Ardern Shane: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Ardern Shane: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:655;Page:4720] 
11. 
SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country) 
 to the  
Minister of Agriculture 
: What recent reports has the Government seen on the meat sector? 
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture) 
: 
 Last week I had the pleasure of launching  
Meat: The Future 
 a comprehensive meat sector study published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. This study lays out the challenges and opportunities confronting our $4.6 billion a year meat sector and maps out the potential shape the sector may take into the future. The report will play a key role in developing a shared vision for New Zealand’s meat sector. 
Shane Ardern 
: What has been the Government’s response to the study? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: The Government has welcomed the report and the various challenges that it presents. We have made it clear that industry players and farmers need to work together to improve the sector and that doing nothing is not an option. Very simply we see this report as a call to action that cannot be ignored. As such following the launch I convened a meeting of industry leaders to look at ways of progressing reform and to address the issues that currently hinder this important sector. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: In the recent Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry report on opportunities and challenges for the New Zealand sheep meat and beef sector over the next 10 to 15 years was the top priority after “overall farm profitability” investment in research and development; if so how was that helped by cutting the $2 billion public and private sector Fast Forward fund and replacing it with a puny $70 million annually appropriated primary production fund? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Research and development was certainly recognised in the meat sector report as absolutely critical and at the meeting I had later with industry leaders they congratulated this Government on its vision in promoting the primary growth partnership—an initiative that is substantially bigger than the previous Government’s Fast Forward fund. 
Shane Ardern 
: Why is the Government not doing more to progress meat sector reform? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Change in the meat industry will last only if it is driven from within the sector. It is not the Government’s job to tell the sector what to do. I have very strongly urged industry players and farmers to work together to deliver the higher returns to the sector and as I have already said the status quo is not acceptable. I am now working closely with major players in the sector to discover and establish exactly how the Government can constructively facilitate this change. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: Following the release of the report does the Government intend to honour the $200 million suspensory loan promised for meat industry reform by the leader of the National Party John Key and supported by his finance spokesman Bill English in February of last year before the election; or was that just another promise that they had no intention of ever keeping? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I thank that member for his question and take this opportunity to welcome Labour’s fresh blood back to the House. Under no circumstances did this party ever promise a $2 million suspensory loan to the meat sector. However we are prepared to entertain proposals that are put to us that constructively move the sector forward. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: I seek leave to table a report from the  
Southland 
Times  
dated 15 February 2008 where John Key quickly told Mr English— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is this a press report from the  
Southland Times 
 that the member is seeking to table? From when? 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: Yes it is. It is from 15 February 2008. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table a  
Southland Times 
 press report from 15 February 2008. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: Has the Minister seen in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry report the finding that the No. 1 issue for meat farmers is farm profitability; if so how is farm profitability helped by the total exposure to overseas-owned banks of $44000 million and will he support a select committee inquiry into bank profits in order to hold the banks to account for refusing to lower their interest rates on that debt by anywhere near as much as the official cash rate has dropped? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Yes I have seen the No. 1 concern being ongoing farm profitability and I am aware of the significant growth in farm debt over the last 5 years. It is something that this Government is concerned about. On two occasions of our regular meetings with the bank industry we have discussed that issue.