Lachie Ashton has been announced as New Conservative’s number 4 list candidate.

As New Conservative’s spokesman for Primary Industries and Racing, Lachie sees himself as a loyal ally to the agriculture sector having been there on the ground as a farm worker, casual musterer, head shepherd, farm manager, contract fencer, leasing a farm and finally, farm ownership which has given him an excellent grounding across a broad cross section of farm types and practices.

Lachie, who now works as a Land Management Advisor for Environment Canterbury, believes that the common sense policies of New Conservative on Agriculture and the Environment are by far the best solution for New Zealand going forward.

Lachie joined the party after losing confidence in successive governments since the seventies which sold off strategically important national assets, either partially or in full, and often to foreign ownership. These actions have left New Zealand vulnerable to overseas banks, a much poorer telecommunications and internet system than we could have had, and a power supply that fails to ensure our industries have a competitive global advantage, and our households have affordable power.

Billions of dollars of taxpayer’s money have been spent in bailing out both Air New Zealand and KiwiRail, buying them back and getting them up and running again. Allowing the sale of farmland to foreigners should also be seen as selling off national assets. Selling businesses and houses to overseas owners has not served New Zealand well either, with the purchasers of Cadbury taking the manufacturing to Australia a good example.

On the watch of previous governments, New Zealand has gone from leading the world in the sixties with income equality and virtually no unemployment, to a country with huge social problems, poverty, high national and household debt, run down infrastructure, unaffordable housing, and an immigration policy that is not working for New Zealand. Lachie believes New Zealand needs New Conservative in government for a better future for all New Zealanders.

Lachie’s knowledge and experience will be of significant value to New Zealand in parliament.

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