The man advocating a meat industry merger says he is disappointed the proposal has become politicised just one week after the concept was released.
Alliance Group chairman Owen Poole said he had briefed the office of Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton on the concept and it was a matter of coincidence that the opposition was also informed.
Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton has accused the National Party of promising a ‘‘meat export subsidy'' to the industry should it become Government, a move he said would result in retaliatory export tariffs and the loss of credibility in global trade negotiations.''
Mr Anderton also claimed the Alliance Group was holding talks with the National Party, saying in Parliament on Wednesday that the concept's backers ‘‘have never been near the Government to put these proposals''.
Mr Poole said in an interview that he had briefed the minister's office, but the concept was in its early stages and needed support from company shareholders and other meat companies before it could be advanced.
It was coincidence that the opposition had been given details, with a prearranged meat industry dinner held in Wellington on Wednesday last week, the same day he announced plans to seek a shareholder mandate to lobby for a merger of meat companies.
Opposition National Party leader John Key, his deputy Bill English and agriculture spokesman David Carter had already been invited to the function, at which he said topics as diverse as global warming and the economy were discussed.
‘‘We had informal discussions about a lot of things and the concept was topical because it had been announced that day.
‘‘I was asked what help we would need from the Government and I said ‘empowering legislation and maybe some money'. This was not a formal briefing.''
Mr Poole said opposition politicians had no more information than the minister and he had nothing more to present until Alliance shareholders had had their say on the concept, and he had advanced discussions with companies that may want to be part of the merger.
‘‘We are unable to say ‘here is the business plan with the i's dotted and the t's crossed'.''
Mr Poole decline to discuss details about any money requirement, saying information would be released to Alliance Group shareholders at a series of meetings next week.
Mr Key told the Otago Daily Times at the Southern Field Days near Gore last week that the proposal may need a suspensory loan, which the Government may have to consider.
This was confirmed yesterday by Mr Carter, who said a standard loan or suspensory loan was not a subsidy.
He had not seen any detail and said the proposal may not need financial assistance, but the fact remained that a significant export industry needed to be restructured.
