Kerre Woodham: When it comes to farming legislation, no need to try and be too clever

It is an election year, ladies and gentlemen, and let the policy start rolling out! On Monday it was the rather underwhelming announcement from the Government around teacher-pupil ratios Today, it's the turn of National who are wooing farmers, courting the rural vote. National seems to have taken a leaf out of Labour's playbook in making an announcement about an announcement.   Still, at least they're rolling up the detail of their farming policy today rather than making us wait weeks or months.   There will be a package of 19 of farming focused policies released, but Christopher Luxon has already given the broad brush strokes of a few of them. The number of RSE workers (the Recognised Seasonal Employer workers) coming into the country will be doubled, and those workers will be given pathways to residency. National wants to ban foreign investment in farms to convert good farming country into forestry for carbon credits and they want to bring in a two for one deal for every piece of legislation introduced around farming.  In effect, Christopher Luxon told Tim Dower this morning they want to get Wellington out of farming. We all have concerns about really good farming land being turned into carbon sinks for overseas investors. But how many young people are able to afford farms these days? It's always been tough, but in this day and age I've thought it's nigh on impossible. And if you have been farming all your life and you and your wife or husband want to cash in, shouldn't you be able to sell to whomever you want? When you sell the farm, that's when you finally get the result of your hard work. When you get a return on those early mornings and late nights. So shouldn't you be able to sell to the highest bidder? How on Earth are they going to make it so that only New Zealanders will be able to buy?  Only foreign investors can buy if they keep it in dairy or beef or grow crops? Is there going to be a fund of money available for wannabe farmers to tap into to be able to buy these farms? How is that going to actually work?   When it comes to the Two for One legislation, I must admit I'm with Andrew Hoggard from Federated Farmers when it comes to that. Don't try and be too clever, too snazzy. If there's a dumb rule in regulation there, and by God there's a few, get rid of them. No need for catchy slogans, just sensible fixes to make it easier for farmers to do what they have always done, and that is save the economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.