're one point four billion 304 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 4: consumers who are increasing in wealth. They're starting to trade 305 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 4: with the world, buy and sell, and that we know that. 306 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 4: You know that there is real opportunity for Kiwi exporters 307 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 4: of goods and of services. 308 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 3: In that market. 309 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 4: But the other area that I think would be very 310 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 4: important for me is rather than a trade deal with 311 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 4: one countries, I'd want to continue to bring groups of 312 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 4: countries together to have common rules through trade that give 313 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 4: certainty and opens up supply chains to many more New 314 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 4: Zealand exporters. You know, we don't have a trade deal 315 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 4: with the US, although since they pulled out of the 316 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 4: TPP seven years ago, our trade with them has grown 317 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 4: remarkably well. But we did the last week in Singapore 318 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 4: and I was there sign a deal with fourteen Indo 319 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 4: Pacific countries, including India and the US, which looks area 320 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 4: to cooperate and gives greater certainty for trade and particularly 321 00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 4: investment in the green economy. That's a pretty important step 322 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 4: forward for a small country like New Zealand. We're going 323 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 4: to keeping out on the world stage hustling for a 324 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 4: better deal for keywags. It's something the prime minister election 325 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 4: is pushing the Deputy Prime Minister and me as Trade 326 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 4: Minister to do every single. 327 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 7: Day, because if it's splitzing growth rates, the fast is 328 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 7: doing economy of the world. A country of one point 329 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 7: four billion people who are upwardly mobile, several hundred million 330 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 7: people coming up into the middle plus every decade. It's 331 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 7: a huge market which cannot be ignored. In fact, it's 332 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 7: a little surprise that it has taken New Zealand so 333 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 7: long to come to the party. 334 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 2: And you're off to Field Days obviously a massive event 335 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 2: for the sector on everyone's calendars every year. 336 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: I what are you looking most forward to? 337 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 2: What do you reckon the reception is to you being 338 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 2: there will be and any announcements coming out. 339 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, my first Field Days as Agriculture Minister. Although I've 340 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 4: been there previously spoke and of course there's an MP 341 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 4: many times before. It's a real celebration of the very 342 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 4: best at new rural New Zealand has to offer. I 343 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 4: have nothing but admiration for New Zealand farmers. You know, 344 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 4: they innovate, they work very very hard every day, they 345 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 4: get up so early, and they are helping us rebuild 346 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 4: the economy and pay off a lot of the debt 347 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 4: that's been run up. But there will be a number 348 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 4: of announcements as we go through the week. The Prime 349 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 4: Minister will be there Wednesday, which is our full day, 350 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 4: and I tell you, aside from our announcements, what he 351 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 4: and I are both most looking forward to is being 352 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 4: able to get out and talk to farmers directly about 353 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 4: the things that they're doing well, the challenges that they 354 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 4: have and what more they want from the government. 355 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 1: And any hints on what those announcements will entail. 356 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 4: Well, some of them are going to be around support 357 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 4: on farm and new ways of doing things. Nothing overly significant, 358 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,119 Speaker 4: but I do have announcements towards the end of the 359 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:59,360 Speaker 4: week around forestry. There's a forestry hub there and it's 360 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 4: what we're doing in agriculture, given certainty, getting some of 361 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 4: the rules that aren't working just costs, creating costs out 362 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:09,640 Speaker 4: of the way and setting up a framework so foresters 363 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 4: as much as farmers have a clear understanding of what 364 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 4: their obligations are and then can make decisions for themselves 365 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 4: how to best meet them. You know, where the cost 366 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 4: of a regulation is greater than the benefit of the outcome, 367 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 4: that's red tape, and the government is just not going 368 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 4: to do that. But we're not saying we shouldn't have rules. 369 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:29,680 Speaker 4: We're saying we want better rules. We're not saying that 370 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 4: we only want you know, fewer, we want ones that 371 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 4: really really work. And that's the same whether it's in 372 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 4: any part of the business community, agriculture, forestry, or actually 373 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 4: mom and dad at home. You know, they know they 374 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:44,639 Speaker 4: have to be rules on regulations. They want to be 375 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 4: smarter and better. They don't just want them to be 376 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:51,719 Speaker 4: expensive and burdensome. And that's everything that David Seymour that 377 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 4: our Prime Minister Christoph Luxan and Deputy Prime Minister Winston 378 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 4: Peters and. 379 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 3: I are focused on geling along then very much so. 380 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 4: Tell you I've been in three governments now and this 381 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 4: is a privilege and of pleasure to be a member 382 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 4: of the focus around the Cabinet table on getting things 383 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 4: done for New Zealanders and making their lives easier by 384 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 4: having less government, but where they do need government that 385 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,160 Speaker 4: we work harder for them is a pleasure. 386 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 2: You can tell us the Gossip of tape. Thanks minister, 387 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 2: You're so welcome. That's it for this episode of the 388 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 2: Front Page. You can read more about today's stories and 389 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 2: extensive news coverage at enzet Herald dot co dot z. 390 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 2: The Front Page is produced by Ethan Sells with sound 391 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 2: engineer Patty Fox. 392 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm Chelsea Daniels. 393 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 2: Subscribe to The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you 394 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 2: get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow for another look 395 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:49,680 Speaker 2: behind the headlines.