1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Now New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has doubled down 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: on his criticism of Fonterra's plans to sell its consumer brands. 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: He's threatened in an open letter that Fontira may face 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: regulations if Mainland and Anchor are sold to the French 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: company Lactalise in Winston's with us now high Winston, Hello, 6 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: what regulations? 7 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 2: Well, they have over many, many years and last in 8 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one, again a monopoly position because politicians saw 9 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 2: in the national interest. And when that position is then 10 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: used to sell a product, the base product with no 11 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 2: guarantee of longevity that is only three years for the 12 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 2: brands that we have built it since the eighteen eighties, 13 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 2: then it's a matter of serious concern. The farmers need 14 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 2: to know that. 15 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: Now apparently I'm told the three years is not strictly accurate. 16 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: It's three years that they have to take the milk 17 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: for and then after that it's another thirty six months 18 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: notice pure if they want to stop. So it actually 19 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: works out at six. 20 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 2: Years automatically revenus until it's terminated as executive flim Flan. 21 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: After three years they can cancel. 22 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, but then they have to give three years notice. 23 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: So it really is six years, isn't it. 24 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 2: Well, once you're canceling, guess what that signals to the 25 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 2: farming community. Your long term advantage is being lost dramatically. 26 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 2: You're now a wholesaler, You're not an added value operation. 27 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: Now, what are the regulations that you're threatening. 28 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 2: Well, I'm just saying that they did not get there 29 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 2: without coming to Parliament for this priviose position, than to 30 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 2: sell it as though it's some sort of catalyst asset 31 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: against the national interest, against added value to the wealth 32 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 2: of this country and to the employment of thousands and 33 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 2: thousand of people in's country. Is simply open to questions. 34 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: Have you actually thought about what the regulations are or 35 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: are you just floating the idea that there may be 36 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: some regulations. 37 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 2: It's not complicated. Let me tell this sounds common. 38 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: You can't answer the question, Yeah, of. 39 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: Course I can answer the question on the Well, I 40 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 2: don't know why. Why haven't you Peel been asking them 41 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 2: since they made that. 42 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: It's not my first rodeo. I know what you're up to. 43 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 1: You haven't thought about the regulations yet? 44 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 2: Yes I have. I'm saying we're gonna we're gonna remove 45 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 2: your privileged position, so that if a New Zealand wholesale 46 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: I wished to go and too added belly supply, they'll 47 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: have access to the milk that they are currently denied. 48 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 2: All right now, isn't really proplicated? 49 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: No, no, thank you for answering the question. I should say, 50 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you for answering the question. I do 51 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: appreciate it. Is it really that big a deal though, 52 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: with the milk supply, I mean we're talking about what 53 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:45,519 Speaker 1: is it like seven and a half percent of the 54 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: country's milk that lacked lisee ends up taking. 55 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 2: Oh again, again, that's not where we're really talking about. 56 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 2: We're talking high end, top end. And if you go 57 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 2: to Scandinavia, you go to Switzerland, if you go to France, 58 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 2: if you go to countries that know how to add value, 59 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 2: they have and many of those countries not even got 60 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 2: the raw product, but they're getting the base product and 61 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 2: adding value to it massively, and that's why they are 62 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 2: doing so better than us. 63 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: But Fonterra would argue that they are doing value add 64 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: with all the other weird stuff that they do, like 65 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: the protein, the protein and the sports drinks and all 66 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 1: that stuff that's really value add. 67 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 2: Oh, with the greatest suspect to Fonterra. Look, they went 68 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,239 Speaker 2: through the being made disaster. That was not eight and 69 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 2: eighty million dollar loss, The opportunity cost was one point 70 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 2: four billion. They rent both and the very same people 71 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 2: coming on radio and TV, not Fonterra. But these people 72 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 2: being dragged out now were the very people who were 73 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 2: heading the organization when that happened. This is serious stuff, Okay. 74 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: Now, David Seymour has a good point though, doesn't he. 75 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: It is actually for the farmers to choose, not for politicians. 76 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 2: There's exactly right for farmers to choose, knowing all the facts. Yeah, 77 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 2: and I'm talking about the future young farmer, the son 78 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 2: and daughter. They are now on their ground tourdren. But 79 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 2: not you. 80 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: You're not making it for the farmers to choose. If 81 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: you start threatening regulation, you're really making it. You're inserting 82 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: yourself here. 83 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: I'm not inserting myself. But it was they that came 84 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 2: to us and asked us for protection and for privileged 85 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 2: position and monopoly. Do you not realize I've been around 86 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 2: for a long time, I've seen this. Ponterra was established 87 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 2: on that basis in the first place. 88 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: Now, listen, can I just ask you about the fairies? 89 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: Are you worried at all about this lot building the 90 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: fairies over in China and what they're up to, the 91 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: potential threat? 92 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 2: Oh? Look, one mainstream media genos arsinad and I said, 93 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 2: have you've flown eddies in lately? Well? They both they 94 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: buy from Boeing. Boeing makes military aircrafts as well. 95 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, but Boeing's on our side, isn't it. The Americans 96 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: are on our side. If we're going to war, We're 97 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 1: not going to war with the Chinese. It's like we're 98 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: fighting in the Chinese. 99 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: Every item of this matter will be carefully scrutinized by 100 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 2: capable people for the first time in a long long time. 101 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 2: When the deal is done. The Chinese know that. 102 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: Do you really think that we have the capability if 103 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: they put vulnerabilities in the fairies? I'm not saying that 104 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: they are, but if they did, do you really reckon? 105 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 1: We can find it? 106 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 2: Of course we can. 107 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: How can we find it? We have guys from the 108 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: defense forces who hand their notes into the op shop 109 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: in the valley. 110 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 2: Well, that was a very very low grade woman who 111 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 2: went home with her notes. She was only a note 112 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 2: taker and left it at home. This is not a 113 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 2: high operative inside the defense Force. And more importantly, we're 114 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 2: not the third one largest rocket launcher in the world 115 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 2: at this point in time because we got there by accident. 116 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 2: Have some confidence in your people and it will hire 117 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 2: the right people. The difference is when this dealer is over, 118 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 2: we will have saved you and your listeners over two 119 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 2: billion dollars. 120 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: Please to hear at Winston. I'm thrilled. I actually maybe 121 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: I should have more confidence. I appreciate your time. That's Winston, 122 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 1: Peter's New Zealand First Party leader. For more from Hither 123 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be 124 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 1: from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.