Carter David: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Carter David: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:640;Page:10402] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (National) 
: 
 It is with pleasure that I take a call on Vote Agriculture and Forestry in the 2007-08 estimates debate. I guess the examination that the Primary Production Committee did left National members of Parliament in no doubt that the Minister of Agriculture simply does not understand the issues. We examined him over a period of an hour or more. We asked him serious questions and we got the waffly sorts of answers that the farming community now expects from this Minister. There is no substance but a whole lot of waffle and fluff without any actual support for the farmers of this country. Mr Anderton seemed to be absolutely oblivious to the pressure that many farmers are under. He was proud of the fact that while the East Coast of the North Island was under severe drought pressure he managed to take a helicopter ride over the province—a whirlwind tour. It had rained a couple of days after his visit and he claimed credit for being the “Minister in Charge of Weather-changing Ability”. 
What really surprised the select committee though was the very dramatic increase in staff that has occurred in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In 2003 it employed just over 1200 people. In the last 4 years there has been a 40 percent increase to 1650 full-time employees. That is a massive 40 percent increase. The select committee delved into those figures and found some very surprising trends. Firstly 980 of them are Biosecurity New Zealand staff—and my colleague Shane Ardern will certainly comment very shortly on their ability to do their job—and secondly 475 of them are in the Food Safety Authority which leaves only 185 to do the real work that is required by Vote Agriculture and Forestry which is to analyse the issues that present themselves to the farming community. 
During the examination of Mr Anderton he proudly said there were 13 substantial discussion documents out there being analysed by those 185 policy analysts. He did not seem to appreciate how important those particular policy documents are. The sustainable land management discussion document has been out there now for months. It was reported back after a series of public meetings which were not attended by any Government MPs—they would not front up. But certainly every one had a raft of National MPs there to listen to the woes of the sector particularly to those of the forestry sector around climate change. But the one that I picked up on was the programme that Mr Anderton calls the Sustainable Water Programme of Action. What quickly became evident to us is that it is the programme of inaction. There have been absolutely no decisions from that Minister in relation to one of the most pressing concerns facing rural New Zealanders which is how to maximise the use of potential water sources in order to maximise production. We are just not getting the answers from this Minister at all on that issue. 
The members of the select committee then found when we looked at the new initiatives the Minister was very proud of that the main one was a congress. Yes in November this year Mr Anderton is organising a congress and he has a million dollars of taxpayers’ money to fund it. So we asked him where the stupid idea of having another talkfest came from and he tried to tell the select committee that he had called a dinner at Vogel House for all primary sector leaders and that they had asked for the congress. Now we frankly do not believe the Minister because we know the leaders of the primary industries far better than Mr Anderton does and we know the last thing they want is more talk. They actually want some action. What we were able to find out during the select committee examination is that for a million dollars Mr Anderton will hold a talkfest in late November this year. Speakers from all over the world will be brought in. We asked who they were and the Minister said that that information was commercially secretive at this stage but we do know they are coming from all over the world to speak to farmers. Then we found out that there will be a charge for people to attend the congress—Mr Horomia nods his head—of $500 to $800. 
Farmers are under real pressure because lamb is now worth 30 to 40 percent less than it was worth a year ago and Mr Anderton’s solution is to hold a talkfest and ask farmers to pay 800 bucks in order to attend it. It is all about photo opportunities for Mr Anderton and the sooner that people realise that is all that Minister is good for the better it will be.