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Labour says its MPs are out and about talking directly to people at Fieldays rather than sitting at a stall in the back.
The comments come after National Minister Chris Bishop and ACT leader David Seymour posted on social media photos of an empty patch of grass, claiming it was meant to be where Labour's tent would be.
Fieldays, the southern hemisphere's largest agricultural event, near Hamilton, runs from June 10-13.
"How symbolic. Nothing here. Barren and vacant, like their policies for farmers and rural NZ. Or indeed NZ generally," Bishop posted.
"First we couldn't find their policies, no we can't find them at all," Seymour wrote, "ACT's stall is big and bright right next door."
However, party leader Chris Hipkins said they never booked a space to have their tent at the event this year.
"We chose not to have a stall this year at all ... we've got a big team here but we decided that we'd actually get more engagement with people by getting out and about and walking around.
"So rather than being over in the corner by ourselves - which seems to be where David Seymour's hanging out - we're actually out and about amongst the people and talking to people.
"That space has certainly never been set aside for Labour because we never had any space booked."
Hipkins said much of his team was present at the event's first day yesterday and he had arrived today.
The decision not to book a stall he said was made "a year ago, probably" after finding their stall last year was less effective than walking around and engaging with people.
Labour has not announced its agricultural policies yet because the party was still working through it, he said.
"If you look at say the Federated Farmers, they released their [election] manifesto yesterday or the day before yesterday, and there's an awful lot of common ground in there.
"We do want to have that opportunity to engage with farmers as we continue to finalise our manifesto."
Labour yesterday vowed to cap public transport fares at $20 a week in main centres and $10 everywhere else if elected on November 7.
Hipkins acknowledged the transport policy would not be much help to farmers, but said Labour would announce a policy on rural school bus services, and would have more to say on rural health, ahead of the election.
The fare cap policy was the first new policy the party had announced in six months, after a slew unveiled in October and November last year.
This story was first published on rnz.co.nz |  |