Barry Maggie: Game Animal Council Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBarry Maggie: Game Animal Council Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading[Sitting date: 19 November 2013. Volume:695;Page:14858. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MAGGIE BARRY (National—North Shore): I rise to speak to the second reading of the Game Animal Council Bill. It is sponsored by the Minister of Conservation Nick Smith. Many of the details of this piece of legislation have been tracked through by the Minister and by Nicky Wagner the chair of the Local Government and Environment Committee which has ushered through this longstanding piece of legislation. It has been around since 2005. Peter Dunne had it as part of a confidence and supply agreement with the then Labour-led Government so it emerges.We had a lot of discussion at the select committee about the various elements of definition and about such vexed issues as what constitutes a herd of special interest tohunters. We resolved that it would be deer chamois tahr and wild pigs. There is a lot of other game out there to be hunted. National obviously supports the recreational pastime of hunting. There is a sense of entitlement for New Zealanders to be able to go out and shoot. In many occasions what they are doing for their recreational pleasure and interest is also enhancing conservation values.One of the things that stood out for me at the select committee was the work that was done by the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation. I think that is a really successful example of how recreational hunters can work in with conservation. That foundation has been managing the effects that deer have had on the environment of Fiordland for around about 7 or 8 years and the conservation and recreational hunting interests are in a very good balance. The recreational hunters for example have been responsible for 70 kilometres of predator lines to control stoats and rats in partnership with the Department of Conservation. They have released blue ducklings which have come back into Fiordland now. And recreational hunters have funded the removal of thousands of non - wapiti-type deer. What this shows us is an example of how the Game Animal Council can work when it gets up and running. As Peter Dunne said he hopes it will be a reality early in the new year. I support that.I think it is a lost opportunity that Labour is not supporting this bill. I am not surprised that the Greens are not. There is nothing new there. I would echo the sentiments of the previous speaker Damien O’Connor who just sat down about 1080. I too have spent time on the West Coast of the South Island recently. I am aware of the issues that are prevalent around New Zealand when it comes to possum control and pest control. I commend the use of 1080 and would hope that others might take the time to read the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report on it. She has done a very good job of looking at the science of it and the way in which it actually works. So I think that those who are not aware should make themselves more informed before they state a view. But when and where 1080 is used is a debate for another occasion as are some of the key messages within this piece of legislation which I will come back to in more detail at other readings. I commend the bill to the House. Thank you.