National's agriculture spokesperson Nathan Guy alleged in Parliament today that Trade Minister David Parker told the EU Agriculture Commissioner and his trade delegation that "hungry sharemilkers screw everything out of their cows and allow them to s*** in our rivers".
Mr Guy asked Mr Parker if he had made the comments to the EU Agriculture Commissioner and his trade delegation at a meeting in Wellington last week.
Mr Parker said he had not, but Mr Guy said he had confirmed from his sources that the Minister did say that.
Mr Parker said Mr Guy was "misinterpreting comments that I think he's heard third- or fourth-hand".
"The meeting with the European Commission included the issue of nutrient pollution," Mr Parker continued. "Some of the farm groups at the meeting I think were somewhat shocked to hear the European Commission say that the commission had required the Netherlands to cull 100,000 cows because they exceeded their nutrient pollution guideline.
"I explained to the European Commissioner our water programme for action. I acknowledged the problems that we have in controlling nutrient pollution and I flipped to Landcorp to explain one of the ways we're addressing this is to prove up the economics of less polluting farm systems."
Mr Guy said 3000 sharemilkers have helped fence and exclude cattle from 98 per cent of our waterways - a distance from Wellington to Chicago and back.
He asked if the Minister could be trusted to negotiate a free trade deal with the EU "when he's said comments about the New Zealand dairy industry that farmers are outraged about".
Mr Parker replied: "Given the controversy that the member has tried to create around this, I had my office check with representatives from the EU.
"They received my comments in the way in which they were intended. The member's got it wrong. He's willfully misinterpreting the statement I made.
"The meeting did achieve its purpose. New Zealand and Europe do see eye-to-eye on environmental issues, which also helps us gain the trade access we are seeking to improve our access for farmers and other exporters to Europe."
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