Federated Farmers need to own their shit

Gareth Morgan chooses a blunt title for his post on Conor English's excuse-making around farm-created pollution.
Morgan says:

"The problem with Conor English is that he stubbornly refuses to answer the charge that Fed Farmers think that it is a birthright for its members to vandalise the environment and smash the rights of others, all for the pursuit of profit."

That's putting it out there, Gareth! Our local Feds are going to be squirming when they read that! Morgan goes on:

" That’s the issue here and as the dairy herd increases from 2 to 4.5 million and ever upwards, this constraint will enforce a change in farming practice. If you want more cows and you’re not allowed to impact the waterways with their presence, then you need to change practices. Connor English does not accept this, he argues farmers should be allowed to raise their pollution in line with their herd size. There is no logic to his lobby group challenging the Environment Court otherwise. Conor’s form of guardianship is not quite the kaitiakitanga that preceded industrial farming."

Mr Morgan sums up the National Government's (I call them the John Key/John Banks Government) position on this with:

" It’s noticeable that National are pulling back from siding with Fish and Game and conservationists challenging Fed Farmers through the Courts on this issue now, and instead are switching sides as the raw reality of rural politics is brought to bear on the Conservation Minister.
This fits with National’s demolition of the ETS, withdrawal from Kyoto and Steven Joyce’s championing of GDP growth founded on continued destruction of natural assets. We truly have stepped back to a conservative, non-progressive government."

And here, in big text, the nub of the issue:

" Let’s repeat it. If Fed Farmers’ view was that you can’t despoil the environment for others in your pursuit of personal gain, it would not be squealing and saying the Environment Court is raising the barrier too high in terms of what pollution is acceptable. No more pollution is acceptable so it doesn’t matter how high the hurdle is."

Not Bill English

Ali Timms, Environment Southland chairman, has not addressed her admonishments (in today's Southland Times) to this man, Conor English, Federated Farmers CEO, but to his brother, Bill English, Deputy Prime Minister. English went into bat for the federation following the grumpy walkout by federation members, who couldn't bear to hear the contrary opinion of their chairman, Hugh Gardyne speaking in the ES boardroom last week. English makes claims on behalf of the Federated Farmers, despite not being their CEO, claims that Timms quite rightly disputes. Perhaps English's claims to the Times were in fact, English's and the otherwise attentive Mr Tulett mixed the Christian names inadvertently, who can say? "Could the real Mr English come forward", I can almost here people say, "we're feeling a little bamboozled!"

*  Prior to this appointment Mr English was Commercial Director and second-in-charge of The Property Group, a consultancy with 80 staff. He is the former chief executive officer of the New Zealand Property Institute and has had roles in other lobby groups and in the Beehive.

Shooting down the Nats

"This is a Government who are allowing Solid Energy to build a lignite production facility in Bill English's electorate to power his Brother's Federated Farmer's industry cheaply."

Ah Tumeke!
You've done it again!

More (coal) smoke screen

"A Wellington think tank claims that the proposed lignite-to-urea fertilizer plant by the government coal miner, Solid Energy, is expected to get more than $500 million subsidies over the first 20 years of its carbon debt."

"The $1.4 billion plant collectively developed by farmer-owned fertilizer company Ravensdown and Solid Energy will be the second-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after the coal-fired Huntly power station.:"

"CEO Conor English said: "Our information is that the plant would be carbon compliant from day one, and logic tells you that when you are producing the product locally it must be better than producing it on the other side of the world and shipping it to New Zealand."

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(Hat-tip treesoftomorrow)