Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:665;Page:13053] 
3. 
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Agriculture 
: Is he confident that the Pork Industry Board is fulfilling its core functions of increasing the demand for New Zealand pork products and maintaining the confidence of consumers of pork products; if so why? 
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture) 
: 
 It is attempting to do so but it clearly has some challenging issues that it needs to address. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does he consider that the Pork Industry Board’s recent actions of taking legal action to stop the release of a new pig code keeping audits of pig farms secret and obtaining information on animal rights activists are likely to undermine consumer confidence in the Pork Industry Board and in pork products generally; if not why not? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: The Pork Industry Board certainly needs to be aware that the perception of some of its actions is not helping it in marketing its products. I think the board needs to be far more proactive about engaging with consumers about the benefits of New Zealand pork. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Can he confirm that as Minister of Agriculture he has specific statutory powers which are set out in schedule 2 of the Pork Industry Board Act to remove directors of the board if they breach any duty set out in schedule 1 of the Act? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I can confirm that under the Act I have some quite strong statutory roles but at the end of the day they are relatively limited in respect of the allegations that have been made against the Pork Industry Board over recent weeks. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Can he further confirm that the directors of the Pork Industry Board have a duty under the Act to act in good faith at all times and would he consider using his powers to remove directors if they were found not to be acting in good faith? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Yes and yes. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does he consider that the Pork Industry Board acted in good faith when it sought to evade the provisions of the Official Information Act so that the results of a nationwide audit of pig farms could not be released publicly? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: As I stated to the member earlier any action by the Pork Industry Board in respect of its compliance with the Official Information Act is a matter that the member needs to take up with the Ombudsman. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I did quite deliberately and specifically ask whether he considered that the Pork Industry Board acted in good faith on this matter. That was the question. It was very deliberately phrased and I would appreciate it if the Minister could answer it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister replied that the matter the member referred to is a matter for the board not for the Minister and because he is not responsible for that he does not need to express an opinion on it. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I was asking whether he considered that the board had acted in good faith and it is relevant because the Minister can sack members of the board if they do not act in good faith. So it was quite a specific question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I invite the Minister to answer in so far as he feels he can. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I certainly would not consider sacking any of the board members on the basis of the board’s compliance with the Official Information Act. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does he consider that the board acted in good faith when it threatened to take the Government to court if it proceeded to release a new pig code of animal welfare that would call amongst other things for a phasing out of the use of sow stalls? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I am unaware that the Pork Industry Board actually threatened the Government; I think at that stage it was threatening the process undertaken by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. 
Sue Kedgley 
: What would it take for this Minister to sack or to make changes to the Port Industry Board given that the board has been steadily undermining consumer confidence in pork and has been exposed for repeatedly acting in bad faith? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I think that member has done everything she can possibly do to undermine New Zealand’s confidence in the pork industry of New Zealand. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I seek leave to table the Animal Welfare (Treatment of Animals Amendment) Bill which would phase out sow crates. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Has this bill already been tabled in the House? 
Sue Kedgley 
: No. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table this document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.