Anderton's u-turn on meat mega-merger rank hypocrisy

Jim Anderton’s new-found status as promoter of a mega-merger for the meat industry reeks of breathtaking hypocrisy, says National’s Agriculture spokesman, David Carter.

Mr Carter is responding to the Agriculture Minister’s sudden embrace of the concept after talking it down when it was first mooted in February this year.

'Back then, Jim Anderton sneered that any support at central government level would be perceived as a subsidy by overseas trading partners, and he criticised National for supporting the idea.

'Today, he has resorted to his normal habit of alienating the industry by accusing meat companies of ‘fiddling while Rome burns’.

'Mr Anderton is now, disingenuously, urging meat companies to revive failed talks for a mega-merger. He is even acknowledging that this must be done with some urgency.

'This is the man who also told Parliament that National’s enthusiasm over the idea was nothing but ‘pork barrel politics’.

'Jim Anderton’s road to Damascus conversion is cynical politicking of the worst kind. The industry won’t forget it.'