Patterson MarkMARK PATTERSON (NZ First): I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to support this measure of eradication of Mycoplasma bovis and I would commend the Minister on his leadership in this matter and as the previous speaker Nathan Guy has mentioned on the fact that the certainty we have been seeking as a sector is now there. I would like to also acknowledge the leadership we have seen from the likes of Dairy New Zealand Federated Farmers and Beef and Lamb New Zealand and the rural support trusts have also been mentioned. These organisations have come in behind and I think it is incredibly important that we show a united front. I would actually include the Opposition in this list as well because the last thing we needed was political bickering. We need to be getting behind our farmers. We've made the call; let's get in behind and eradicate this disease.Some farmers have questioned the validity of doing this—whether it's actually a serious enough disease to have taken this measure. I would not agree. I think the previous speaker the Hon Nathan Guy mentioned the list of afflictions that it causes but what he didn't mention was the mortality rate within calves and what we've seen down south is that rate up to 30 percent. Our cattle are naïve to this disease and if it became widespread within our industry they would be very very vulnerable. I would also point out that within the beef industry if this was to get into the beef breeding herd where the calf is the primary source of income that would be devastating and actually almost clean out that section of farming. So that probably hasn't been acknowledged as much as it should be but it's the reason why Beef and Lamb New Zealand have been so proactive in this so we thank those industry organisations.I would also just reiterate the words that have been said about the farmers who are essentially going to be sacrificing their herds for the national good. I have a friend actually who has got a herd that has been tested positive and who has stud cattle the breeding of which goes back 100 years. The distress in that family is incredible it's immense and that is replicated of course around the other farmers but we must not forget them. We must get in behind our rural support trusts and resource them as possible.I think the financial commitment—that's the other thing; I'd like to thank Cabinet actually. When you're doing a Budget process Minister Robertson there is so much call on the nation's finances. There are so many worthy causes. But you have seen the merit of this. You have put in significant funding that quite rightly people could argue could have been going somewhere else but you as a Cabinet have stood up recognised this disease the importance to the agricultural community and our wider economy and backed us all the way. And whilst a response on the ground may have been left wanting in some areas and needs to lift—and hopefully is lifting—there is no sense that this has not been fully supported from on high and we thank our leadership.Just on that I'd call all members to be in touch with their farming community—those that they know—because sometimes the response on the ground isn't the same as the official advice that we're getting. So keep in touch with those people. Make sure that we're feeding that advice back to the Ministry for Primary Industries because that is an important element.Of course the whole debacle around the National Animal Identification and Tracing system (NAIT)—that hasn't been good enough. We know that. That will be a discussion I think for later. But we need the lessons of this to be learnt. They will be hard-won but as a nation we pride ourselves on leading the world in agriculture and if any country can beat this it will be us. Thank you.