Smith Nick: Imports and Exports (Restrictions) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Smith Nick: Imports and Exports (Restrictions) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:609;Page:6947] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (NZ National—Nelson) 
: I join my colleague Lockwood Smith in expressing concern about the title because of how wide it is. I want to draw a matter to the attention of the Minister in the chair the Hon John Tamihere. In concluding my colleague Lockwood Smith asked whether the Government was intending to use this measure for some other purpose. I want to talk to John Tamihere about an issue that is close to my heart. I notice that Ken Shirley is in the House and he will know about this issue too. We now have the Minister for the Environment in the chair the Hon Marian Hobbs which makes me now even more suspicious. 
This Government in respect of the issue of sustainable native forestry has proposed to use export restrictions on wood-chip from the South Island even if it comes from sustainably managed forests. That is being used as a negotiating tool to screw down property owners—in this case Maori property owners. There has been a long sad history of High Court decisions. The use of export controls has been contested in the highest court in the land. My concern about both the title—a concern that Lockwood Smith rightly pointed out—and the purpose is that there is no mention of hazardous substances. All we have is mention of restricting the exportation of certain goods. 
I want the question that was raised by Lockwood Smith to be answered by the Minister in the chair. Will these provisions be narrowly defined to mean hazardous substances and the international obligations set out in clause 6; if so why do the title the purpose and clauses 8 and 9 take things substantially further? We do not want to see the freedom of New Zealanders to be able to export other products being inadvertently used by Big Brother State to achieve policy objectives that are outside the international conventions that we have signed up to. It is particularly relevant in terms of the Government’s own stated policy of wanting to put a ban on the export of sustainably produced timbers. 
I want to know from the Minister and from the Government just what they are up to. Can I have an absolute assurance from the Minister in the chair the Hon Marian Hobbs that this bill will not be used as a vehicle for imposing that Government policy? Is the Minister who is paid a ministerial salary and gets a ministerial car and all those services able to answer that question? Will this provision of export controls be able to be used to stop sustainably produced native forest products as is stated Government policy? The silence is deafening. Given that the old Minister in the chair was deadly silent can the new Minister in the chair the Hon John Tamihere whose South Island Maori have a very real interest in the stupid Government policy potentially to ban the export of sustainably produced native wood products give me an absolute assurance that no current or future Government could use these provisions for that purpose? 
Hon John Tamihere 
: No current Government. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I see. The Minister has just said: “We won’t but someone else could.” I say to the Committee that that is not good enough. I hope the Government will see fit to support amendments in the name of the Opposition that make it absolutely plain in the title in the purpose clause and in the operative provisions which are clauses 8 and 9 that this bill is about hazardous substances only. If it goes beyond those provisions then quite frankly members on this side of the Committee have quite a problem. This bill should not be used to restrict trade. We are a party that supports trade and supports the freedom of New Zealanders where there are not environmental or other issues to be able to trade their goods. I ask the Minister in the chair why we would pass legislation that gives power to any Government to go beyond the intent of this bill.