Greens against NZ apple exporters

There are some areas where I think the Greens have some useful contributions to make. But nothing infuritates me more than their 1950s head in the sand opposition to trade.

And we have a prime example carried by the Asutralian ABC in July. Rod Donald is quoted as being against apple and potato exports to Australia!!

Mr Donald told the Country Hour he is opposed to apple and potato exports to Australia from his homeland on the basis that they should be consumed locally. He wants to see an end to products crossing the Tasman which can be grown locally, such as dairy foods.

I’m sorry, but how sad is that. As a country we do or die on our exports, and the Greens are against exports! They think we should be some perfect island commune where we produce just enough stuff for our own needs, and don’t export or import anything.

You would have thought that when even communist China started to embrace trade, that the Greens might drop theior opposition to it. But no, they go off campaigning in Australia saying they are oppossed to NZ exporting apples to Australia.

The full story is over the break:

New Zealand Greens agree with Aussies – no to apples or potatoes to Australia

By Libby Price

Friday, 29/07/2005

Right now the issues of New Zealand, potatoes and apples are very much on the Australian agenda. Firstly, New Zealand farmers want to export their apples to Australia. Australian farmers say the disease risk is too great.

Secondly, New Zealand farmers have won a contract to sell their potatoes to McDonalds in Australia. Their gain is Tasmanian farmers loss, and, as we’ve been reporting on the Country Hour, the Tasmanian led “fair dinkum food” campaign is heading to Canberra in protest. We’ve heard a bit of the New Zealand response to both these issues, but there’s nothing like an election to really bring these sorts of discussions to the fore, and that’s just what’s happening in the Land of the Long White Cloud, which goes to the polls in just a month’s time.

One party working to ensure its political future there is the Greens, and right now co leader of the party Rod Donald is in Australia lobbying the 21,000 or so Kiwis living in Australia who are eligible to vote. Mr Donald told the Country Hour he is opposed to apple and potato exports to Australia from his homeland on the basis that they should be consumed locally. He wants to see and end to products crossing the Tasman which can be grown locally, such as dairy foods.