Whaitiri MekaMEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti): Tēnā koe Mr Assistant Speaker. Otirā e ngā mema o Te Whare nei. Tēnā tātau katoa. I am happy to take a call on the Food Safety Law Reform Bill. I too want to acknowledge the hard-working Minister the Hon David Bennett in bringing a bill of this importance to this House. Of course Labour is going to support—Hon David Bennett: Someone's going to mean it when they say it soon.MEKA WHAITIRI: Take it while you can. Clearly I want to acknowledge the hard-working Primary Production Committee. It was a committee that I enjoyed for the short time that I was on it. I want to acknowledge my colleagues Damien O'Connor and Rino Tirikatene for their contributions in the passage of this particular bill.Just to remind us this bill addresses the recommendations of the Government Inquiry into the Whey Protein Concentrate Contamination Incident and the bill attempts to improve and enhance the three Acts governing the food safety system improving the alignment operation and design so as to better protect human health and maintain and strengthen New Zealand's reputation as a supplier of safe and suitable food both domestically and internationally. Not only it is every New Zealander's birthright to consume safe food but as we are a nation people surrounded by sea and we have got a very productive land base—although some of us would say our rivers are a bit polluted—we also have a birthright to have access to clean food. This bill is clearly an attempt to make sure that our food system—our food safety system—is fit for purpose.So the key parts of the bill as other speakers have talked about are around new requirements for risk-based plans and programmes the traceability and recall regulations the stronger verification and of course the stronger enforcement. Like I said I am not a member of the Primary Production Committee but I do just want to raise some points as recorded in the report from the committee. I want to make a couple of comments on that particular report and acknowledge that in terms of clause 2 regarding the commencement date I see there must have been some debate at the select committee around the open-endedness of when the legislation would take effect. I know that the committee has settled on a 2-year enforcement after the commencement date making sure that we actually have a date where this would kick in to ensure that the regulations that underpin this bill are given enough time to see through. I guess the only comment I want to make around those 2 years to allow regulation is to ensure that we have a system to monitor the progress of those regulations. I am sure the honourable Minister has got that in his purview.The other comment about the select committee's report is around the requirements to consult and I note that the committee recommends amending clause 149 of the bill to ensure that section 163 of the Act requires consultation and it talks about the new headings in terms of tracing and recall verification record-keeping and reporting infringement notices and risk management. I just wanted again to acknowledge that recommendation from the select committee.There have been many comments by contributors to this second reading around country-of-origin labelling. I listened to the chairman of the select committee talk about the 30-odd—there were actually 43—submitters to this particular bill in the select committee process saying that many of them were out of scope. I guess country-of-origin labelling was one of those examples where submissions were clearly out of scope as others have said. What I want to say is that I want to acknowledge those large producers like supermarket chains like Progressive Enterprises and Foodstuffs which are actually doing voluntary initiatives around country-of-origin labelling and hopefully if not in this bill the Minister may pick examining and reviewing the extension beyond just voluntary initiatives to making it more mandatory across the board.Under the compliance requirements for small food producers—there probably is not one MP in this House who does not have a local farmers market. I attend mine in Hawkes Bay and I would say that the Hawke's Bay farmers market at Tōmoana showgrounds is one of the best in the country. The reason I mention that is to make sure that this bill does not stop innovation around some of the produce that is coming through from small farming markets. Some of them are going to market—they are expanding. I know this is a food safety bill that we are debating but you know the innovation that I have seen in a short time in our local farmers market is quite amazing. Once upon a time it was cheese and wine but now you are seeing things like figs and you are getting meat that has been dried and passed off in so many different ways. I guess the point is that we have got to support our local producers. They are doing quite innovative things and we must make sure that the balance around this bill does not stymie the innovation of those small farming producers.I also want to acknowledge the submitters around New Zealand raw milk and imported raw milk in terms of some of the standards. That was put up again to the select committee with New Zealand raw milk cheese producers saying that they are treated differently from the imported raw milk cheese producers. I am sure again the Minister notes that the Ministry for Primary Industries is currently reviewing it. So we are not saying No you have to comply." but there is a possibility that there could be something done around our New Zealand raw milk producers in this country.I do like I said want to acknowledge the 43 submitters who submitted to the select committee of whom 11 gave oral evidence. I believe that this bill has factored in all those submitters in making the changes necessary to like I say get the right balance in terms making sure of every Kiwi's birthright to food that is safe and clean and ensuring that we are allowing the producers their innovation and their energy. Tomorrow's growers if we are going to expand our primary production area not just in fruit cheese fish and meat—a lot of Kiwi local growers are evolving and innovating as we speak. So with that small contribution I commend this bill to the House."