Ministers wish MPI Director General well in new role

Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy and Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye paid tribute to Wayne McNee for his 14 years of service as a Chief Executive in the public service.

Mr McNee has resigned as Director General of the Ministry for Primary Industries to take up a new role as Chief Executive of the Livestock Improvement Corporation.

“Wayne has created great relationships with key stakeholders, both here and internationally. He knows that businesses are the engine room of economic growth.

“I’m sorry to see Wayne go but his new role as Chief Executive of the Livestock Improvement Corporation will utilise his skills, experience and knowledge.

“I’m encouraging the SSC to move quickly on finding a replacement and I’m sure this important role will attract a lot of interest,” says Mr Guy .

Chief Executive NZPork Owen Symmans congratulated Wayne on his new private sector role .

“Wayne has been a very effective Director-General for MPI and we have been able to engage with him on behalf of the industry. We’re sorry to see him go, but wish him well in his new role.”

Associate Minister for Primary Industries Praises Rural Strength

In March this year, the Associate Minister for Primary Industries, the Hon. Jo Goodhew, opened the new PIC Gene Transfer Centre (GTC or Boar Stud) in Canterbury. Her opening speech praised both the ‘commitment and enthusiasm’ of our industry members. Her remarks highlighted some of the industries key strengths but for many in the industry our Associate Minister is something of an unknown. Appointed to the role in January this year but Jo’s rural roots go back much further.

Born and schooled within South Canterbury where she grew up on a local farm, Jo was elected as the Member of Parliament for Aoraki in 2005, then as the MP for Rangitata in 2008. Now a Minister in the 2011-2014 National-led Government, Jo values her rural origins, “as the representative of people of the Rangitata electorate, a rural and rural service stronghold, I have remained connected because my constituents expect me to understand issues of importance to them. I’m proud to be from a region which has demonstrated time and time again the importance of working together to build primary industry productivity and supporting each other when times get tough.”

Jo is the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Senior Citizens, Women’s Affairs, Associate Minister of Health and Associate Minister for Primary Industries. Her extensive voluntary community involvement has included membership in a large number of organisations. In the 1980s Jo represented Young Farmers Clubs on exchange to Australia and was one of two New Zealand exchanges to the UK in 1984. Her time representing the rural interests of her constituents has lent Jo a true sense of the value of New Zealand’s agricultural and farming industries. “These are the networks that drive our economy and deliver healthy, safe and high quality food to New Zealanders and the rest of the world.”

At the opening of the PIC center, Jo acknowledged the work of NZPork. “While we are recognising the official opening of this Gene Transfer Centre we should also acknowledge the wider efforts of the industry in promoting 100% New Zealand pork and the special attributes that represents; high quality, environmentally sustainable and animal welfare friendly.”

With strong rural roots and an understanding of our industry, NZPork and the wider pork industry looks forward to a strong working relationship with our Associate Minister in 2013 and beyond.