Nick's Kōrero

Nick's Kōrero

The Pretender.

Celebrating farmer payouts while deriding the cost of living.

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Nick Rockel
Sep 26, 2025
∙ Paid

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began

Songwriters: David Grohl / Christopher Shiflett / Oliver Hawkins / Nathan Mendel.


It’s been a tumultuous couple of weeks for the National Party.

With data showing our economy performing poorly compared to other countries with similar challenges and a larger-than-expected decline in GDP, there have been calls for Nicola Willis to resign.

Notably, many of these were from the right, who demand more austerity, rather than from those who have had quite enough of it already, thanks very much.

Christopher Luxon backed his Finance Minister, even though some suggest she has her eyes on his job; however, before long, he was facing calls to stand down himself.

The Mood Of The Boardroom was distinctly unimpressed with the country's leader, with Luxon ranked at only 15th in their survey, suggesting a lack of confidence in the PM from those at the top of the pyramid.

Image

It’s fair to say that the embattled leaders would have been keen to share some good news, even if it came at a cost.

News came midweek that Fonterra, and thereby Dairy farmers, had done rather well this year. The payment received this year (2024/25) of $10.16 per kilogram of milk solids was roughly 30% more than it was last year (2023/24) $7.83 per kgMS.

So that’s nice. Wouldn’t you like to receive a 30% pay rise?

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