O'Connor Damien: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
O'Connor Damien: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:658;Page:7613] 
Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR (Labour) 
: 
 The Labour Opposition will be supporting the Biosecurity Amendment Bill. It is as the Minister Gerry Brownlee says one more step in trying to uphold the highest standards of biosecurity for people and goods coming into this country. It is in fact a bigger stick to wave around at the people who come across our borders. The Primary Production Committee in its wisdom has endorsed that. In fact it made a move in the direction of increasing the size of the stick by saying that the maximum penalty could be up to $1000 whereas the bill originally recommended $800. That acknowledges the importance of the issue. 
However I put on the record that the Government’s making this change at the same time as it is cutting the biosecurity budget raises concerns for the Opposition. It is important that we uphold the highest standards. It is important that we indicate to people who knowingly or unknowingly bring into this country unwanted goods or organisms that they will be penalised and that that penalty is appropriate. It is important that we make sure we give the appropriate warnings to those people; the bill has been amended to make sure that we can print the correct material in order to align it with the incoming regulations and the enforcement of the Act. That is great; again that was due to the wisdom of the select committee. But we have to make sure that we warn people in a way that is clear and that can be understood. I put on record the fact that many of the forms are confusing for people coming into New Zealand particularly those for whom English is a second language. So in supporting the passage through the House of this bill which is a larger stick I say there is an obligation on the Government to make sure that the information supplied to people before they hop on the plane while they are on the plane and before they pass through our borders is clearly understood and that they understand they will be caught prosecuted and fined for bringing into this country illegal or unwanted goods and organisms. 
Many of those organisms threaten our biological economy. I read a statement from Federated Farmers that pointed out that should foot-and-mouth disease ever come into this country it would cost our economy $6 billion in the first year. Those potential harms to our economy are significant. That is why we have to have legislation like this. 
I refer the House again to the collective wisdom of the select committee Government members included. It said in the report back in this bill that there is some concern as the committee remains unconvinced that sufficient work is being done in regard to biosecurity risk profiling at airports. The Prime Minister’s enthusiasm as Minister of Tourism has to be welcomed for encouraging as many Australians into New Zealand as possible but in lowering the barriers we cannot risk compromising our biosecurity status. The select committee pointed to problems that still have to be resolved prior to implementing the changes allowing easier passage for Australians into this country. 
Labour supports the bill. We urge all Government members to read the report back from the select committee. We expect the Government to get on and address the points raised by the committee.