Ardern Shane: Biosecurity and Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Legislation Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Ardern Shane: Biosecurity and Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Legislation Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:646;Page:15192] 
SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki-King Country) 
: 
 I thank the Minister in the chair the Hon Jim Anderton for his explanation which does clarify the situation substantially. As he would be aware the bee-keepers were very concerned that the proposed bill as it came back from the Primary Production Committee deliberately did not cover that matter off as clearly as it might have. But clearly there was an understanding within the select committee and from officials that what the Minister has outlined will in fact happen. So it is very good to see that that matter has been cleared up. 
I will spend a couple of moments talking about some of the issues that are still outstanding. One of them is the whole issue of the pork import health standard. I understand that the industry has some grave concerns that the review process will not be in place simultaneously—I guess that is the way to put it—with the promulgation of the import health standard that is before Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officials at this point in time. The industry would like an assurance that it will be given the opportunity to have access to the independent review process prior to its import health standard being given the green light by the director-general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The select committee once again understands that the industry will be given that opportunity. The Minister might also want to indicate in the Committee whether he has any knowledge on that at this point in order to clear up the matter of the import health standard for the pork industry—that is the importation of uncooked or unprocessed pork—and whether it will have the opportunity to go through the independent review process before its import health standard is confirmed. I understand that is the case but the Minister may want to clear it up for the industry as well. I know that Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officials are talking with industry representatives at the moment. 
The whole issue of import health standards is one that has gone reasonably well in New Zealand except for the fact that there have been a few breaches. People can understandably draw conclusions on that and on whether or not the policing of the standards is robust. But to bring it into context the officials advised the select committee—and I congratulate them on their fine work in the select committee and recognise their input into this process—that about 400-odd import health standards have been either put in place or ticked off in the last 4 or 5 years and only two of them have been highly controversial. That is not a bad record and it puts things into context. 
This legislation in my view and particularly this independent review panel will go some way in giving those in that industry who feel as though they have not had a fair process whomever they may be when they trigger the controversial lever as it were—and there have been only two of 400 in the last 5 years or thereabouts that have fallen into that category—the opportunity to go back to that independent review process. It will give them the opportunity to have their day in front of those whom the industry and Biosecurity New Zealand in consultation deem to be experts—those who know what they are talking about in this matter. 
In setting up the independent review panel for the bee-keepers it would appear to me that at least one or two of the people they recommend should be on that panel—and I presume one of them could be Dr Mark Goodwin although I do not know; that is their decision. They may have someone else. I suspect that that will be the case. I do not necessarily mean that the view of that individual or his or her chosen people needs to be upheld but it clearly would bring the independence that I think was the intent of the select committee—and indeed Parliament—if this bill is passed. It will make that process more transparent. I hope that will be the case; I suspect that that is where it is heading. I thank the Minister for his clarification earlier.