O'Connor DamienHon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Agriculture): Thank you Mr Chairman. I'll just take the opportunity to make a comment or two or three on what is effectively the review process of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and all the agencies. I'd like to acknowledge the Primary Production Committee and all the work they've done. I'd like to acknowledge the people who might be watching this out there in rural land. And actually it's not conventional but I want to acknowledge—my little daughter said she might watch Parliament which is a true commitment for someone of 10 years of age but anyway. There are people who are out there and they are interested in what is happening to the sectors that drive the vast majority of export income for this country. It is a huge a role for the select committee to oversee the process that takes place through the financial year.We had the first speech unfortunately I have to say from Mr Bennett who spoke about the future issues—indeed things I'll be happy to talk about next year as we move forward under the new Government. But actually looking back I acknowledge the member of the committee Jo Luxton who raised what has obviously been one of the biggest challenges facing the incoming Government. Indeed it was notified in July of last year under the previous Government under the period of review and that was the discovery of Mycoplasma bovis. It has significant financial implications for everyone through the farming sector including Government at the top and this Government has already had to commit tens of millions of dollars to the process of trying to round up and eradicate this disease.Can I say that it possibly went back so far as 2015 and through this process—I have to just challenge Ms Luxton with one of her assertions. We don't know the source of the farm and the farm that it was first discovered on may not be the source of the infection. I have to acknowledge that and to apologise because I think those farmers have been unfairly blamed for what might be an infection from another source. I think it is unfair and I'll acknowledge that publicly: there has been some confusion.There are two sources possibly—there were thought to be—and now maybe one. We're not quite sure. We're going to round that up and hopefully identify that accurately. But in the meantime we've been trying to track animals that have spread out all through New Zealand. We should have been able to actually identify and track all of those movements under NAIT—the National Animal Identification and Tracing system. It was introduced by the previous Government. It was subject to the best advice from around the world and was supposed to have been the world's best practice but it has failed. I have to say that publicly. There's a review document that should have been out for public disclosure and discussion probably over 12 months ago but they sat on that report and that's been unfortunate.Our inability to accurately identify all animal movements has meant it's really really difficult for us to have given some assurance to the tracking and tracing programme when we've been trying to nail down Mycoplasma bovis and the report—that farmers and people in the agribusiness sector should read—puts out there about 40 recommendations on what we have to do to improve the NAIT system. It is really important we get that feedback so that when we do make the changes as an incoming Government they're the right changes to give effect to the best animal identification and tracing system in the world. We need it if we are going to be the producers of the finest food the safest food in the world for consumers and customers who will be all around the world. So let's get it right. Let's acknowledge the mistakes of the past and the fact that I have to say the previous Government wasn't prepared to nail down and prosecute people who didn't adhere to the system. That lax approach I guess has led to an attitude which has taken NAIT for granted and left us in the situation that we're in now. We'll move on from that but it is one of perhaps the most significant things in review that we should acknowledge and then commit to change and improve and we will do that as an incoming Government.Back to Mycoplasma bovis—as I say acknowledging perhaps some misunderstandings around one of the main farms where this was identified but also acknowledging the challenges of those people who have been affected—about 50 farms at this point are under restricted notices or have had culling. It is a really really difficult time for those farmers and we want to acknowledge that and offer them the support as we have been attempting to do.In terms of the other areas of significance—others may raise that; I might want to make a few comments but this is the most important area—[Bell rung] Very briefly Mr Chairman.CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): Are you expecting another call?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: Yeah.CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): OK.Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: Just a very brief call Mr Chairman to say that this is the most import area of export growth and income generation. It is important that each and every one of the members on the committee do their bit and I look forward to hearing from them as to what happened in the previous financial year. Learning from those mistakes we can make the changes and get on and do better under this incoming Government. Kia ora.