8. Tree Planting—Quantity and DefinitionsHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of ForestryTree Planting—Quantity and Definitions8. Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of Forestry: Does he stand by the policy in the Speech from the Throne this Government is committed to a new planting programme planting 100 million trees a year to reach a billion more trees in 10 years"? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Minister of Forestry: Answering this question in segments: is this Government committed to a new planting programme? Yes. Will 100 million trees be planted each year? Yes. Does 100 million trees multiplied by 10 years equal 1 billion trees? Yes.Hon Dr Nick Smith: How can counting the existing 50 million trees planted each year for restocking meet the commitment of "new planting programme" and a "billion more trees in 10 years" when it is just replacing existing forests that are harvested each year—or does the Government intend to stop all current logging?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: In case that member wasn't paying attention when he was a Minister there was a decline in plantings under the last administration—10000-plus per year. Now here's the real point: at 1250 workers each planting 800 trees a day those workers planting for 100 days a year will reach the target. Is there a new plan as said by the Prime Minister at the time? Yes there most definitely is.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Will the Government be counting towards its billion more trees in 10 years those seedlings that are planted and thinned out at ages five to nine amounting to about 40 percent of seedlings which is current best-practice silviculture?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Could I say that if a seedling is planted and it starts growing into a tree it is a tree. And I suggest that Minister start taking a positive attitude to our most exciting policy rather than barking up a tree.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Can the Minister confirm the intent in the Speech from the Throne that 100 million more trees will be planted by October 2018 another 100 million by November 2019 and a further 100 million by November 2020?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: That was not what was said in the Speech from the Throne. I want to commend to that member the need for linguistic exactitude when you're dealing with this party because we believe in the facts. If somebody as authoritative as the president of the Forest Owners Association says "It's an optimistic but achievable target" maybe he might know against that member's lack of knowledge.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Has the Government become so desperate given that it wants to count trees that are thinned out before they even get to age 10 and that it wants to count those trees that are simply planted for restocking that it's now—Hon Tracey Martin: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Is it within the Standing Orders to start what I suppose is going to be a question with "Has that Government become so desperate …"? Mr SPEAKER: The answer to that is probably not but I have been listening very carefully to her leader when he has been requesting that he answer questions that are out of order and therefore questions to him I've been slightly more liberal on. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Given that the Minister is wanting to count those trees that are simply the restocking that occurs each year and as well as that he's wanting to count seedlings that are thinned out before the age of 10 years can I also take it that he wants to count this year's Christmas trees in his billion-dollar target? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Don't go on the road as a comic—that member's bound to fail. Could I just say it's very very clear that if you intend to have planted a billion trees over 10 years then that is what the plan's all about and that's what we'll do unlike under his administration where there was a decline of over 70000 hectares in tree planting between 2008 and 2015. Hon Dr Nick Smith: I seek the leave of the House to table the Ministry for Primary Industries' record of tree planting which actually shows an increase—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member knows that as well as giving the source he's got to give the date and if he is giving us something that has come from a website the member knows that that is now regarded as trifling with the Chair. Hon Dr Nick Smith: The specific report is the provisional estimates of tree stocks planted each year over the last 10 years published and provided by the Ministry for Primary Industries in response to questions from myself. Mr SPEAKER: Right leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There appears to be none—[Interruption] Sorry it will not be tabled. Are there further questions? Question No. 9. Hon Gerry Brownlee: No no supplementary—supplementary to the Minister. Mr SPEAKER: Oh the late Gerry Brownlee. Hon Gerry Brownlee: That's just slightly premature Mr Speaker. Will the Government be importing any seedlings in order to achieve their target in the next two years? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I can say that every step has been taken to ensure we have the plantings ready to fit this plan and it's a very important plan because the reality is—and this is why language matters; this is why language matters—there was a decline in hectares of forest of 70000 hectares in the last five years. Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was an interesting address to the question but it went nowhere near the question. It's a simple one. Mr SPEAKER: I think if the member had listened carefully he would have got it in the middle. A number of methods to obtain or a number of ways of obtaining—something like that."