Locke Keith: Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits)  Registration Bill — In Committee 
Locke Keith: Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits)  Registration Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:635;Page:6242] 
KEITH LOCKE (Green) 
: 
 I point out to members that the Green Party has moved an amendment to Part 2. It is an amendment to Supplementary Order Paper 66 in the name of the Hon Judith Tizard. The essence of our amendment is to give the industry representation on committees that may be set up to discuss boundaries and indicators. The present amendment contained in Supplementary Order Paper 66 in the name of the Hon Judith Tizard is an amendment to clause 52(2) and adds the following paragraph: “(c) 1 or more persons who in the Registrar’s opinion have appropriate knowledge of the wine or spirits industry as the case may be.” It became quite clear at the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee that the industry has a huge knowledge of indicators and boundaries. It is a pretty well-organised industry with two organisations New Zealand Winegrowers and on the spirits side the Distilled Spirits Association of New Zealand. Those organisations were concerned at the way the bill was constructed; they said it did not allow the experience of the industry to have full play in the decisions of a committee set up to consider the registration of a geographical indication the alteration of a registered geographical indication or the removal of a registered geographical indication from the register. 
Under clause 52 the Registrar can appoint a committee and its members. At the present time the committee must include the Surveyor-General or a representative of the Surveyor-General and a member of the New Zealand Geographic Board who is not the Surveyor-General. The Registrar can then appoint another person as appropriate including a representative of the wine or spirits industry in New Zealand. But there is no requirement to have on any such committee anyone from the wine or spirits industry in New Zealand. So in response to the very good presentations from New Zealand Winegrowers and the Distilled Spirits Association of New Zealand the Green Party thought it worthwhile to come forward with an amendment because the Supplementary Order Paper as it stands refers just to someone who has appropriate knowledge of the wine and spirits industry. The person may not even be from the industry or be a member of an industry organisation; he or she just needs to have appropriate knowledge. I think that is a bit vague. 
To make it more specific our proposed amendment which is on the Table is to omit paragraph (c) from the Supplementary Order Paper amendment and substitute a new paragraph (c): “1 or more persons from New Zealand Winegrowers or the Distilled Spirits Association of New Zealand or another organisation representing wine and spirits producers.” I think that covers the field and guarantees that there will be on each committee someone from the wine and spirits industry not just some individual who happens to have a vineyard. There will be someone from an industry organisation. The two organisations specified in the bill are the main organisations but another organisation may form that deserves some representation on the committee. So it is just a simple amendment to cover that point about industry representation and the Green Party hopes that it will meet with the support of others in the Committee.