Trotter at his best

This piece from Chris Trotter on the sale (or not) of land to overseas buyers is a classic. He's couched it in Medieval style, with knights, Kings, fuedal lords and monks and he's hit the target, bull's-eye!

"And what about the mad monks of Treasury – and their even more ascetic brothers in the Business Roundtable? Having compelled us all to wear the hair-shirt of deregulation and the flesh-biting cilice of free trade, they are still urging our leaders to surrender what’s left of New Zealand’s patrimony to the Holy Church of Globalisation."

It's very good.

Selling the farm

"Most New Zealanders have a pretty realistic compass on the New Zealand investment market" says Federated farmers chairman Don Nicolson, when shown a poll that reveals that 40% of New Zealanders are happy for overseas investors to buy local farmland.

I mull over Nicolsons statement.

I have strong reservations about it's truth.

"The poll of 500 people aged 15 was conducted by telephone" (This must be misreporting, surely!)

"Respondents were asked whether they believed overseas-owned businesses should be able to buy or invest in New Zealand farms or farmland"
(That seems like two questions right there Mr poll-writer! Invest or buy - which is it? Seems it's convenient to blend the two terms in the minds of ordinary New Zealanders)

The article begins;
"More than 40 per cent of New Zealanders are happy for overseas investors to buy local farmland - a level of support that has pleased Federated Farmers".
(Federated Farmers are pleased that New Zealanders support the selling of NZ farms to off-shore buyers?
That's a sad situation for us all to be in)

That's as dodgy as it gets, in my book!