Browning Steffan: Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBrowning Steffan: Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading[Sitting date: 04 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7116. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]STEFFAN BROWNING (Green): I rise to speak to the Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill. We in the Green Party are in support of it. It is a process bill. I note that the Regulations Review Committee has suggested that it can be done in a better way and I think it was very positive to hear the Government saying earlier in a speech that it is prepared to look at how it might be able to streamline it when this same process is undertaken next time. So that is a very positive thing.I will mention the Commodity Levies Act part of it as well. It is unfortunate I think that there is not at least one more commodity levy mentioned there. We have got navel oranges kiwifruitnashi pears arable crops cereal silage maize and asparagus. The organic sector in New Zealand is able to get absolutely no levies. The organic sector is not funded by the Government either. This Government has chosen not to support the organic sector in getting a commodity levy order in operation so that it could actually be funded for the benefit that it would bring to New Zealand as does happen in numerous other countries around the world particularly progressive countries in Europe and Scandinavia.The organic sector talked to the Government about how the organic sector might get support and everybody realised that getting another commodity levy in was no small task. We accept that there is inevitably in the introduction grower or producer resistance albeit the growers and producers get a very good benefit once the levy is in and the organisations and their research supporters get the benefit from that. I am looking forward to a time when the organic sector in New Zealand is properly appreciated for the benefit it does from building soils which are built for intergenerational support and production; for the health benefits that can come from better-quality food; and for the extra good green jobs it can create from that. That would actually come if there was proper support. It is a shame that this Government rather than getting in behind and in lieu of a commodity levy order for the organic sector actually dropped the process where growers could actually get some support towards getting certification into organics and would actually be steered through the course that was needed to do that. It was working it had good measureables and initially the Government allowed it to roll over but it closed it down. Why? Is it partly the fact that it might show up other parts of production because there is actually some best practice that could be shown in that? It is hard to tell apart from the fact that maybe there was not seen to be that immediate cash cow that we get from one of our other sectors.The Greens as I say support this bill and we are happy to be part of a cross-House support of it. But the note I have made of organics and the commodities levies the lack of support needs to be noted too. We hope that this Government and other parties will end up with a cross-House support for the organic sector as part of the “clean green” image and brand that has been touted from the Government side earlier in the day. Thank you.