Muller ToddTODD MULLER (National—Bay of Plenty): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise to speak to the Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forestry Advisers) Amendment Bill. What an extraordinary Government priority this is. I mean with respect we have had this afternoon a finance Minister speak to this House and say that the Budget deficit for this year is just short of $30 billion. In the same speech he says that the deficits for the next four years will total $100 billion. And in a moment of national crisis he outlines the priorities that his Government will now put forward in urgency in front of this House and apparently this bill the regulation of log traders and advisers is the third-most important bill facing this country in our time of national crisis. Well get a grip. How on earth Mr Jones did you manage to pull that swiftie? Even Eugenie Sage can't look at you. Mind you she can't anyway but she particularly can't now. What an extraordinary bill we've been served up. So ladies and gentlemen at home who I know will be wondering after the two performances from my colleague across the other side whether we have descended into Shakespearian farce; we haven't. The National Party is here to put some rigour back into it.So what does this incredibly urgent bill as we look at a sea of $100 billion worth of deficits in four years—what does this do? It establishes a registration system for log traders and farm advisers. It allows the Ministry for Primary Production to set up a regulatory body. It sets up a registration process. It sets up a power to obtain information. It defines—Mr Jones would have spent years doing this—a log trader. That's very important! It requires them to adhere to forestry practice standards. It specifies the application form—specifies the application form! That's two pages. I'm glad Eugenie Sage is looking down again. It outlines the conditions of registration that can be imposed. It has a section on cost recovery. It sets up a regulation-making power for registration complaints and disputes fees and charges and levies and then the rules themselves. I mean this is quite unbelievable that this Government has put this in front of us.And what is interesting is that the speech the Minister gave was as he has always given a speech that is focused on his particular view that the sector is broken that it's inappropriate to respond to export market prices that somehow the role of Government is to get in the middle of it and turn the market upside down and pick winners—that that is the best model—and he talks about how that's going to get turned on its head by this bill. Of course none of that detail is in the bill Mr Jones. All it does is set up a framework and what you're doing is signalling to all the foresters that actually this is where you want it to go.Well what's fascinating about this is that Mr Jones says this has been out in the field for a number of years that he's had close conversations with the forestry sector. Well they haven't seen it. In fact they're only going to get briefed on it tomorrow. And here he stands saying that this is an urgent debate an urgent priority for something that hasn't been seen by the sector—hasn't sat down with the forest owners hasn't sat down with the contractors or the small-forest owners. He actually hasn't sat with them and said This is what I would like to do in your sector." And not only that; he has the audacity to come and say that all this now can be discussed debated at a select committee and reported back in three weeks. Well that is arrogance in the extreme and we are seeing yet again the fusion between a man with the particular view on a model—he wants to see an economic model that he controls rather than the free market he has a view that it's his way or the highway and he creates this impression that somehow this has been worked through with the sector when it hasn't.Then the final ignominy which of course is making my counterpart look down at the floor is that he stands up here and says that this is the appropriate purview of the Environment Committee. Goodness me! Forestry agriculture—Mr Jones they're the same industry. There is no reason for this to go to the Environment Committee. I mean the Primary Production Committee for a start is superbly chaired. I don't think there's a better chair that we've ever seen in primary production. To be fair there's some reasonable contributions from the other side. Every now and then Kiri Allan gives us the impression that you know she's on the same—David Seymour: She's one of the smart ones.TODD MULLER: Yes one of the smart ones. Future leader there probably. Hey this really from our perspective is quite surprising.Now of course the question is: do we support it through to first reading?Kiritapu Allan: Course you do.TODD MULLER: And from our perspective—a close-run thing—the reason we are supporting it through to the first reading is because to all those forest owners watching to all those contractors to all those small-forest lot owners when you are looking at this at least you know that we will be able to facilitate with you a select committee process where your voice will be heard. He didn't even want a select committee process; he wanted it in urgency but we have at least an opportunity where the National Party will be able to hear your perspective. Now it won't be the Primary Production Committee; it will be the Environment Committee. It will be Scott Simpson. But you'll get a good hearing and you'll get a National Party that will ask the right questions and expose what actually sits behind this which is another Shane Jones crusade.Kiritapu Allan: It's the economy it's jobs and it's regional provincial growth.TODD MULLER: You'll get your turn—you'll get your turn Kiri.So I just want to conclude by saying: for all those watching who are no doubt leaning into the television wanting to say "What at our moment of national crisis is the most important thing that the Government is focused on?"—half past nine a few hours after the worst Budget in terms of financial position that we've ever seen in our lifetime—be assured that this Government's view that the third-most important piece of legislation that should be prioritised above anything else is the registration of those who export logs and those who provide advice to those who grow trees. Thank you."