Pea-Brained MPI Raids Wairarapa Farm
Ron Mark MP
Deputy Leader of New Zealand First
Police Spokesperson
List Member of Parliament in
Wairarapa
19 SEPTEMBER 2016
Pea-Brained MPI Raids Wairarapa Farm
New Zealand First is asking why police were needed to back-up Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) staff raiding a Wairarapa farm suspected of breaching the region’s pea-growing ban.
“Why the hell did MPI go in so heavy handed which included seizing a farmer’s computer?” asked Ron Mark, New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Wairarapa based Member of Parliament.
“We knew about this raid and actually lodged a written parliamentary question last Wednesday. Police in rural New Zealand are as rare as hen’s teeth so did MPI really need police support?
“It makes me frustrated to see pot-heads openly smoking cannabis in front of police stations over the weekend while a farmer like Simon Perry gets treated like a drug-dealer.
“What do they expect to find on his computer – GPS coordinates for his secret pea stash? Federated Farmers may be apologists for MPI but New Zealand First is not given MPI hopelessly instituted the growing ban after the last harvest.
“While any growing ban must be enforced did it occur to MPI that a farm, which had previously grown peas, may have ones that will spontaneously grow? Then again MPI probably thinks the horticultural term ‘volunteer’ relates to an A&P show.
“We expect much more and the minister, Nathan Guy, needs to pick up the phone and apologise to Mr Perry,” Mr Mark said.
ENDS