Tisch Lindsay: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
Tisch Lindsay: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:609;Page:7058] 
LINDSAY TISCH (NZ National—Piako) 
: This is a very important debate and I am privileged to be able to take part in it. There is nothing more important to New Zealand than our biosecurity but I want to mention one particular clause in particular clause 4. Clause 4 states: “(3) Section 7 of the principal Act is amended by adding the following subsection:” which relates to the provisions of the Wildlife Act. Mr Catchpole spoke earlier about the fact that ferret farmers could be put out of business by that particular clause. 
I want to make it very clear that under section 7 of the Wildlife Act— 
Darren Hughes 
: Brent Catchpole now writes Lindsay Tisch’s speeches. 
LINDSAY TISCH 
: Clause 4 is amended by Supplementary Order Paper 96 in the name of the Hon Jim Sutton. Section 7C of the Wildlife Act “Farming certain unprotected animals” states: “(1) No person shall farm breed or sell or capture or convey or keep in captivity for the purposes of farming breeding or selling any wildlife specified in the Eighth Schedule to this Act unless any such activity is authorised by the Minister pursuant to section 41 …”. The Eighth Schedule “Wildlife not protected but may be kept bred or farmed in captivity pursuant to regulations made under principal Act or by Minister’s direction” includes ferrets. 
The point is that by inserting clause 4 in the bill it simply means there is no security for the people who were involved in the breeding of ferrets in the long term. There are three licensed breeders in New Zealand and the breeder who is a constituent of mine has 2000 breeding ferrets this year— 
Darren Hughes 
: Ha ha! 
LINDSAY TISCH 
: The member should not laugh about it; I am talking about a million-dollar business. That enterprise will export 7500 ferrets this year worth $1 million. He also employs five people full-time in his business. Any ferrets that are sold domestically are desexed. Ferrets are not an issue out in people’s homes. In fact if they were to get loose they would not survive. 
Janet Mackey 
: Says who? 
LINDSAY TISCH 
: They would not survive because they are domestic ferrets. 
Darren Hughes 
: What are their names? 
LINDSAY TISCH 
: The member makes a joke of such an important industry. I am sure that if that breeder is listening tonight he will not be impressed by the nature of what this Government has in mind for his industry. 
The question I want to ask the Minister is whether that breeder will be able to sell his million-dollar enterprise. Will his family be able to take over that enterprise? We are seeing under this legislation that that person will be down and out. He has nowhere to go. This Government says that it wants consultation and the opportunity to grow the economy. Here we have a million-dollar business that will be left on the scrap heap and Government members are laughing about it. 
I want the Minister to take a call and answer four simple questions for me. Firstly does clause 4 affect the viability and future security of my constituent in the Piako electorate? Secondly will that person be able to continue his farming operation and to export ferrets? Thirdly will he be able to sell his business to somebody else or will his family be able to take it over? The fourth question relates to the domestic market. Will he be able to sell ferrets on the domestic market? There is a huge domestic market. Those are simple questions and I ask the Minister to answer them.