Prosser Richard: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Prosser Richard: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:678;Page:1379] 
7. 
RICHARD PROSSER (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister for Primary Industries 
: Does he have confidence in New Zealand’s current biosecurity arrangements? 
Hon NATHAN GUY (Associate Minister for Primary Industries)  
on behalf of the Minister for Primary Industries: Yes.  
Richard Prosser 
: What assurances can he give that drug runners and smugglers are not exploiting loopholes and vulnerabilities in the direct exit initiative?  
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: Point of order I believe that that question— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Hang on. If the member calls for a point of order he has got to wait until a point of order is acknowledged. Point of order the Hon Nathan Guy. 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This question is down as a biosecurity question. I believe that that member is straying into an area of customs and that question would be better suited to be addressed to the Minister of Customs.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister is the sole judge of whose responsibility such an issue is. I do accept that. The member will need to make sure his questions lie in the responsibility area of the Minister for Primary Industries not the Minister of Customs.  
Richard Prosser 
: How can he be confident that all dangerous goods and potential biosecurity hazards entering New Zealand from Australia under the direct exit initiative are detected when experienced customs staff have expressed concerns that they are understaffed and that biosecurity detection dogs are not adequately deployed?  
Mr SPEAKER 
: It seems to me the member in his own question has raised the issue of how customs staff see this thing and the Minister has already pointed out that the Minister for Primary Industries is not responsible for customs. I fear that we may have a situation where the question has been directed perhaps to—my office would have been unaware of the direction the member wanted to take his question because it asked only whether the Minister for Primary Industries had confidence in New Zealand’s biosecurity arrangements for which that Minister is responsible. But he is not responsible for our customs arrangements.  
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If you look at the question what is being asked of this Minister who after all is the Minister most concerned with primary industries is whether he as the primary industries Minister is someone who has confidence in our biosecurity arrangements. He may not be the only Minister responsible for this issue but he needs to tell the farming and export community whether he has got any confidence in what is in place now. That is what we have been asking of him. That is why he is being asked.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: If I recollect correctly the Minister answered that he did have confidence in our biosecurity arrangements but then he was asked a matter about customs and the Minister has indicated that he does not have responsibility for those issues. He is the judge of that. If it was an absolutely outrageous proposition from the Minister the Speaker would intervene but it seems a reasonable proposition from the Minister that the Minister of Customs is responsible for those matters. I invite Mike Sabin though to ask a further supplementary question. I beg your pardon—Richard Prosser! My God! My apologies. 
Richard Prosser 
: I do not have such a large voice as Mr Sabin. Is the Minister happy to jeopardise $7 billion to $8 billion per annum of New Zealand’s agricultural exports from the South Island where there are a total of four biosecurity dogs to protect three international airports and six seaports?  
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: Dogs of course are just one measure in biosecurity. The member might be interested to know that the number of dog handlers has increased in the last 12 months I am advised. Also can I go on to say that all other biosecurity screening processes in place—for example profiling risk assessment X-rays and baggage searches—of course carry on.  
Richard Prosser 
: I seek leave to table a letter to the Minister dated 4 January this year from a highly experienced biosecurity officer outlining these concerns.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection.  
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: Is it now National Government policy to not test risk material coming into New Zealand for fear of identifying unwanted organisms or for fear of “highlighting perceived failings of MAF over clearance and potentially further alarming stakeholders” as happened with 2.3 million rogue strawberry seeds in the not too distant past sold by The Warehouse? 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: No. He wants to ensure that biosecurity in New Zealand continues to be a world-class system. Certainly in the example the member has raised about strawberry seed importing it is worth noting that the Netherlands did not pick up the strawberry seeds in the consignment. I am also informed that the importer did not pick up the fact that strawberry seeds could not come into New Zealand. Also it is relevant to mention that in a 10-page document strawberry seed was referred to by the Latin name  
Fragaria 
. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is reviewing its internal processes to make sure that they become more stringent in this particular area. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Given that the Minister admitted that there were more trained dog handlers than dogs how long did it take him to train those dog handlers without dogs to sniff the drugs to give him the confidence to provide the answers he gave in the House today? 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: If that member was listening he would realise that sniffing drugs for these dogs is actually a corrections issue. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I call question No. 8 David Bennett. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! The House will come—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! The Minister had his chance to answer questions. He will be silent when I am on my feet as will other members.  
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think the Minister— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I can see that this is not going to be a point of order. The member knows that it is not going to be a point of order. He cannot invite—[ 
Interruption 
] The House will come to order. The House has had some fun but we have had enough.