I say this because on a recent visit to Ashburton Nathan Guy was positively brimming with optimism that prices were just a short term glitch.
And it's more than a little frustrating to hear a farming man like English, although a little glib, saying dairying was "only about 5 to 6 per cent of the whole economy."
"It's only 20 per cent of our exports. The other 80 per cent will be starting to enjoy the benefits of the lower exchange rate, and the lower exchange rate will help cushion the impact on dairy of their lower prices."
He should have thrown in one of his stock standard shrug of the shoulders to really ram the point home...and what was that point?
Perhaps Bill was a little the worse for wear this morning after his night out celebrating the Highlanders' win (and who could blame him!) - may-be his hearing aids need to be turned up just a tad because I'm pretty sure he missed the meeting on the flow on affects of a dairy slump.
To put it in simple terms, our towns are starting to bleed, and when towns start to bleed because of a halt in spending the cities start to bleed too.
Admitting that this might go on a little longer than he had previously thought was a huge step in Bill's PR "economy is fine" campaign that's been on the gramophone now for what? - probably the last six years.
What catches a Government out quicker than a Winston Peter's enquiry is complacency - and betting on getting through by doing what we've always done before.
Right now our sheep meat industry is in chaos - as part of Bill's magic 80 (the rest of us that he can cobble together to earn a quick export buck) we don't look to be on the front foot.
But writing off the dairy sector by saying it's only 20 percent of our exports denotes a little more than optimism - and a need for a good strong cup of reality.
Tea anyone?
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