Webb DuncanDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central): Kia ora and thank you Madam Speaker or 谢谢 seeing as it's Chinese Language Week. We all want an absolutely thriving agricultural sector but the difference is that for the Labour Party there are some bottom lines and animal welfare is a bottom line. I know that on the other side of the House there are a number of people who own farms or operate farms. They understand animal welfare and they also understand the need to be at the very peak of the quality pyramid when we're trading from a place like New Zealand and that there is no room whatsoever to have anything other than the highest possible standards. I'm very happy that New Zealand is leading the world in terms of saying that our trade in animals and in livestock will be subject to the highest and most rigorous animal welfare standards because we know that the developed markets—our most prestigious and profitable markets—take that very very seriously indeed. I know that those people in the agricultural sector absolutely want to do that and it is the Government's job to make sure that the brand of New Zealand having the highest-quality produce—food and fibre—is protected and that's what we're doing here. What's more this is not some—I think the words knee-jerk" were used by the Opposition. It's not for a number of reasons. Firstly it's been under contemplation for quite some years well before the tragedy that's been debated and discussed in this House already today. Secondly we heard Minister Meka Whaitiri talk about the expert advice that she's getting and the fact that given where New Zealand is and given the destination of livestock it's not actually possible to have a live-export trade that is humane. Now we can use best efforts and we can have best practice but the fact of the matter is that if you are going to put hundreds or thousands of beasts livestock—sheep cattle goats or whatever—on a vessel for 10 to 14 days across the equator it is going to be unbelievably stressful. It is not going to be consistent with the welfare of those animals. Whilst you can put as many veterinarians on board as you like and you can have as much water and feed available and you can space them out and you can do all the things you like the fact is that when beasts that come from a temperate climate in New Zealand are put on board a vessel in constrained circumstances and travel across the tropics to Saudi Arabia it's not going to be humane. Tim van de Molen: From the animal welfare expert Duncan Webb. Dr DUNCAN WEBB: So this bill—and you know here's a prediction for the Opposition. I predict that we will be looked at as a leader in the field and we will see some of our competitors in this market follow us. Why? Barbara Kuriger: We are looked at as the leaders—who's in the trail now?Dr DUNCAN WEBB: Because this is not only good—and Barbara Kuriger is sitting there chipping away but she's one of the farmers I admire. She's a woman who has an interest in organic farming and who takes the welfare of her cattle very seriously and I suspect that were she the person on board one of these vessels when the animals are stressed and are absolutely distressed she would be very very upset indeed because I think she values that here. So I know she has to pretend that she's onside with her party but I know that she's a farmer who knows what quality is she's a farmer who knows what animal welfare is and she is absolutely going to be consistent with the Labour Party approach which puts New Zealand first puts the welfare of animals first and puts our market first and that's what this bill does. The world will follow. This is an absolute spearhead in good marketing good branding and good animal welfare and that is why I absolutely commend this bill to the House."