Trade bloc way to go says CEO

Tony St Clair

At a time Australia is dishing out more than its fair share of thrashings to New Zealand sports teams, Tony St Clair could be forgiven for looking a little smug.

But while the outspoken Queenslander enjoys a bit of on-field rivalry, he passionately believes we can't let that get in the way of doing business.

"We've got to get rid of this parochialism. I think sport gets in the way of a lot of good business decisions in this country."

St Clair is stepping down as Federated Farmers chief executive and his time in New Zealand has convinced him that the two countries must eventually form a single agricultural trading bloc.

"Our industries are more complimentary than they are competitive," he says. "We farm in a similar way but we produce different products."

Australia produces 22 to 26kg lambs, New Zealanders produce 16 to 18kg lambs and the wool industries mostly produce different grades, he says.

The two countries need to work much more closely on marketing and research.

"It's a tragedy that there isn't a greater transference across the water. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see the logic. Between us we've got about 29 million people. There's more that are living in poverty in Indonesia."

There are other changes that St Clair would like to see in the New Zealand agricultural sector.

Near the top of the list would be the revision of the Resource Management Act. He describes it as a lousy piece of legislation that he and his team have spent far too many hours wrestling with.

Most farmers are passionate about the environment, he says. But all the act achieves is a bureaucratic roadblock to progress.

"There are very few farmers that I've met - and I have met a bloody truckload - that don't want to pass their farm on in a better state than they got it."

That St Clair is unafraid of controversy should be no surprise to anyone who has dealt with Federated Farmers in the past few years.

His attitude reflects a culture where members are expected to take a stance on issues.

The political clout of the organisation was demonstrated when it hit headlines with its fight against Government plans to levy animal methane emissions. Plans for the so-called "fart tax" were eventually shelved.

The organisation has another fight on its hands over proposed land access legislation.

St Clair says it is becoming more difficult for farmers to influence public policy through traditional political channels.

"I think farmers have been deserted under MMP and are seeing us as an effective voice on their behalf.

"The vote is now weighted so heavily north of the Bombay Hills and sadly when you look at Parliament there are so few farmers there."

St Clair hasn't started sweeping his Wellington head office for SIS bugs yet but there is no doubt the organisation has regained its status as one of the nation's most powerful non-party-based lobby groups

Membership took a big hit after it became voluntary in 1996 but it has climbed every year since 1997. At last count it was 18,500.

Sadly one of the hangovers of that period remains. Tensions between the national organisation and a breakaway group in Northland are yet to be resolved.

"The Northland saga has certainly been sad. People polarise locally, I can understand that. It's all about communities but I think we can do better. It's all about maturity"

St Clair says it comes back to parochialism getting in the way of good decisions.

"You just have to look at Waikato-Taranaki rivalry ... Otago-Southland, Mid-Canterbury-North Canterbury - I could write a book about it.

"If we could pull it all together rural NZ would be far more effective."

After spending countless hours meeting farmers all over the country, St Clair has earned his right to an opinion. He is no longer an outsider.

He admits that when he first came here in 1997 he was apprehensive.

"But outside the sporting barbs it has been wonderful."

Although he was born in Queensland, Victoria became his home state. He began his career as a commodity trader and ended up working for the Victorian Farmers Federation.

It was from there he made the move to New Zealand.

That his wife is a Kiwi made the move a bit easier.

St Clair says he genuinely has no idea what he will do next. He likes a challenge and believes that after about seven years in any job it is usually time to make a move.

Though it might be too parochial for St Clair, there are no doubt plenty in the local ag-sector hoping we can keep him on this side of the Tasman.