Smith Nick: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members Questions to Ministers 
Smith Nick: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:618;Page:14464] 
4.  
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
 to the  
Minister for Economic Development 
: Has he been advised of reports from the New Zealand Forest Industries Council and the Forest Owners Association concerned about the lack of investment in wood processing in New Zealand due to problems with the Resource Management Act 1991 notably that Australia has 21 mills under development while New Zealand has none; if so what advice has the Ministry of Economic Development provided on reforming the Resource Management Act 1991? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister for Economic Development) 
: 
 I am not yet responsible for Australian economic development. [ 
Interruption 
] The invitation is in the mail. The private sector in New Zealand is not required by law in this country to tell the Government of its investment plans. However I am aware of not just one wood industry development but 17 which Investment New Zealand and I know about from public announcements alone. These are planned to come on stream between 2004 and 2009 amounting to a total of $523.5 million of capital investment in the wood processing industry. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question asked: “what advice has the Ministry of Economic Development provided on reforming the Resource Management Act 1991?”. I listened very carefully to the Minister’s answer and there was no reference to that question at all. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Well that was the second question the member asked. There were two questions— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: That’s quite in order— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! That is my final warning. I am very generous today and the member knows it. The Minister might care to comment on the second part of the question if he wishes to do so. 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I have been advised of the reports and that rather than no wood processing investment development in New Zealand in the next few years there are at least 17 that are on the public record. The member could have found this out just as I did. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Can the Minister confirm what Mr David Benson-Pope told an open session at the Local Government New Zealand conference on Tuesday in reference to a session on the Resource Management Act that that very morning at a Cabinet committee there had been: “a major fight” but not to worry because he and Marian Hobbs had rolled Mr Anderton? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: If it is a surprise to anyone in the Opposition this Government has robust debate around the Cabinet table. This leads to very effective and constructive decision-making of a very high quality. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: Would the Minister agree that the lack of—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am sorry Mr Woolerton. I have just given the last warning. My patience has gone. Mr Woolerton alone has the floor. I ask him to please start again. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: Would the Minister agree that the lack of start-ups in forestry milling up until now has more to do with the previous National administration than the Resource Management Act? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: The member could well say that. I could not possibly comment. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Can the Minister confirm reports in this morning’s  
Dominion Post  
that he opposed draft changes to section 6 of the Act proposed by the environment Ministers because they were “too loose” to quote from the  
Dominion Post 
 but that he lost the debate; if so what were the specific changes to section 6 that he was seeking? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: No I cannot confirm the report because it is absolutely untrue. I do not intend to litigate the debates around the Cabinet table on major issues like the Resource Management Act before they are announced. This Government is going to deal with Resource Management Act reform which the previous Government never did in 9 years. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: In noting the Minister’s statement that it is not proper for Ministers to comment on Cabinet committee deliberations I ask why it was quite proper for his colleague Mr Benson-Pope to tell an open session of the Local Government New Zealand conference that Mr Anderton had been rolled; and if that is not correct would the Minister like to make the record clear? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: In so far as the question relates to the Hon Jim Anderton and his portfolio he can answer it. 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Every Minister in this Government has the right to speak frankly in front of all of his or her colleagues and we all do. Sometimes we win; sometimes we do not. I have no view whatsoever that anything that happened at that meeting would indicate that views that I have expressed have been rolled in any way shape or form. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is not the key business concern in developments like that the certainty of the rules and would not a good solution to many Resource Management Act problems be to provide high and certain national environmental standards rather than dismembering the Act and creating further uncertainty through case law? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I think that both national policy statements and national environmental standards would be good additions to the procedures of the Resource Management Act and Cabinet is considering both measures along with a number of others. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Does he recall his speech in 2001 when he said that every raw log shipped overseas was an economic failure; and noting the 21-nil record noted by both the Forest Industries Council and the Forest Owners Association will he accept that he has failed awfully and resign? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Obviously I know the forestry and wood-processing industry a lot better than the member does. The truth is that on the public record over $500 million of investment will come to fruition over the next 5 years and that is known to everyone who wants to seek out the public record. This Government has a very proud record of working positively with the forestry industry. No Government in recent history has done more with and for the forestry industry in terms of infrastructure training and skill and assistance with investment in marketing than this Government has. Anyone in the forestry industry whom the member would like to talk to in any kind of open way in front of people who know the truth would admit to that. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I seek leave of the House to table the statements from the Forest Industries Council and the Forest Owners Association that are damning of the Government— 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I seek leave to table the list of publicly announced investment details for the wood processing industry over the next 5 years. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.