Friday, March 29, 2024

THE VOICE: The right people for the job

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Nait was a dog controlled by people who couldn’t whistle so the flock had no direction – the outcome of a poorly implemented animal traceability system that relied on farmers to be 100% compliant with no recourse for those who weren’t.
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Under new legislation the Primary Industries Ministry can now use evidence it collects from farms in relation to Nait for enforcement of the laws around traceability. 

It’s a damn shame they rushed it through Parliament and caused a huge outcry and mistrust between MPI and farmers again. Many farmers felt they were lower than a drug dealer in the Government’s eyes.

The only good to come from the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak that I can see is finally the Government and MPI have realised the scale of damage that could be done to our economy if we lose the ability to farm from a disease or virus outbreak. 

Thing is, it’s too bloody late. 

We will never farm again as we did before 2017.

The blame has been laid at farmers’ feet for not keeping Nait records current. 

I bounce that blame back to those in control of this country’s wellbeing. 

If the right people had been in control of biosecurity and animal traceability with the backing of the Government to spend where important and regulate the importation of high-risk products we would not have been as susceptible to the damage the primary industries have endured over the last five or so years. 

Let’s face it, we still import fresh pork, the blame for Psa has been attributed to a botch-up by MPI (under appeal I believe) along with many more border incursions we now need to implement some form of damage control.

Until New Zealand starts to place or train the right people into the jobs that matter we won’t have security in any shape or form in any aspect of the country’s wellbeing. 

Let’s start at the top.

The Government is not in control and can’t make decisions.

How many action groups and select committees have been started since the election? 

The only way to be in control is to have control. 

Under the first past the post system the government had the ability to make decisions for right or wrong. The Medusa government we have at the moment has no ability to act promptly without considering the fallout of any decision on the deals made with the coalition partners.

Michelle Edge has resigned as chief executive of OSPRI and the role needs to be filled by someone who will demand performance from the organisation that is forever challenged on the use of 1080 and the effectiveness of Nait. 

Now is the time for a shake-up. 

We, as farmers, have to comply with the regulations imposed on us and administered by OSPRI and MPI. 

While a percentage of farmers have not complied, can it be said those two organisations have been efficient in their roles and can the farming community have faith in the support required in times of need from these departments? I say many farmers will have serious doubts. 

MPI has been accused of negligence and a lack of structure in the handling of the M bovis outbreak with a flair-up between Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers members and MPI’s response director Geoff Gwyn coming to a head after a reaction from Gwyn to a letter delivered to Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor on the procedures being used to eradicate M bovis. 

The heat is on MPI because it is guilty of cruising along in the past without national scrutiny like we are seeing now. If the right people and procedures plus support from the Government had been within MPI a lot more proactive approach to the threats we now face would have been implemented.

NZ has only a small population with limited resources. The fat is not in the system to pay people for a cushy job only to be let down when the excrement hits the fan by a lack of ability and commitment to their role. 

How many farmers can say Theo Spierings was value for money, why should we pay Clare Curran and Meka Whaitiri to sit on the back benches and be as useful as a broken drafting gate, has the new Federated Farmers chief executive got enough empathy for farming to represent the industry, will OSPRI select a new broom that works, will the coalition Government lead with strength and will the select committees and action groups deliver value for money, will Simon Bridges be leader of the opposition by Christmas? 

All these questions need not be asked if the right people are selected for their ability to show their worth when the times are hard and not for when things are looking rosy. 

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