Anderton Jim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Anderton Jim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:651;Page:722] 
10.  
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Leader—Progressive) 
 to the  
Minister of Agriculture 
: Is he aware of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry briefing to incoming Minister that states: “The agriculture food and forestry industries are the core of our economy major determinants of our employment and social well being and key drivers of our land water and biological resource use”; if so how many times was the word “agriculture” used in the Speech from the Throne? 
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture) 
: 
 Yes I am aware of that briefing and I was extremely pleased to see that the briefing recognises what National policy has been for the last many years. Unlike the Opposition we have always supported New Zealand agriculture and we have never considered it a sunset industry as Labour did previously. The word “agriculture” was mentioned in the Speech from the Throne but more important the speech promised action in areas of real concern to farmers such as the Resource Management Act a more balanced emissions trading scheme increased infrastructure and the removal of inefficient red tape—all areas that the member and his colleagues did nothing about over the last 9 years. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I recall you stating publicly that you would take a firmer line in terms of the nature of ministerial answers and certain kinds of questions. Indeed we had a discussion about these matters. This question asked first whether the minister was aware of something to which the answer is “yes” or “no” and second a very simple closed question “if so how many times was the word ‘agriculture’ used in the Speech from the Throne?” and the answer to that question is “A number.” I think this is a very good example of the kind of question where you were implying you would require Ministers to actually answer the question rather than go off into a broad political dissertation. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: The member may not have heard but I said the word “agriculture” was mentioned in the speech and then went on to mention a number of things that were mentioned in the speech as well and which were far more important to New Zealand farmers. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: On the point of order made by the Hon Dr Cullen I accept absolutely that where Ministers are asked a question we want to try to avoid lots of additional information being provided in answers because the Standing Orders do require them to be more succinct. I thank the honourable member for reminding me of that and I am sure Ministers will want to make sure they improve order in the House by following that line. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: Can I assume then that the real answer to the primary question is that the Government never mentioned the importance of agriculture or the primary industries to the New Zealand economy at all in the Speech from the Throne; if so is this the example of the neglect of the backbone of our economy that we can expect from a Government run by downtown finance market traders? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: As I answered earlier agriculture was mentioned in the Speech from the Throne. But I went back and researched a Speech from the Throne given in 1999 when Labour became the Government and in that particular speech agriculture was not mentioned apart from this comment: “New Zealand remains overdependent upon the production and exporting of commodities.” There was the Labour Government again signalling that it had no interest in agriculture whatsoever. 
Colin King 
: What other reports has the Minister seen from the rural community on the Government’s Speech from the Throne? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I have seen a number of very positive reports on the Speech from the Throne including a press release dated 9 December 2008 from New Zealand’s leading rural sector organisation Federated Farmers stating that farmers are “pleased Government is on the same page” that farmers are “encouraged by a new Government that values the real builders of the economy” and that National’s promises are “like green grass to farmers”—very high praise indeed. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: Why would anyone believe that our primary industries are even vaguely on this Government’s agenda or the Minister’s agenda when the Government’s own outline of its programme for the next 3 years never mentioned once our primary industries the word “farming” the word “forestry” the words “scientific research” or even the word “export”? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: What the Speech from the Throne outlined were the areas of concern to farmers and this Government is intent on doing something about those not on ignoring the issues or on making compliance worse as that member did while he was the Minister of Agriculture. 
Colin King 
: Has the Minister seen any reports on rural representation at a Government level? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I have seen that this current Government is well represented by rural interests. We have a number of members who are actively farming. We compare that with the Opposition which to date has not even bothered to name its own Opposition spokesperson on agriculture. That is how much interest Labour is showing in New Zealand agriculture. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: Was reference to the future of our agriculture industries omitted from the Speech from the Throne because the Prime Minister ignored the advice or submissions of the now Minister of Agriculture Mr Carter or was it because the Minister never made any submissions whatever to the speech? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: No. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The honourable member might have sought the call before giving his answer but we will take the answer as given. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: I seek leave to table the Speech from the Throne in 2005 and the Speech from the Throne in 1999 where agriculture and science were part of— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those two documents. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I seek leave to table the Speech from the Throne dated 21 December 1999 in which Labour claims that New Zealand is over-dependent on agriculture. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is there any objection to that document being tabled? 
Hon Member 
: It’s just been tabled. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: As I heard—and I stress as I heard—I thought the Hon Jim Anderton sought to table the Speeches from the Throne for 2005 and 1999. The honourable Minister sought to table the Speech from the Throne for which year? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Just to clarify I understood that the member sought to table the Speeches from the Throne for 2008 and 2005. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It was difficult to hear because of all the interjections. I ask the Hon Jim Anderton which documents he sought to table. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: It was the Speech from the Throne in 1999 and in 2005. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Was there any objection to those two documents being tabled? There is no objection. I ask the Hon David Carter which document he seeks to table. There are no further documents. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. For the third time today when you were on your feet the Leader of the House carried on speaking at some length while he was on his feet. I suggest that at this early stage of the Parliament it would be wise to draw to the attention of members of the House that when you are on your feet the rest of us should be sitting down and showing you appropriate respect. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thank the honourable member and say to him that I hope he just remembers it himself as once before today the same thing happened.