Kaye Nikki: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Kaye Nikki: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 24 November 2009. Volume:659;Page:8213. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
9.  
SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country) 
 on behalf of  
NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) 
 to the  
Minister for Biosecurity 
: What steps has the Government recently taken to protect New Zealand’s kauri forests? 
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister for Biosecurity) 
: 
 There is more good news. The Government is delighted to announce that it is injecting an additional $4.7 million of funding into a programme to save kauri trees threatened by kauri dieback disease. This will bring total Government funding for a 5-year programme aimed at containing this soil-borne disease to almost $10 million. It is a true demonstration of this Government’s commitment to protect this treasured species from what is a very serious biosecurity threat. 
Shane Ardern 
: Why has the Government committed funding to fighting the kauri dieback disease? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: New Zealand’s ancient kauri forests are an important part of our heritage they are of huge significance to Maori and they are vital to our native ecosystem. The kauri dieback disease is relatively unknown but it poses a major threat to kauri species especially those in the upper North Island. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: If the Minister is so committed to protecting Northland forests then why does he support the closure of the Opua biosecurity office an action that leaves Northland vulnerable to pests and diseases from the hundreds of foreign yachts and vessels that visit Northland every year? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: The Opua office will be manned from Whangarei. It will be manned throughout the season. It will not be manned throughout the winter when not a lot of these vessels come into Opua port. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: Will the Minister guarantee that his cut-backs to Biosecurity New Zealand will not expose New Zealand to greater risk and an invasion of Australian fruit flies which would destroy our horticultural industry given that a live Australian cane toad has just hopped through his current system; if not why not? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: There have been no cuts to Biosecurity New Zealand under this Government unlike those under the previous Labour Government and—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I apologise to the Minister. The House is so noisy that I cannot hear when members call. I take it that it is a point of order that the Hon Damien O’Connor is calling for. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister is misleading the House— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will resume his seat immediately. He cannot use a point of order to contest an answer that is being provided by the Minister especially not by arguing that the Minister is misleading the House. If he wants to ask further supplementary questions that may highlight what he considers to be inaccuracies in the answer then that is fine but he cannot do it by way of a point of order. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Continuing with my answer the member might like to acknowledge to the House that when his Government was in charge eight cane toads came into New Zealand in 2003 and four came in in 2004. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Some members will get a yellow card if they are not careful. I am on my feet. [ 
Interruption 
] I am getting serious. The House has let off a little steam; let us put that behind us.