O'Connor DamienHon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Agriculture): It's a pleasure to take my mask off. Look I welcome the opportunity to answer some of the questions that have been put to the committee and I'd like to firstly acknowledge the Primary Production Committee for their good work. As was said by the Opposition I think this is the best select committee in Parliament and indeed they did do a thorough job of asking some of the questions. There are a lot of questions and I'll try and work through them.I guess on the one of labour or that is workforce in particular it's really good to hear that the National Party wants so much labour. We do too—that's Labour Party. They probably are referring to workforce needs across the private sector. Firstly how many new entrants? Over 8000 people have come into the primary sectors through the efforts of not just the Ministry for Primary Industries but in fact we have spent on behalf of taxpayers millions of dollars through Opportunity Grows Here. It is a very successful campaign working actively with tertiary institutions to train people over the last period particularly around COVID as we have understood the need across the sector because of the borders being blocked for workers in all of the sectors. Indeed it's across our whole economy.Their question has been—so firstly 8000 new people have come in; secondly how many have we allowed in? It is a hard job working with the border closed but next to health the primary sectors have been the second-biggest beneficiary of opportunities to come through the border: health workers first; primary industry workers second. That's something that we shouldn't take for granted when every other sector has been crying out for people to come into our economy. I think it is important that the sector actually acknowledges and says thank you to the Minister of Immigration. He has had a very very tough job I have to say and—I'm just trying to get the figures here of course—we have allowed in 5100 primary sector workers.So we're asked about why not the full complement of dairy. Well there were issues around the claims of the skills required in the dairy industry. I'm not going to go into all of those areas other than to say Government has work cooperatively with the sectors and most of those sectors had been appreciative. Most recently of course the 200 which was the number requested by the rural contractors to come in. Yes there are still issues to get through managed isolation and quarantine and the changing environment that is not just Omicron which adds to the risks but actually the system that we're running here. We've let in people who can shear sheep; people who can work in woolsheds. We have let in vets. We have let in people who can pick fruit. Tomorrow morning we'll release the Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries and I hope there's as much interest in that report as there's in—or actually a hell of a lot more than in the debate that we're hearing here tonight.Can I say that the primary sectors have done spectacularly well through what has been a very challenging time. I want to acknowledge the efforts of people at every level of that sector. Whether it's working in the freezing works whether it's working on the farm or whether it's being one of the chief executives trying to find space on ships this has been a challenging time and the primary sectors have done well for our country and for our people and for our rural communities and there has been consideration by Government all through this process. Money has been given out to assist directly and indirectly. Indeed the figures tomorrow will show that that has been a good investment. Can I just go back—there are many many questions. I'm not trying to avoid them; I'm not quite sure where to start or where to stop other than to say that in terms of integrated farm plans they are an objective of this Government to try and work with farmers. Indeed I had a discussion this morning with a group of farmers trying to say—these are farmers who are implementing best practice—How can you share your knowledge and your passion with lots of other farmers?" and that's the basis on which we are working. We're not saying we can develop the plan and tell you what you should do from Wellington; we're saying we want to work with you.Indeed the first thing though—so what about fresh water? OK we didn't get that exactly right but the intent or indeed the need for us to make progress on freshwater quality is absolute. Indeed we have reviewed the whole process and come back with a set of proposals around intensive winter grazing around stock exclusion and around freshwater standards that I think the vast majority of farmers—visionary farmers—will see as quite sensible. It will enable us to get back the social licence that we have in some areas lost.Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund—SFFF—has given literally hundreds of millions of dollars out to people who are showing innovative vision innovative ideas and put them on the table. We are supporting them moving forward.The issue of climate change and our obligations there—a big challenging one. He Waka Eke Noa a Government-initiated but industry-driven—I guess it's been a project but it's actually been a collaboration that delivered a draft report that will give us some progress. But we need to go further.What I was asked am I doing offshore? Well I am listening and in fact I have—and I wished I could table it in the House here tonight and indeed I will. It is a report from Tesco asking all their suppliers firstly to move to renewable energy now and secondly to have in place a plan for how they will reduce their carbon emissions by the end of 2022. All of these requirements are coming on us as food producers supplying food into the discerning markets of the UK which we'll have better access into; into the EU; and indeed it will be into all other markets eventually and so we must move through this.Before I sit down I'd just like to thank again the primary sectors for their efforts and their discipline in assisting with the eradication of Mycoplasma bovis. There was one question regarding Five Star Beef. Can I say that we are working with them to ensure that they get fair payment but we minimise the true cost. We allow them to continue to operate for as long as is sensible given that if we were to then eliminate or take all the stock off that and they were to be re-infected that would be a huge cost to the farming sector. It would be a disaster for Five Star. So when we do this and we do de-stock Five Star we need to know that that will be close to the end of the Mycoplasma bovis eradication programme. We're on path. I want to thank everyone. It's been tough for those directly in the firing line of that who've had to get rid of their stock but indeed we will achieve a world first and hopefully eradicate Mycoplasma bovis. That's one of many many positive things that have come from the primary sectors."