Farming sector gets thumbs down

Digs against dairy farmers and the agricultural industry drew the biggest applause at an election meeting in Christchurch last night.

Representatives of eight parties discussed sustainability policies before about 130 people at a meeting organised by Sustainable Otautahi Christchurch.

Christchurch Maori health and education leader Hector Matthews, who is standing for the Maori Party, got applause for his blunt statement: "Canterbury is not dairy country."

Labour's Lianne Dalziel, the Commerce Minister, said Federated Farmers had run a clever campaign on the "fart tax".

However, their opposition to New Zealand's carbon-charges regime "shows they are so out of touch with their own industry they don't even know one end of a cow from the other".

Earlier, Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said dairy farming could not keep destroying the province's rivers, lakes and aquifers.

He called for a "green New Deal" to take the country to sustainability, including improving the public transport system.

Candidates were provided with yes-no signs to pin them down on sustainability questions but it did not always have the desired effect.

Some signs were not held up at all while some politicians flip-flopped between the two.

Progressive Party leader and Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton was against a moratorium on further major water takes in Canterbury until major studies into water use were completed. Norman supported a moratorium.

New Zealand First candidate Steve Campbell said an Environment Court ruling allowing dairy company Synlait to take river water from a specified water red zone was irresponsible.

In response, one woman sitting in the pews whispered: "But what are you going to do about it?"

- © Fairfax NZ News