Labour out to win over rural voters

WELLINGTON - Labour is promising $20 million in new funding for the rural sector, which it says has languished under National.

It also intends restoring the title of minister of agriculture, which was scrapped by National last year and replaced with Minister for Food, Fibre, Biosecurity and Border Control.

Labour agriculture spokesman Jim Sutton said the position of agriculture minister was an old and honourable one and Labour would return to it.

Labour would also establish a minister of rural affairs to act as a watchdog and advocate at the cabinet table for rural New Zealand, Mr Sutton said.

"The present Government has lost the plot as far as rural New Zealand is concerned," he said at the launch of Labour's rural policy.

Under the policy, $20 million in new funding annually has been made available, although Mr Sutton said he did not expect it all to be spent in the first year.

Some of it, however, would be spent in areas including halting soil erosion, strengthening border control and boosting money for new research, knowledge and technology.

That would include feasibility studies for things such as water management and irrigation schemes, and regional initiatives identifying new agricultural and horticultural opportunities.

Mr Sutton said we would remain dependent on our primary industries for much of our wealth.

"There is a lot of talk these days about the knowledge economy. In New Zealand, much of that knowledge is about, and will be applied to, our traditional centres of excellence, our primary industries."

Over the past 15 years, economic policies had concentrated on reducing costs to assist the export sector to compete internationally. In recent years, however, that strategy had been subject to the law of diminishing returns.

"Under Labour, New Zealand will change to a primary strategy of adding value, instead of merely reducing costs. We will be pro-active in assisting rural industries and communities adapt to changing circumstances."

Other policies included improvements in rural health services and a review of staffing levels in rural schools.

Organic agriculture would be promoted, and new powers given to the Environmental Risk Management Authority over new organisms, including genetically modified crops, to protect organic production.

Genetically modified food would have to be effectively labelled, while a royal commission with wide terms of reference would be established to inquire into genetic engineering.

Labour is targeting rural New Zealand as potentially fertile ground for votes after signs of a swing away from National, which has traditionally polled strongly in the agricultural and horticultural sector. - NZPA