Fed. Farmers’ “head of animal welfare” claims, hilariously: “Our role is to show leadership and to educate our members” (Feb. 7, 2018)
Fed. Farmers’ “head of animal welfare” claims, hilariously: “Our role is to show leadership and to educate our members” The Panel, RNZ National, Wednesday 7 February 2018 Jim Mora, Penny Ashton, Patrick Morgan, Caitlin Cherry
First item after the 4 o’clock news is the vibe around this exciting new prime minister, and the excellent showing she made at Waitangi. “By any measure,” says host Jim Mora, “Jacinda Ardern’s trip north went well.” The panelists agree that Jacinda Ardern and her government are in for a lot more positive coverage in future, and the prospects for the Nasty Party seem dim. Then Penny Ashton comes up with one of the best lines of the year so far….
PENNY ASHTON: What is National going to do to counter her? I hear talk of Simon Bridges being in line for the leadership. I hope he does become leader, because he has all the charm of a school bully.
Mora does not greet this apposite and humorous quip with one of his trademark guffaws. Nor does he mutter his habitual, insincere “That’s very funny!” Instead he falls into an icy silence, as he does whenever someone makes a remark even slightly critical of the National Party.
After that awkward moment it is time to interview the first guest of the afternoon, billed as the “head of animal welfare” for Federated Farmers. His name is Chris Lewis and he apparently owns a farm “in the Waikato.” Mora insisted, at least three times, that Lewis is “one of the good farmers”. Maybe he is, but he didn’t seem to know much about the topic he was brought on to talk about: the suffering of dairy cows in the sun, with no trees to shelter under. Chris Lewis seemed to have no idea about anything. It was one of the most embarrassing performances in the history of The Panel—and that, as any long-time listener will attest, is very embarrassing indeed.
JIM MORA: Yeah, but are shelter belts being removed for the ease of installing centre-pivots?
CHRIS LEWIS: Ahhh, I don’t farm in Canterbury and I haven’t been there much lately. …. Our role is to show leadership and to educate our members….. But we need your listeners to tell us what are the best trees to plant…. [more confused blathering then, mercifully, he stops.]
….STUNNED SILENCE….
PENNY ASHTON: I would have thought he’d be the expert on such things. MORA: No, he’s— PENNY ASHTON: He’s the head of animal welfare for Federated Farmers. MORA: No, he’s looking for arboreal advice. PENNY ASHTON:[clearly unimpressed] Hmmmmmm….
Later, near the end of the program, Penny Ashton manages to run afoul of Jim Mora’s highly selective moral code again….
PENNY ASHTON: He’s a disgusting piece of human garbage, Piers Morgan. MORA: We don’t need to go into that….
The Panel, RNZ National, Wednesday 7 February 2018
Jim Mora, Penny Ashton, Patrick Morgan, Caitlin Cherry
MORA: No, he’s—
PENNY ASHTON: He’s the head of animal welfare for Federated Farmers.
MORA: No, he’s looking for arboreal advice.
PENNY ASHTON: [clearly unimpressed] Hmmmmmm….
MORA: We don’t need to go into that….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17-12-2017/#comment-1427213
Awww C-mon
Morrissey