Farmers upset that the National-led government is pressing ahead with its emissions trading scheme (ETS) in July are talking about starting a rural-based political party to give country people better representation in Parliament.The idea has arisen among
Farmers upset that the National-led government is pressing ahead with its emissions trading scheme (ETS) in July are talking about starting a rural-based political party to give country people better representation in Parliament.
The idea has arisen among North Island members of Federated Farmers -- a big rural lobby popularly referred to as "the National Party in gumboots -- even though it is apolitical.
Rural voters make up only about 14% of the national electoral roll, but the president of Federated Farmers' Waikato province, Stewart Wadey, said some farmers in his region were looking at the possibility of launching a rural political party.
He has discussed the issue with the head of Federated Farmers Gisborne-Wairoa branch, Hamish Cave -- the two men plan to bring the matter up at the federation's next national council meeting, at Invercargill on June 25 -- but said any party would be separate from Federated Farmers groups.
Farmers in the two regions have argued that their needs are not being represented in Parliament and that a political party may be an option, he said.
"Somewhere along the line, somebody will say: 'We're going to form a party' ... but we haven't had that discussion yet," he said.
Mr Cave said farmers who had coped with a series of tough years were concerned that extra costs stemming from the ETS would place rural communities under a huge amount of financial pressure.
Farmers would be angry and frustrated if the ETS went ahead, and there were hopes that discussions about setting up a country party might focus attention in the National-led government.
Mr Cave noted that any new party would have to attract about 100,000 votes to gain representation under MMP.
Mr Wadey said that if a country party was established, there would need to be recognition that 53% of Hamilton workers depended on the rural sector for their income, and that this proportion was higher in towns such as Otorohanga and Te Kuiti.
"If we can get urban support, representations can be made to the gGovernment to reconsider the ETS," Mr Wadey said.
He noted some individual Waikato farmers had proposed wildcat protests against the ETS which he would not be able to support if they targeted urban households rather than the government. He hoped to talk through these proposals with farmers on Friday, because if a political party ever got off the ground , farmers would need to avoid alienating potential supporters in provincial towns and potential political allies.
Any eventual rural party would need support from the urban voters whose jobs and incomes depend on farm-based exports, particularly people in provincial towns.
Farmers had been spurred by attacks from senior National Party MPs on Federated Farmers leaders, such as national president Don Nicolson, and claims by National MP Shane Ardern that farmer protests over the ETS were "hysteria". The Taranaki-King Country MP, Mr Ardern chairs the important primary production select committee.
"Ministers and certain MPs have personalised attacks," Mr Wadey said.
National had pushed the ETS through Parliament but there was continuing unhappiness within the National Party, he said.
"Farmers lean more to the blue party than the red party, but that relationship has been somewhat strained," he said. "One of my farmer members said they don't want the National Party to think it is going to get two terms in a row."
*A Country Party created through the Auckland Farmers Union won representation in Parliament in 1925 and survived for four terms.
