Waitaki National MP Miles Anderson picked up a new job this week ... although quite how different it is to his current job is a moot point.
Like many country folk, Mr Anderson has been in Hamilton this week for Fieldays, an event which in recent years has attracted almost as many MPs as Parliament does.
Even the Greens are there, in full force but well out of their comfort zone: their Taieri list MP and rural communities spokesman Scott Willis was spotted nodding earnestly on One News on Tuesday night as co-leader Chloe Swarbrick opined.
Now the cynical might opine that the National Party has always been the rural Nats, and that local branch meetings in country towns are indistinguishable from Federated Farmers meetings.
In the past that would likely have been true, but the farming community is more diverse these days.
That said, there is certainly an extensive list of prominent National MPs and former prime ministers who were farmers, and there is no shortage of primary sector representatives — such as Mr Anderson — in the current caucus.
But the fact that National has felt the need to make a special point of that fact is an interesting move, and one which is potentially belated recognition of the years of work which New Zealand First to a minor degree and Act New Zealand to a major degree have put into trying to woo the rural vote.
NZ First elected Lawrence farmer Mark Patterson to Parliament almost seven years ago and re-elected him last year: he is now Minister for Rural Communities and Associate Minister of Agriculture.
Act was an early ally of the South-started Groundswell rural advocacy group, something for which it was well-rewarded with party votes last year, and it too has an Associate Minister of Agriculture in the form of former Fed Farmers big cheese Andrew Hoggard.
National has hardly been unaware of all this and it is not coincidental that many of its new MPs are farmers.
But this added push to "build on National’s proud history of advocating for rural communities by better connecting rural people to the National Party and giving them a strong voice within the party" — their words — suggests that party strategists are looking ahead to 2026 and hoping to entice back bedrock rural party votes to replace any first-time urban liberal Nat voters frightened off by the policies the government has implemented.
National has set up five Rural Nats regions, and Mr Anderson will steer the southern region.
The move comes just after the last sheep leave the Anderson family farm after 130 years of ovine presence there. While the move was prompted by his having decided to lease the property out due to the time-consuming nature of being an MP, he said it also reflected the challenges which faced sheep farmers today.
But at least the last couple of weeks have given Mr Anderson something to spruik to his southern rural Nats.
RMA reform, funding boosts for rural catchment and rural support groups, the rural banking inquiry which NZ First had asked for in its coalition agreement, and taking agriculture out of the ETS are announcements from just the past 14 days which National will be counting on keeping the cockles of cockies’ hearts happy.
Intense scrutiny
Next week Parliament tries out a new thing - Scrutiny Week.
While sounding vaguely reminiscent of the tension round in 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, although probably without the pyrotechnics and stand-up comedians, Scrutiny Week — on paper anyway — looks like it might be a good thing.
Every year Parliament reviews its Standing Orders (the rules by which it plays) and Scrutiny Weeks are among the initiatives from last year’s do-over.
Essentially, it offers extra chances for select committees to quiz ministers and officials about what they have been up to, over and above the annual review process and any sessions on ministerial legislation.
Now no journalist, let alone any member of the public, should have any complaints about more chances for us all to know how ministers and officials are spending our money.
Next week is not a sitting week, but all MPs are expected to be on campus and taking part in the reviews.
Take 1 has been timed to be just after the Budget; take 2, in the first week in December, will likely be akin to an annual performance review.
The obvious pun
Labour held its annual southern conference in Dunedin last weekend, and leader Chris Hipkins took time out for a feed in a local institution.
Yes, that is indeed Chippie in a chippie.
