Whaitiri MekaHon MEKA WHAITIRI (Minister of Customs): E te Māngai o te Whare tēnā koe otirā ngā mema katoa o te Whare nei tēnā tātou katoa.[Greetings Mr Speaker and to all the members of this House greetings one and all.]We've just returned back from two weeks' recess. Like many of us it's a time to go back into our electorate and I did exactly that. I want to talk on what I saw and who I engaged with in those two weeks and I want to talk about the many farmers up and down this country who invited me on their farms.I'll talk about Quintin Morgan from Nepuroa Ben Purua from Tapapa Sophie Hunt from Kihikihi Richard McIntyre—you might know Richard because he is the president of Federated Farmers (Fed Farmers)—in his farm on Porou Kakouko. I also went to Ngāi Takoto farms in the Far North. I've been engaging with Morrinsville young farmers. I've been to Ngāi Tahu farms. I've been to Parininihi ki Waitotara farms. I've also been to the mighty Poverty Bay A&P show.What I can tell you out there is of course there are challenges in our primary sector but let's be real. In this year—the end of June 2022—the primary sector situation return in export earnings hit the $50 billion mark. It hit $52 billion of which beef and lamb was an increase of 18 percent.So I've heard in this House this week that there's going to be with the emissions pricing plan a decline in beef and sheep when we know 18 percent earnings went up in this year alone.I'm not saying it's just the Government but it is a Government that during two years of challenges have identified our agriculture primary sector as essential workers. It has allowed them to operate as well as support them. But we've bought returns because our Minister for Trade and Export Growth has carved two free-trade agreements—in the EU and the UK—all towards supporting our primary industry.Yes the emissions pricing proposed by the Government was released last week. Let's look at all the partners who are on He Waka Eke Noa who formed in 2019. Let's name them: Agriculture New Zealand Beef + Lamb New Zealand DairyNZ Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand Deer Industry New Zealand Federation of Māori Authorities Fed Farmers New Zealand Foundation for Arable Research Horticulture New Zealand Irrigation New Zealand the Meat Industry Association the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Ministry for the Environment.This is the partnership group who presented their proposals which this Government has endorsed with those areas that we have identified that are out for consultation. If that side haven't read it let me help you identify those issues that are out there for consultation. We're talking about the levy to be set out for consultation governance arrangements to be consulted how farmers and growers will report and pay for emissions and what on-farm actions—including sequestration—will be recognised.So let's bring it all back. Let's remove all the noise all the slogans and let's go back to an industry group full of partners who presented a proposal which the Government on this side has heard. The Government on this side has put it out and have also identified quite clearly in our proposal launched last week the areas that we want to consult for farmers and I've just identified. That is it; it's not a big issue in the sense of the world's going to collapse and farmers and the rural community are going to fall down. It's not about that. This is about us taking our global advantage as we continue to do to punch above our weight internationally.I can say this: in the recent travels to both India and Singapore they are looking at New Zealand because they realise our primary production is world-leading and they recognise that we can have productivity by also being a sustainable and a very safe producer of food. I have every confidence in all our farmers up and down the country that they will be able to pivot to what is this challenge.Nicola Grigg: A pivot don't tell them that. You won't get invited back. Hon MEKA WHAITIRI: Well it is. It is.Simeon Brown: It's a tax.Hon MEKA WHAITIRI: It's not a tax. It's being competitive in the international and global market like we continue to do. This is an emissions proposal I am very proud to underscore in this House to recognise all the partners who have done an enormous amount of work.