Goodhew Jo: Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeGoodhew Jo: Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 13 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7183. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon JO GOODHEW (Associate Minister for Primary Industries): Well I am delighted to stand at the end of this first reading of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill having been unable to introduce the bill with the first speech. I do so having had the benefit of listening to the members present. I want to thank my colleagues for the examples that they have given of why this bill is important to the businesses in our agricultural sector.I want to acknowledge some of the concerns that have been raised and to say that some of them have just been plain ridiculous—I will deal with that in a minute—some of them have clearly perhaps needed more reassurance and so I will give some of that reassurance. In terms of consultation on this bill it has been with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade the Ministry of Health the Ministry of Justice the Office of the Privacy Commissioner the Environmental Protection Authority—it has been consulted—Treasury Te Puni Kōkiri and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and this also has the support of the Ministry for the Environment including those proposed in the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act administered by that ministry. So there has been considerable consultation.This is not a fly-by-night bill. This has been awaited eagerly by those in this sector. By that I do not mean the hateful big businesses that the Green Party keep telling us about nor those dreadful farmers who would seek to put compounds on their plants. They are not all herbicides. Let me also say that this is about the welfare of animals—something I thought the Green Party cared about but clearly not. The assurance that I want to give is that both sides of the industry the suppliers and the users want this. They have been waiting for it for a long time.I want to thank our colleague Hon Damien O’Connor for his contribution because he comes with some experience in this field and he used that experience tonight to give a good example. The Government review found evidence that current protection levels may not be incentivising registration of these products here in New Zealand. It is important that we remember to use the word “registration”. We are not giving them carte blanche. Following that consultation the Government decided the best move was to make modest extensions to the data protections provisions.So we need the agricultural industry to remain competitive. Why do we need that to happen? Why do we need the businesses in New Zealand to remain competitive? So they earn more revenue and so they pay more tax so there are more hip replacements and better provisions for health education law and order and the rest. The primary sector needs these chemicals to manage pests to increase productivity and ensure the health of farm animals. We need the right level of data protection but it is a very small market so we need to encourage the overseas suppliers to invest in registering the new products and uses in New Zealand.So this is about striking a balance between incentivising the registration of those products that the primary sector needs and encouraging competition in the agricultural market place as well.This has not been dreamt up overnight. I am glad that the select committee will have a really good look at it and any of the issues that have been raised in this debate will be attended to. I look forward to hearing back from the Primary Production Committee as it makes its way through. I encourage all New Zealanders who have a view about these sorts of things—and in particular those who have been eagerly awaiting it—to get involved in the select committee process. I commend the bill to the House.