MP versus farmers round two
A dairy farmer is disputing that Labour MP Iain Lees-galloway was intentionally pushed at a heated public meeting about the party’s proposed water tax on irrigation.
Foxton farmer Richard Mcintyre said Lees-galloway’s early departure was a lost opportunity for farmers to hear Labour’s plans and put their concerns to MPS.
Lees-galloway left after he said he suffered a ‘‘definite push’’, saying he would have stayed on had he not been jostled.
Mcintyre said said he was watching closely and did not see the Labour MP for Palmerston North get pushed during the meeting at the O¯ roua Downs community hall in Manawatu¯ on Wednesday – ‘‘and if he was pushed, it was accidental’’.
Lees-galloway said some people were clearly not interested in what David Parker, Labour’s water spokesman who was beamed in over an electronic link, had to say, while others missed out on talking about Labour’s irrigation policy.
Mcintyre said he did not believe the politician was accosted. ‘‘I don’t believe he was pushed, but it happened so fast and all of a sudden Lees-galloway was off out of the room. He did return and if he was concerned about his safety, he would not have come back, I believe.’’
Mcintyre said 55 farmers were there to listen and have their say, and that was taken away from them when Lees-galloway and the phone link with Parker ended. But Lees-galloway was holding his ground: ‘‘You should blame it on the people who were confrontational and physical,’’ he said.
Mcintyre admitted there was a ‘‘fair bit of frustration’’ in the room, but farmers wanted to hear Labour’s ideas. ‘‘Farmers feel they are unfairly targeted. Cities and towns are responsible too. You don’t hear about water pollution from Auckland people in the media,’’ he said. ‘‘It was a lost opportunity for both parties. There has been a fair amount of vitriol. In the room there was a mood of emotion, but not tension.’’
Many people inside the meeting told the alleged jostler to sit down.
Lees-galloway also said as he was leaving, a driver in another vehicle deliberately drove into his van. The driver was not the alleged jostler.