Browning Steffan: National Animal Identification and Tracing Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Browning Steffan: National Animal Identification and Tracing Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 07 February 2012. Volume:677;Page:132. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
STEFFAN BROWNING (Green) 
: 
 Thank you Mr Chairman. I would like to acknowledge the Primary Production Committees that over the years have worked so hard on the National Animal Identification and Tracing Bill. I have watched it from the side—unfortunately I have not been able to be a member of the select committee until this point—and other members of Parliament for the Green Party have followed this. I think we may have had a slightly different position if I had been there; we may have had some further amendments.  
In the spirit of consensus we will be supporting this bill at this point but I will suggest that because of what we see as rather Draconian powers which are put both to the National Animal Identification and Tracing organisation and the Minister this may come back before the House at some time if it seems to go for a walk in terms of individual farmers and particularly the smallholders.  
It is fantastic that we have something that has a high level of traceability. I have done a lot of work in the organic sector and traceability is paramount. It is absolutely paramount for the consumer to be able to know where their food comes from. One of my previous colleagues from this House who has now retired pointed out to us that this is really a paddock-to-plate situation. We think of things like country-of-origin labelling which we would look at. Here we have a bill that says “Hey we will track every last movement of an animal in this country.” but the consumer in New Zealand does not have any idea in so many instances where their food from other countries comes from.  
There is a concern with the wide-ranging powers as well because they are so discretionary. I am hoping that for farmers who do not want to use the low radio frequency identification tags because some consumers will not want products from animals that have been exposed to electromagnetic radiation—right or wrong and I will not go down that track but from a consumer perception point of view they may well not want it—there will be options for farmers rather than something that may be decreed by a larger industry-based Crown organisation.  
There are huge powers given to an as yet not actually fully identified organisation. We have got a fair idea and the papers that I have been able to see pretty well spell out the sector organisations and what their percentage of ownership relative to the Crown or the contribution will be— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member. The time has come for me to leave the Chair.  
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The Committee is resumed. Kia ora tatou no reira e te Whare. Tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. Good evening honourable members. The House is in Committee for consideration of the National Animal Identification and Tracing Bill. Prior to the dinner break at 6 p.m. the honourable member Steffan Browning was speaking. The honourable member has according to my records 1 minute and 45 seconds remaining if he wishes to address the Committee. If so I invite the honourable member to seek the call.  
STEFFAN BROWNING 
: Thank you— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No the member has to call. The member has to call “Mr Chairman”. 
STEFFAN BROWNING 
: Mr Chairman. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I call the honourable member Steffan Browning. 
STEFFAN BROWNING 
: Thank you. I will smooth my operation as hopefully this national animal identification system will be smoothed as well.  
I was commenting as we broke for dinner on the huge powers that the as yet unidentified quasi - public-private organisation would have. It is good that the organisation has the sector involved with it. It is good that the Crown is involved with it but when it comes to exercising its powers of enforcement I think it would have been better that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry managed that aspect of it. Essentially we are putting the more likely industrial part of the farming sector to be exercising what are clearly excessive powers over individual and often small property owners. So it will be beholden on the Minister and that original organisation to be getting that right. Otherwise as I have said although we in the spirit of consensus will support this bill we will be back here to remove and to reduce those powers to something that fits better with the New Zealand culture.  
With that I again congratulate the select committee which put a lot of work into it. The powers unfortunately are far too many as they are in the Food Bill. Thank you. 
The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 2 in the name of the Hon David Carter be agreed to. 
Amendments agreed to. 
Clauses 1 and 2 Parts 1 to 6 and schedules 1 and 2 as amended agreed to. 
Bill to be reported with amendment presently.