Just like a duck
Released 30 Jul 2010
David Cooper, Federated Farmers regional policy advisor
Actor Michael Caine once noted that ducks are "calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath". This is a great analogy of the work Federated Farmers elected members put in and how it is often not noticed. On the surface they're farmers, but underneath they're involved in a wide range of complex issues.
While a lot of the visible work the organisation does is at a national level, the fact is that our elected members in the provinces remain the backbone of the Federation. Federated Farmers is divided into provinces, and each province has a President, a Vice-President and a chair for each sector of the province. In North Otago each of these is elected members are not only full time farmers, but are also extensively involved in their industries, local and national government and the community.
Farming is subject to increasing regulation and complexity. As the need for increased on-farm productivity occurs and the world shrinks because of technology, the connections between farming and peripheral issues are becoming all the more important as efficiencies are sought. There is very little that doesn't impact on the New Zealand farmer. That means there are very few areas of policy our elected members aren't involved in, often at high levels.
Being an elected member for Federated Farmers may entail throwing the red bands into the ute after a morning's work on the farm, donning a shirt and tie to attend a meeting about industry strategy, before meeting with a District Councillor to discuss the effects of a proposed District Plan change, all the while fielding calls on the recent flooding or drought, the OCR announcement or the ETS from local or national media.
Being an elected member of Federated Farmers means footing it with professionals over a broad range of complex issues, and with the weight of the province behind them there is no ducking of responsibility. The elected members of Federated Farmers North Otago are not only busy, they're also effective. The feet aren't webbed but their feats are impressive.
