Mackey Moana: Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Mackey Moana: Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:642;Page:12158] 
MOANA MACKEY (Labour) 
: 
 I am very happy to take a call on the third reading of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill. I have to say that the honourable chair of our Primary Production Committee Mr David Carter just cannot help himself. It absolutely kills him that a bill here before the House is doing a good thing for our primary production sector and is doing a good thing by ensuring that New Zealand’s trade overseas is not impacted upon. We are doing whatever we can to make sure that whatever measures we take are commensurate with the risk involved and that we keep the cost down as much as possible. He just could not cope with that so first of all he had to take a whack at the Hon Annette King and go on about how long it has taken the bill to come to the House. This bill was introduced in November last year; we are passing it less than a year after it was introduced into this House. We have had issues today whereby National Party members have told us that things are not taking long enough. Things are either too fast or too slow. Sometimes I think the National Party will never be happy with anything the Labour Government does. 
The unanimous support that this bill has around the House is a testament to its importance. Notwithstanding the previous contribution from David Carter I say that when it comes to issues of primary production and trade we recognise their value and importance to all New Zealanders and to the New Zealand economy and we try to come to a consensus wherever possible. It is very important that we make sure that one of the drivers of our economy is treated well although from the way the Hon David Carter was talking I think we may be seeing some kind of financial rescue package from the National Party for dairy farmers. God forbid that dairy farmers have to make sure their drinking water is safe or that the drinking water for the workers on their farms and in their communities is safe. God forbid! Clearly with the absolutely precarious financial state that dairy farmers are in at the moment it could absolutely tip them over the edge if they had to make sure that the poorest and most vulnerable children in their communities have access to the same safe drinking water that they do and that the National Party members do! [ 
Interruption 
] 
The only reason I raise the issue I say to Eric Roy is that the Hon David Carter raised that very issue in his speech. I felt it was important to respond to him because this Labour Government has been very good for the primary production sector. The National Party will never acknowledge that but Labour has been a staunch supporter of provincial and rural communities. We have made sure that provincial hospitals have stayed open. 
Shane Ardern 
: Tell that to the kids in the areas where the schools were closed down. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: I say to Mr Ardern that we have made sure that provincial hospitals have stayed open after many in my area were closed under his National Government. I suggest that Mr Ardern be very quiet on that issue. The regional health authorities went around closing provincial hospitals. Labour has been good to the primary sector. [ 
Interruption 
] That is right; they were probably not big enough for the cash registers that the National Party was rolling into provincial hospitals and hospitals all around the country at that stage. But I digress from the bill. 
Hon David Carter 
: You do. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: I actually do yes. This is a very good bill. I will take only a short call because much of it has been covered and it will become repetitive. 
Eric Roy 
: Stop! 
MOANA MACKEY 
: I very much look forward to Mr Eric Roy’s contribution when he takes us back to farming in the 1840s. He is very knowledgable. Mr Eric Roy is a fountain of knowledge for anyone who wants to know anything about farming in New Zealand. So I very much look forward to his far fuller contribution when he takes us back over the full history of this specific bill. 
I also want to pay tribute to the submitters who came to the Primary Production Committee. The submissions were very well focused. As always despite what people may be hearing in this House the Primary Production Committee worked together very well. We are always willing to listen to whatever proposals are put to us in order to make any legislation better particularly legislation that affects such an important part of our economy as the primary sector. As I said before that sector is very important because we are a very open market when it comes to trade. We need to make sure that we are ahead of the times. We need to make sure that we close off any kind of challenge or risk that might come into our primary production sector and we need to make sure that we are on top of that. I am sure that this bill will be a step in that direction. 
I am happy to stand in support of this bill. I commend the Minister for the fact that the bill has been passed so expeditiously through the House. It is being passed less than a year after it was introduced into the House. That shows the Government’s level of commitment to the primary production sector. It shows the Government’s level of commitment to making sure that we minimise all risk when it comes to that particular sector and—this is also important—to making sure that any provisions put in place to regulate or assist our primary production sector are commensurate to the level of risk that there is and that we do not go over the top. 
Again I thank the submitters and the Primary Production Committee and I commend the bill to the House.