Sam, what does that lack of statutory protections mean for contract milkers in practice at the moment, particularly when disputes arise?

Yeah, it sort of just leaves contract milkers in particular, farm owners also fall into this category in certain examples, just a little bit wide open.

So not quite sure, they're not quite sure where they fall in terms of which legislation and which legislation might trip them up, if that makes sense.

So if they know they're going to be under the Shear Milking Agreements Act, Easy.

Job done, if that makes sense.

It's also going to bring a little bit more control, I suppose, for lack of a better word, around the agreements.

So at the moment, sort of the difference between the agreements, because there's more people doing agreements than just us at Federated Farmers, The difference can be vast, and people won't necessarily know the difference up front.

What's the risk if we leave the law as it is?

So I guess over recent years, we've seen sort of a slow move from more share milkers to more contract milkers and that needs

addressing? Yeah, that's right.

It probably follows on after a few poor seasons with payout and just to secure people's share farms as opposed on farm.

It's a little bit of a, contrail milking is a far safer sort of pathway for farm owners and for the share farmer as well in terms of they're paid a fixed rate.

So budgeting wise for a farm owner, it's a little bit easier, a little bit less risk.

So it's sort of been the flavour of the last 10 to 15 years, I'd say.

Why does that necessitate the need to change the Act? Because contract milkers, as they are, don't actually sit inside the Act.

Yeah,

So I guess over recent years we've seen sort of a slow move from more share milkers to more contract milkers, and that needs addressing.

Yeah, that's right.

It probably follows on after a few poor seasons with payout and just to secure people's, um, share farms, I suppose, on farm.

It's a little bit of a...

Contract milking's a far safer sort of pathway for farm owners and for the share farmer as well in terms of they're paid a fixed rate.

So budgeting wise for a farm owner, it's a little bit easier, um, a little bit less risk.

So it's sort of been the flavor of the last 10 to 15 years, I'd say.

You've been talking with some of the political parties about this?

Was that the major gripe here or the major issue with this particular act? What is it that feeds this sort of, as you say, behind closed doors? What have you been talking about in relation to all of this?

Yeah, absolutely.

So it's really sort of to try and help get contract milkers in particular to sit inside the legislation.

So back in 2011, it had some tinkering.

At that stage, contract milking was nowhere near as large and as vast as it is currently.

So I think, and correct me if I'm getting the stats wrong, it's about 13% of New Zealand's milk is produced by contract milkers.

So that's a fair amount of the workforce, right? So it's just about getting those people into legislation so that they've got a little bit of protection behind them.

So, yeah, other major things from your point of view on the agenda out there that you're talking to parties about other than this one, of course?

Was that the major gripe here or the major issue with this particular act? What is it that feeds this sort of, as you say, behind closed doors? What have you been talking about in relation to all of this?

Yeah, absolutely.

So it's really sort of to try and help get contract milkers in particular to sit inside the legislation.

So back in 2011 it had some tinkering.

At that stage contract milking was nowhere near as large and as vast as it is currently.

I think, and correct me if I'm getting the stats wrong, it's about 13% of New Zealand's milk is produced by contract milkers.

So that's a fair amount of the workforce, right? So it's just about getting those people into the legislation so that they've got a little bit of protection behind them.

So, yeah, other major things from your point of view on the agenda out there that you're talking to parties about other than this one, of course?