Woolerton R Doug: Meat Board Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Woolerton R Doug: Meat Board Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:633;Page:4717] 
R DOUG WOOLERTON (NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First supports the passing of the Meat Board Amendment Bill. Personally I am a bit sad that I am not on the Primary Production Committee anymore where we used to debate these things with much interest and sometimes hilarity. But after listening to my colleague Shane Ardern going on about the changes some years ago to producer boards I must admit I was not totally convinced of the changes at that time. It does not escape me that the producer groups that have succeeded since then have been the ones that have retained—as much as possible—the structure they had prior to those board changes. So I am not too sure whether in fact they were needed as much as we were told they were. I certainly understand that overseas markets have to be protected and if they are not happy with a single seller - type operation then that must be disbanded. On that basis I certainly understand the changes. But as I said it looks to me as though the ones that are succeeding more than others are the ones that have retained as much of their structure as possible. 
To farmers as opposed to those in other industries it has always been about the industry. That is the wonderful thing about the select committee and the wonderful thing about farmers generally. Although they might compete on a friendly basis to get the best production out of their land they are not in direct competition themselves because the marketing is done by another body be it a meat company a board of some description or something other. So that has led to what I believe is a very important driver in our essential primary industries—that is it is not about the person; it is about the industry and what is good for the industry. If it is good for the industry it will be good for individual farmers. I go on about that because it makes a huge huge difference. It saddens me somewhat that in other areas of New Zealand we have competition outside the country between players from within the country. I do not think that that is the way to go; I think people should get their heads together. 
Craig Foss 
: Winston and Phil you mean? 
R DOUG WOOLERTON 
: Seeing that the member mentions it I can say that as we speak Winston is fit and well and up to the task. I am told he is looking forward to furthering New Zealand’s interests as he has been doing despite all the publicity to the contrary. I am told on good authority that he is a heck of a lot healthier than the spider that inflicted the pain and sickness. Mr Peters will be out and about pursuing the interests of the country—which is what this bill is all about. 
 I would like to acknowledge the farmers of New Zealand. I would like particularly to acknowledge the farmers in the South Island who have had to battle their way through snow and all those other conditions this past winter. I think it is easy for people who hail from the cities to say: “Well it’s either too dry for the farmers or it’s too wet for the farmers.” or to say that this or that is wrong. In actual fact that is because that is exactly the way it is. I for one flew over those snow-ridden lands and I saw them on my TV. I thought: “Thank God we have people willing to go through all of that—to continue with a smile on their face electricity or no electricity—and produce the primary production that gives the standard of living to all those of us who live in the cities.” Thank God they do that and thank God they have the back-up of legislation such as this to keep open markets into other countries when people within those countries and farmers within those countries fight continuously to keep us out.