Mark Cameron MP is the authentic voice of rural New Zealand. Mark has lived and farmed around the Northland region for 30-years, experiencing a slight change of pace when he was elected to Parliament as an ACT Party MP in 2020. He has a partner, and three children, and still enjoys getting his hands dirty on the farm when not fighting for rural New Zealand in Parliament.
He’s seen the calamity of rural mental health and understands what MPI inspectors coming on to your land means in practical terms. No party in recent times has had a professional farmer who actually milks cows every morning enter Parliament. While his family manages the farm, Mark speaks for all those who do.
Latest Press Releases
A million bucks on an unnecessary rebrand
14 June, 2022
“The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has spent almost three times as much on an unnecessary rebrand as it did on a support package for under pressure fruit growers,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
ACT advocates for increased farmer support
14 February, 2023
As Cyclone Gabrielle causes chaos across much of New Zealand, ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron is calling for increased support to farmers facing significant animal welfare and financial problems.
ACT backs Groundswell on ETS alternatives
14 June, 2022
“ACT is backing Groundswell’s call for alternatives to forcing farmers into an emissions trading scheme”, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
ACT forces SNA backdown
03 August, 2022
“The Government has confirmed in Parliament today that it will allow land use on Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to continue after pressure from ACT,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
ACT in tune with Kiwis on Farming Tax
25 October, 2022
“A Federated Farmers poll released today shows what ACT already knew, New Zealanders back our farmers and reject Labour’s farming tax,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
ACT MPs back rural New Zealand at Groundswell
14 June, 2022
“All 10 ACT MPs will be out in support of rural New Zealand at Groundswell events around the country this weekend,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron....
ACT MPs to stand up for rural New Zealand at Groundswell protests
14 June, 2022
“All 10 ACT MPs will be out in support of rural New Zealand at the Groundswell events around the country this Friday,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron....
ACT welcomes He Waka Eke Noa consultation extension
14 June, 2022
“The ACT Party is today commending the Government for taking our suggestion and extending the consultation for period He Waka Eke Noa, but it should go further,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
ACT welcomes SNA pause
14 June, 2022
“ACT welcomes the Government listening to our concerns about Significant Natural Areas – but there needs to be a complete rethink of this policy not just a pause,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Christmas contempt for the rural sector
21 December, 2022
“He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) continues to miss the point. ACT says that any policy that gives away market share to less efficient competitors belongs on the scrapheap,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
David Parker refuses winter grazing extension
19 October, 2022
“Environment Minister David Parker has continued to ignore farmers and is refusing to extend the November 1st deadline for Freshwater Farm Plans,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Emotive live export ban a kick in the guts
14 June, 2022
“The Government’s emotive decision to ban live exports ignores the evidence and is a kick in the guts for the rural sector”, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and dairy farmer Mark Cameron....
Exotic afforestation discussion document welcomed
14 June, 2022
“The Government’s discussion document, ‘Managing exotic afforestation incentives,’ is a welcome and overdue opening to the concerns of Rural New Zealand,” says ACT Rural Spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Farm environment plans need extension
13 September, 2022
“The ongoing problems with freshwater farm plans are testament to politics blurring the lines of practicality and will be unworkable unless the Minister grants an extension,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Farmers bearing the brunt of rising costs
14 September, 2022
“If the Government wanted to try and lower prices at the checkout, it should reduce the regulatory burden that is rising production costs on farm,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron.
Farmers begging for real change
03 August, 2022
“The results of Federated Farmers latest farmer confidence survey shows that farmers have had enough and election day can’t come soon enough so we can have real change,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron....
Farmers need a better environmental law making standards
14 June, 2022
“A new Bill from the ACT Party drawn today will ensure the baton of environmental regulations is given to regional councils and taken out of the hands of Wellington bureaucrats,” says ACT’s Rural Affairs spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Farmers right to be angry with burp tax
20 October, 2022
“Farmers are right to be outraged by the Government's proposed tax on farm emissions, in fact the whole country should be up in arms about a policy that increases emissions and hammers an entire industry,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Free Press, 5 July 2021
14 June, 2022
ACT’s Honest Conversations tour kicks off in the South Island this week. If you’d like to meet ACT’s MPs, please check out the schedule for when they’ll be near you. The Prime Minister says she could have communicated her Hate...
Free Press Monday 15 February 2021
14 June, 2022
If you’d like to watch last week’s Maiden Statements by six new ACT MPs, you can do so by clicking the names. Mark Cameron, Damien Smith, Toni Severin, James McDowall. We especially recommend Karen Chhour’s powerful accountof growing from a...
Government blind to costs they’re trying to inflict on farmers
14 June, 2022
“The Government has no idea what financial impacts farmers will weather from entering the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), or any of the He Waka Eke Noa proposals,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Government disappoints rural New Zealand… again
14 June, 2022
“A positive proposal from the ACT Party to ensure environmental regulations are managed by regional councils and taken out of the hands of Wellington bureaucrats will today be voted down by the Government,” says ACT’s Rural Affairs spokesperson and Ruawai...
Government doubles down on SNA backdown
14 September, 2022
“James Shaw has doubled down on his Government’s assurance that existing land use will continue on Significant Natural Areas (SNAs),” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Government falling out of the waka
14 June, 2022
“The Minister isn’t even interested in the alternatives to lumping farmers into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which is proven by the Government’s lack of engagement with He Waka Eke Noa,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Government’s review of GE falls short
03 August, 2022
“The Government’s review of genetic engineering needs to be widened to address the potential benefits to the agriculture industry and climate,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Govt adopts ACT’s on-farm sequestration policy
01 December, 2022
“It’s promising that the Government has adopted ACT’s long held policy of recognising on-farm sequestration for climate change. They should adopt the rest of our climate policy and take a practical approach to emissions that doesn’t hammer our agriculture sector,” says ACT’s Climate Change spokesperson Simon Court and Prima
Govt overestimating farmers’ impact on climate
30 September, 2022
“The Government needs to ensure it is correctly measuring methane emissions before it starts forcing farmers to pay for them, with climate change experts they could be overstating the effects by up to four times,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
How good are New Zealand farmers?
14 June, 2022
“The latest Fonterra announcement of a heightened 2021/2022 farm gate milk price is a big thumbs up for rural New Zealand performance,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
How many cows need to go?
14 June, 2022
"The Government needs to answer how it’s going to meet its pledge to cut biogenic methane emissions,” says ACT’s Primary Production spokesperson Mark Cameron....
James Shaw’s secret SNA briefings
14 June, 2022
“The ACT Party is today challenging Associate Environment Minister James Shaw to show some transparency around the work he is doing on Significant Natural Areas,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Jobs for Nature an expensive failure
14 June, 2022
“The Government is unwilling and unable to say how many people it’s employing fulltime in the Jobs for Nature programme,” says ACT Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Kiwi Pork needs our support
14 June, 2022
“New Zealand’s pork industry will be in jeopardy if over the top regulations proposed by the Government are enacted,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Kiwis support farmers, why won’t James Shaw?
14 June, 2022
“ACT is pleased to see the majority of Kiwis back New Zealand farmers in 1News’ poll last night, now the Government needs to do the same,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Labour/Greens propose increased emissions at huge cost
11 October, 2022
“The world will thank Jacinda Ardern for today’s He Waka Eke Noa announcement, they’ll be thanking her for destroying New Zealand’s farming industry, the most efficient in the world,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Labour killing off $400m industry
19 December, 2022
“The Government’s own data show the Live Export industry has grown 55 per cent over the last two years to become a $400 million industry, so why are they killing it off?” Asks ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Labour MP: Groundswell are racist anti-vaxxers
14 June, 2022
“Stuart Nash revealed Labour’s true colours today – describing members of a rural movement as racist anti-vaxxers – and he should apologise”, says ACT Rural Spokesperson and Ruawai dairy farmer Mark Cameron....
Landcorp land better off with Kiwi farmers
14 June, 2022
“State-owned enterprises shouldn’t be competing with Kiwi businesses, and there’s no greater example of this than Landcorp,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Live export ban ignores the facts
28 September, 2022
“Labour has produced yet another headache for New Zealand farmers tonight, voting to ban livestock exports as of April 2023, despite official advice telling them not to,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Livestock export ban doesn’t add up
14 June, 2022
“Labour’s live export ban was purely an emotive and ideological decision, instead of one based on sound advice,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron....
Livestock Export Ban illogical and costly
14 June, 2022
“The Government is forging ahead with its ideological ban on live exports this evening, despite all evidence proving the policy is costly and unnecessary,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron....
Minister doesn’t understand scale of the problem
13 September, 2022
“Environment Minister David Parker can’t comprehend how big a problem he is creating by not extending the deadline for freshwater farm plans, if he doesn’t issue an extension there’s a risk many farmers will be unable to get crops in the ground that are needed to feed animals,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and
Minister wrong – Thousands of farmers needing consents
03 November, 2022
“The Government has shown once again it does not know the extent of the regulatory burden it is placing on farmers with the upcoming deadline for Freshwater Farm Plans, and councils and farmers are rejecting it,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
More time needed for consultation on He Waka Eke Noa
14 June, 2022
“The ACT Party is calling on the Government to extend the consultation period for the consultation for He Waka Eke Noa, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
New PM needs new approach to rural New Zealand
08 February, 2023
ACT Party Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron has sent a letter to new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, asking him to consider the impact Labour’s reforms are having on farmers and to stop imposing additional costs upon farmers.
Parker running out of time to fix FFPs
10 October, 2022
“Three weeks to the day since I sent him a letter asking whether he will issue an extension on his deeply flawed Freshwater Farm Plans (FFP), there has been nothing but silence from Environment Minister David Parker,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Picker debacle will leave a rotten stench
14 June, 2022
“The Government’s dismal failure to be flexible and pragmatic about immigration to support the primary sector means hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for apple, wine and other growers is a near certainty,” says ACT Primary Industries spokesperson Mark...
PM met with farmers three times this year
14 June, 2022
“When Jacinda Ardern told Parliament today that she conducts ‘some of her most regular engagements’ with farming groups, it turns out she means once every three months,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
PM rejects farmers… again
14 June, 2022
“The Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor have once again declined to meet with Groundswell, turning their backs on a group who feels let down and betrayed by the Labour Government,” says ACT’s Primary Production spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Prime Minister chooses spin meeting over farmers
14 June, 2022
“Jacinda Ardern chose to meet with a team of her spin doctors instead of meeting with the organisers of the Groundswell protest,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Putting freshwater management back under local control
30 November, 2022
“Everyone agrees that many freshwater resources in New Zealand are being exploited beyond their ability to cope and regenerate, but the current Governments approach of centralised control will not work either,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Real Change for outdated genetic laws
14 June, 2022
“New Zealand can’t afford to be left behind as genetic engineering advancements transform the agriculture sector,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Rural NZ will suffer from Labour’s car tax
14 June, 2022
“Michael Wood knew he was going to be punishing rural New Zealanders when he introduced Labour’s car tax, he just didn’t care,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron....
Scale of problem shows FFP extension is unavoidable
28 September, 2022
“Figures collected by ACT show the avalanche of consents David Parker is going to inflict on councils to meet Freshwater Farm Plan requirements, his only option is to extend the deadline,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Shaw flips the bird at farmers
14 June, 2022
“Climate Change Minister James Shaw has flipped the bird at farmers, arrogantly ignoring questions about their livelihoods”, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Significant Natural Areas a minefield
14 June, 2022
“The Rural Communities Minister has today shown how fraught the Government’s land grab on Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) is,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Simple, pragmatic solution to agricultural emissions
17 November, 2022
“As the waka at the heart of Labour’s agricultural emissions proposal loses all of its passengers, ACT has a common sense solution that can actually work for everyone,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
SNA land grab back on the agenda
14 June, 2022
“Private property rights are under threat with Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) back on the agenda,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
SNA? No way!
14 June, 2022
“ACT welcomes the Far North Council doing the right thing and dropping the plans to confiscate land from farmers and iwi,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron....
SNA process eroding landowners’ privacy
03 August, 2022
“It is immensely disappointing to see that responsible landowners are going to be further punished thanks to the Government’s National Policy Statement (NPS) for Indigenous Biodiversity,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
SNAs okay for farmers but not for iwi
14 June, 2022
“Associate Environment Minister James Shaw has today said it’s okay to carry out a land grab on farms, but not on land owned by iwi,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Some facts for Stuart Nash about rural NZ
14 June, 2022
“The ACT Party is today providing some facts for Stuart Nash about rural New Zealand following his disgraceful comments in Parliament today,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and dairy farmer Mark Cameron....
Stealth Bill will crush high country farmers
14 June, 2022
“The Government is showing extreme arrogance in its stance toward farmers who are deeply opposed to the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill,” says ACT Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Stop the Government’s SNA land grab
14 June, 2022
“Private property rights are under threat thanks to the Government’s directive to councils to identify and manage ‘Significant Natural Areas’,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Survey shows support for reform of GE laws
03 August, 2022
“New research shows that Kiwis are openminded to the use of genetic engineering advancements to progress our agriculture sector,” say ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Technology before tax or HWEN pointless
14 June, 2022
“The Government’s primary focus has been on how to price emissions and get farmers to cough up more money, but they should have been more worried about how farmers can practically lower emissions through technological advancements without paying an extra...
Time for Government to accept science
03 August, 2022
“ACT is joining the primary sector in calling on the Government to embrace the science and give farmers a fair deal when setting methane targets,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Whaling a most unhelpful analogy
14 June, 2022
“Climate Commission chair Rod Carr’s suggestion that New Zealand farmers could go the way of the whalers is an extremely unhelpful start to the six week consultation of his draft carbon emissions budget,” says ACT Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
What’s next for Significant Natural Areas?
14 June, 2022
“Associate Environment Minister James Shaw needs to be open with New Zealanders about his plans for Significant Natural Areas,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
What’s the plan to protect against Foot-and-Mouth
03 August, 2022
“The party that subjected Kiwis to a daily broadcast from the podium of truth through COVID owes it to farmers to tell them the plan for Foot-and-Mouth,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.“ACT is asking for transparency and clarity...
Winter grazing changes a win for farmers
14 June, 2022
“ACT’s relentless campaigning for changes to the Winter Grazing Regulations has today paid off,” says ACT’s Primary Production and Ruawai dairy farmer Mark Cameron....
Winter grazing rules show Wellington doesn’t understand farming
14 June, 2022
“Today’s release of the winter grazing standards again show a Government out of touch with the primary sector,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron....
Government needs to back off rural sector
05 April, 2023
“With today’s significant drop in Global Dairy Trade (GDT), the Government needs to back off farmers and consider the impact and additional costs its reforms are having on New Zealand’s economic powerhouse,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Bill drafted to bring back $500m export industry
08 March, 2023
“Today I have put my Member’s Bill into the ballot to repeal the ban on live animal exports,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Nats get a 6/10 for ag policy
19 April, 2023
“National’s agriculture policy says the right things but has too much compromise and a glaring omission of policy on He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) and protecting property rights from Significant Natural Areas (SNAs). ACT has the policy that will bring about real change for farmers,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Fertiliser tax will mean more expensive food
31 May, 2023
ACT would repeal the fertiliser tax Labour and the Greens are said to be considering for farmers, say ACT MP Mark Cameron and ACT candidate Andrew Hoggard.
ACT kills new tax
02 June, 2023
“Today in Parliament, ACT flushed out Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s plans for a new tax on farmers and managed to kill it”, says ACT MP Mark Cameron.
“O’Connor confirmed he’d been working on a new tax on nitrogenous fertiliser and that farmers had told him they didn’t want it.
Real Change Now Speech: Mark Cameron
06 June, 2023
Speech: Mark Cameron
Real Change Now, SkyCity Theatre, 4 June 2023
ACT welcomes National u-turn on HWEN
06 June, 2023
ACT is welcoming National’s decision to finally oppose He Waka Eke Noa – now it needs to join ACT in pledging to dump the entire Zero Carbon Act, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron and ACT candidate Andrew Hoggard.
Farmers shouldn’t pay for methane if competitors aren't
12 June, 2023
ACT is welcoming National’s adoption of our positions around agricultural emissions, but farmers shouldn’t pay a price for their methane emissions if farmers in countries who are our biggest trading partners are not, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Primary sector keeps paying the way
14 June, 2023
“The latest import-export data from Stats NZ has reinforced how important pastoral farming is to New Zealand’s wellbeing, even though Labour and the Greens are intent on taxing the life out of it,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
ACT kills fertiliser tax
14 June, 2023
“ACT is once again standing up for farmers by killing off any attempt to introduce a new fertiliser tax”, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
ACT to slash rural red tape
14 June, 2023
“ACT will rein in the bloated bureaucratic beast that the Ministry for Primary Industries has become and get it back to basics and focused on supporting farmers to do what they do best”, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron and ACT Candidate Andrew Hoggard.
ACT is standing up for Rural New Zealand
15 June, 2023
“Farmers in countries who are our biggest trading partners are not paying a price for their methane emissions, and under ACT neither would New Zealand farmers,” say ACT MP Mark Cameron and ACT candidate Andrew Hoggard.
ACT says nay to SNAs
07 July, 2023
“With the Government today announcing that Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) will be phased in this year in August, ACT is doubling down on our pledge to scrap them,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Methane Reduction Technology Bogged Down In Bureaucracy
15 July, 2023
“The Government has been busy threatening farmers with emissions pricing but has failed to make progress on actual technology to lower methane emissions. Bovaer has been languishing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s waiting list for more than two years,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Farmer confidence buried in red tape
10 August, 2023
“Is it any wonder farmer confidence is so low? Labour has layered the red tape and costs on so thick farmers now must hire outside consultants to explain how they’re incorporating the treaty into their farming practice. ACT says let farmers do what they do best, produce high quality food and fibre which bolsters New Zealand’s economy,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.
GDT drop adds to farmers’ Labour pains
16 August, 2023
“The Government might not control the Chinese economy and global milk price, but it can control the regulations and red tape it is imposing on farmers. ACT says it is now more urgent than ever to remove these needless costs,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron and ACT candidate Andrew Hoggard.
ACT will end the war on farming
18 August, 2023
“Trust Labour and the Greens to escalate their war on farmers with new bureaucracy and new taxes at a time when meat and dairy prices have fallen steeply. ACT will end the war on farmers and give them the respect they deserve,” say ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron and ACT candidate Andrew Hoggard.
ACT will cut rural regulations
05 September, 2023
“Dairy NZ’s View from the Cowshed 2023 survey shows that dairy farmers are suffering from an onslaught of government regulation, hammering New Zealand’s biggest export industry. ACT is committed to getting the Government back to basics and focused on supporting farmers to do what they do best,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron and ACT Candidate Andrew Hoggard.
Time to give farmers a break
02 January, 2024
“After six years of farmers having to worry about how the government is going to make things tougher for them, ACT is committed to getting the government back to basics and focused on supporting farmers to do what they do best,” says ACT’s Agriculture spokesperson Mark Cameron.
Museum’s war on 'colonial' history is divisive and disrespectful
21 February, 2024
Auckland War Memorial Museum’s plan to transform into a tikanga-led ‘social impact organisation’ stinks of the politically-correct mission creep that already besets too many of our public institutions.
ACT welcomes Govt’s new support for Ukraine
22 February, 2024
ACT welcomes the Foreign Minister’s announcement of additional support for Ukraine as we approach the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.