‘We’re Actually Out And About’: Labour Cops Flack From Bishop, Seymour Over Fieldays Stall

Russell
Palmer, Political Reporter

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.

“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 on Wednesday, and he had arrived on
Thursday.

He said the decision not to book a stall was
made “a year ago, probably” after finding their stall last
year was less effective than walking around and engaging
with people.

Labour had 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.”

He acknowledged the party’s public
transport policy announced this week would not be much
help to farmers, but said the party 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.

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