Groundswell NZ plan to hold a nationwide "tractor protest" on Thursday in direct response to the Government’s announcement of a world-first scheme that will see farmers paying for agricultural emissions in some form by 2025, which goes out for consultation today.
The scheme has drawn strong criticism from farming lobby groups which see it as a step too far that will only push emissions offshore.
Voices for Freedom (VFF) co-founder Alia Bland said the anti-mandate group also opposed the government plan and encouraged its members to attend Thursday’s protest.
"A high turnout at this protest from VFF’s extensive network of over 100,000 informed and rational supporters will strengthen the position of Kiwi farmers."
She said Groundswell leadership had expressed their appreciation of VFF’s support of the protest, and from time to time VFF co-ordinators had worked with local Groundswell representatives to further shared interests.
"This is a farming protest and our VFF signs will reflect that ... Naturally, in a large public protest, individuals and organisations supporting a range of issues are always possible."
Groundswell NZ co-founder Laurie Paterson said the group had a single message.
"People are always saying things on social media. There’s lot of crazy stuff on it - but our message is quite clear. What we’re pushing back on is this farming tax.
"Having said that, we can’t control everybody. So we would hope we’ve put the message out there that we want people to be courteous and respectful of property, respectful of emergency services and things like that. That’s the best we can do."
Though some of its supporters did so, Groundswell NZ did not attend Wellington’s anti-mandate protest in February in an official capacity and released a statement at the time saying they understood the frustration but wanted to stay focused on their core mission.
"As an organisation, we’re tackling rural issues and don’t want to take away from our core mission - focusing on holding this Government to account on unworkable regulations," co-founder Bryce McKenzie said.
Southland farmer and Gore District councillor John Gardyne said he thought Groundswell was trying to keep itself clear of VFF’s agenda and some farmers "wouldn’t be happy getting tangled up in that sort of stuff".
He said he did not mind the support from the anti-mandate group, so long as they stuck to the singular goal.
"I’m dead against the vaccine guys. If they want to protest about that, they need to do it themselves. Not on Groundswell’s ground."
High country farmer and former Federations Farmers president Geoffery Young said all New Zealanders should be standing up against the proposed submissions tax.
"It’s a free country and people are entitled to views on all aspects of society, and so if Voices for Freedom want to come in and gather with the protests Groundswell’s organised, I’m quite happy for that, as [long] as they don’t try pushing their own individual messages."
Southland Federated Farmers senior vice-president Bernadette Hunt said the economic fallout of the government scheme would affect everybody, so it was no surprise other groups were getting involved.
"Just as long as they aren’t trying to pick up a protest that’s being organised and taking a different cause to it.
"The fact that the Government’s writing policy that is going to have a massive economic impact for no benefit to global emissions should concern everybody."
- Ben Tomsett
