Eckhoff Gerrard: Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Approvals and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Eckhoff Gerrard: Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Approvals and Enforcement) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:623;Page:18778] 
GERRARD ECKHOFF (ACT) 
: 
 I am in the rather unusual position of standing here and saying that I will be supporting the referral of two Government bills to select committees. I do so of course because this bill does hold some small hope and some small promise for the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act which has become a nightmare for anybody wanting to get an organism or a product through the Environmental Risk Management Authority process which is hugely costly and time consuming. So anything even this amendment bill that holds some promise that there may be changes that will speed those processes—which we must do—will receive the support of the ACT party. 
I say again that we support the objectives but I flag now the fact that we do have some concerns over the outcome because the Government has shown that it is exceedingly timorous in its approach to these matters. Some would say that that approach is absolutely crucial. Well I would ask members of this House to reflect on possibly the most important and deleterious effect that some of those substances and organisms have had in this country—and many of them are Government-induced. 
As far as environmental matters are concerned we have had things like gorse and broom which of course have had a huge impact on our environment. Rabbits and opossums which were okayed by the Government of the time have had an enormous and destructive impact on our environment. I struggle to understand why a few seeds possibly even those genetically modified will have some enormous impact that will destroy this country. That is absolute nonsense. 
It is well known that the ACT party is in favour of science. I can only reiterate the comments made earlier about the lack of science graduates coming through our educational process in this country and the appalling debacles we have had just in recent times over the qualifications the standards and indeed the treatment of science graduates—or those hoping to graduate in the future—who have studied only to be whacked by this Government through its appalling management of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. So ACT issues the warning that we certainly need to increase the numbers of science students. We need to upskill them make life more attractive for them in the school system and ensure that they get through and into the universities. 
We must also ensure that people in this country do not become frightened of science but actually welcome it. I regret to have to say that at this point in time that does not seem to be the case. We seem to be overcome by phobias so that any new innovation or creation—whether from seed companies or whatever—that has shown huge advances in production overseas is treated with absolute disdain in New Zealand and tossed to the side in case something goes wrong. Well I say that we take the precautionary principle in this country to an absolute extreme and in doing so we send our best science graduates overseas. I am sure that members of this House are well aware of the comments of such outstanding people as Professor Alan MacDiarmid. He made the point that we must ensure we do not create a climate of fear of science. Instead we must welcome science and we must encourage our young people to advance our society in the way science has certainly done for us over the last few hundred years. That is one issue that I think is very very important. 
As a farmer and a representative of the rural sector in this Parliament I hear constant complaint from companies and individuals about the time frames cost structures and encumbrances that are placed in front of those who wish to progress the wealth of this nation. It is important that although we can proceed with some haste we can also recognise that caution is appropriate. Indeed nobody is denying that we need to have some sort of body like the Environmental Risk Management Authority to ensure that we look at things seriously and put them through a very rigorous process. But we do not need to impose the controls and cost structures on our productive sector that this Labour Government has imposed on a regular basis. 
I also wish to flag another point that I think is seriously wrong with this bill. The Government is seeking to invoke regional councils in the role of administering or of doing some sort of policing in this business. I hope that means that the Government will fund regional councils in this role. I ask the Minister in charge of the bill the Hon Marian Hobbs—but she is indicating that she is a bit floaty about this one. Well if this role is to be imposed by central government—and I understand there does need to be some measure of control to ensure that standards are met—then I must ask why we are imposing yet another cost on regional councils because that cost will be met by nobody other than the ratepayers of the particular region. I flag to the Minister our hope that the Government will recognise that a huge burden is already placed on regional councils and that when Governments decide in their wisdom—or lack of it—that they actually need the role of the regional councils to be expanded they should look at funding that role to a much greater degree in order to ensure that that cost does not fall back on the long-suffering ratepayers of Otago where I come from or indeed on the rest of the regional or unitary councils throughout New Zealand. 
I close by saying that I do support the bill. I do of course support the lessening of control and cost structure. I hope that the Education and Science Committee will do a damn good job on this bill. I would hate the thought of this bill going to the Local Government and Environment Committee with Jeanette Fitzsimons as chairperson. It would hit the wall and never move any further with the Green Party in charge. So I am delighted that the Minister has had the very good sense to send it to a different select committee. I think that the Primary Production Committee would have been an excellent choice of committee as well but I commend the Minister on the choice of the Education and Science Committee. 
I look forward to the swift passage of this bill and to the elimination of so many of the road blocks in front of our scientific communities and productive sectors. Those communities and sectors really just want to get on with the job introduce new opportunities to our country and make New Zealand stand proud as a country that is welcoming of science and scientists.