Flavell Te Ururoa: Customs and Excise (Joint Border Management Information Sharing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Customs and Excise (Joint Border Management Information Sharing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:666;Page:14044] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker. Kia ora tatou katoa. I follow with a brief call from the Maori Party about our perspective on the Customs and Excise (Joint Border Management Information Sharing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill at its first reading. As others have said it aims to reduce administration costs and also to provide for planned information-sharing between the Customs Service and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Although a key focus of the proposed legislation is to establish a foundation for the joint border management system our interest as the Maori Party is around the amendments to the Biosecurity Act 1993 to provide for such information-sharing. 
The focus of biosecurity in the bill is one that the Maori Party has a particular interest in. We are aware that Maori participation in agriculture forestry and biosecurity has been identified as a Government priority. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s statement of intent for 2009-2012 identifies two immediate outcomes that reflect this priority. It says that enhanced prosperity for Maori engaged in agriculture food and forestry is important and that prevention and reduction of harm to resources of economic and cultural value to Maori from pests and diseases are also crucial. We want to ensure that due thought has gone into the protection of Maori biologically-based economic resources from pests and diseases and that they are given due consideration. Maori are kaitiaki and owners of land and resources; therefore we have a vested interest in protecting our taonga from imported pests and diseases for future generations. 
We note that just over a month ago MAF Biosecurity New Zealand joined forces with local iwi to clear all of the visible sea squirt  
Pyura 
 from the Bluff at Ninety Mile Beach and Whareana Bay. This development was a very positive project that demonstrated the opportunity for iwi to lead the long-term management of pest incursions while at the same time raising local awareness of the biosecurity issues and preparing communities ahead of any future marine biosecurity events. In this context we would appreciate learning how in this bill iwi can expect to be involved in the potential information-sharing undertaken between the Customs Service and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and to contribute and participate at the local level. 
We note further that another intention of the bill is to provide “a power to define through regulations border information that may be shared between agencies at the border and any conditions that might reasonably be imposed on such sharing.” Again we would be interested in understanding how Maori might be involved in decision making about the criteria and protocols for information sharing between specified border agencies. 
Finally we look forward to hearing thoughts of the Minister of Customs about legislating for Maori involvement so that this is not a discretionary consideration for the ministry but ensures that due consideration is given to all these critical issues at stake. We will be supporting this bill at its first reading.