Choudhary Ashraf: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Choudhary Ashraf: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:657;Page:6259] 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour) 
: 
 It is a great honour to speak after the chairperson of the Primary Production Committee Shane Ardern who really should be the Minister for Biosecurity because he knows something about agriculture. I can tell members that I have had the opportunity to work with David Carter the Minister for Biosecurity over the last 6 years in that committee and I thought quite highly of him at the time but since he has become the Minister I have been really disappointed for two reasons. The more recent reason is to do with the cutting of 54 jobs in biosecurity. That is totally outrageous. This Biosecurity Amendment Bill is basically a technical bill and not a very big thing; it raises infringement fees. But the issue really is about cutting the people at the border as 54 jobs are to go. Those people are the guardians of our borders and our ports. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: The front line. 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: They are the front line. This Government is always talking about having people on the front line but here we are cutting 54 jobs. I do not think that the Minister understands. 
I am particularly disappointed that the Minister has cut the Fast Forward fund. That Minister has been talking about agriculture and about protecting it in New Zealand for the last 6 years in our committee but when he got the job as Minister he cut the Fast Forward fund which was designed to protect New Zealand through research and development. A lot of that fund was supposed to go to research and development and its funds were partly going to be used by research in the biosecurity area. In my view as a scientist in agriculture I can say that biosecurity is the greatest potential threat to New Zealand. 
Hon Judith Collins 
: Why are you voting for it? 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: I am voting for the bill because its intent is good but I am trying to say to the Minister that his actions in other areas are not very good. Cutting the funds for research and development and for biosecurity is totally illogical as my colleague Damien O’Connor has already said. It does not concur with what the Minister has been saying over the last 6 years as far as I know. 
Our agriculture and horticulture are worth billions of dollars. We are very proud that when we go overseas we always talk about the “clean green” image of New Zealand; it has been built up over many years. I think we want to keep it that way and in particular to protect our environment and our animals in this country. As I said there is no more serious threat to this country than in the biosecurity area; our livelihood and our countryside depend on agriculture. Over the years I have personally done a lot of research in this area and I think it is important for all of us that we protect our borders—not only our borders but also our marine environment. We had an opportunity recently to go to Australia and look at its aquaculture. That is an area that is potentially becoming a big industry in New Zealand for the future and we need to make sure that our marine areas are protected by biosecurity. But I am really disappointed that the cutting of those 54 jobs is designed to balance the budget. That is really ridiculous. 
Hon Member 
: $2 billion cut. 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: A $2 billion cut and 54 people will lose their jobs. That is not easy. Those job losses will not be concentrated only in the three main areas of Auckland Christchurch and Wellington. I am really fearful that other small ports and airports might be at risk because people will be brought into the small centres to do that job at airports. 
Overall we support this bill and I am looking forward to discussions in the select committee. I hope that we will have good submissions from all sectors of society and that we will have an opportunity with Shane Ardern to look at the bill and have a detailed discussion. With those few words I support this bill to go to the select committee.