Martin TraceyHon TRACEY MARTIN (NZ First): Thank you very much Mr Chair. I apologise to my learned colleague; I didn't realise he had more to say. I take a call on behalf of my colleague Mark Patterson who's actually had a family tragedy and so he's not here this evening so just to acknowledge him in this moment.On behalf of New Zealand First I rise to talk on the Food Safety Law Reform Bill. Just to I suppose update the public listening around what this bill does because it's been a little time since we last were here discussing it in the committee stage. It was obviously as my learned colleague said before a side effect or a downstream consequence of a whey protein concentrate suspected sort of botulism issue with Fonterra; more than 1000 tonnes of consumer product across several countries was affected by a recall of this product. As it turned out there were no actual cases of consumers becoming ill from the issue that created that recall. But New Zealand prides itself—we have to pride ourselves—on the quality of the food that we produce. We are a food producing nation still currently. And while we wish to go forward and obviously invest in new technologies and be part of the new digital age and so on right now we are known best for the food that we grow the food that we produce the food that we make. So this bill continues that legacy of making sure that the standards of New Zealand food are not only maintained but can never be questioned by others out there.I note that there are a couple of Supplementary Order Papers. I note actually the Supplementary Order Paper I picked up off the table is in the name of the Hon David Bennett which is lovely to see. I see it's got some very practical reasonable things in it which is why I had to read the name twice but I think that's excellent. Thank you very much Mr Bennett. Thank you very much Mr Bennett for bringing some practical reasonable steps into the bill.I do however want to acknowledge that New Zealand First did have some qualms and I probably go to the amendment in section 9 which will amend the Food Act and allow regulation to permit low-THC hemp seed to be in food products. New Zealand First had very collegial conversations with the Minister in the chair. He was able to assure us that a person would have to—Brett Hudson: Over some low-THC hemp.Hon TRACEY MARTIN: No it's all right Mr Hudson; I'll tell you. If you consume a very very very large amount of this particular hemp seed Mr Hudson it may have some effect. It may have some effect but thankfully this amendment to section 9 it's not going to have any really significant downstream effects. It's low-THC hemp seed in food products so the Minister was able to alleviate New Zealand First's fears.There was another issue of course that we did have some concern around—and I think it's been expressed by members of the select committee if I can recall correctly conversations that I have had with my colleague—around small artisan food producers and the compliance costs that are a concern to them. If I recall correctly there was a particular cheese manufacturer from the North for whom our leader the Rt Hon Winston Peters wanted to make sure that the compliance costs the travel that they had to take and so on was taken into account in this legislation and we are assured by the Minister's office that the Ministry for Primary Industries is looking at ways to reduce that compliance burden for small producers.I would ask the Minister in the chair whether he would take the opportunity though to articulate again the fact that the small and medium sized producers have been taken into account. Those concerns: the distance of travel—I think testing facilities are quite some distance from the North. I'm not sure whether it's Takapuna—from Whangarei to Takapuna something like that. For those of you who don't go north very often Mr Bennett that's about an hour an hour and a half. It's quite a long way. The roads are not necessarily very good; there's been some neglect in that area. So we would really appreciate the opportunity—if the Minister would like to just articulate that for us again so that we can be very clear and we can put our concerns to rest.There's one other area that I'm very pleased to see and that's around the regulations with regard to the criteria included on the need to protect public health and the requirement for any food to be safe and suitable. Making regulations under this new provision requires full Cabinet processes such as public consultation and regulatory impact analysis including analysis of cost impacts. I wonder if the Minister wouldn't mind speaking to that also because as a parent obviously as somebody—well I eat food but also there have been times in my life when I'm the person responsible for providing food to young humans. I am interested. I'm relieved to see a statement like that but I just wonder to make sure if the Minister wouldn't mind articulating and stretching on that for a little bit so that we can give real reassurance to the New Zealand public that these sorts of provisions are in place because the Government recognises that it's important; there's an important responsibility to make sure that the food we eat does not harm us.There is only one other place—my husband is a winemaker and I note that this bill also amends or impacts on the Wine Act—Hon David Bennett: I wonder why.Hon TRACEY MARTIN: He's a gold medal - winning winemaker actually Mr Bennett—a gold medal - winning winemaker. You should try his pinot noir. But I would be interested Minister if you would be able to just give us some clarity about how this bill impacts on the Wine Act 2003. I know you yourself dabble a bit in making a bit of the product so I thought perhaps you could expand on that because I know that the winemakers in Martinborough and Central Otago—Hon David Bennett: When is she going to get back to the bill?Hon TRACEY MARTIN: —will be riveted—will be riveted Mr Bennett to this particular reading because they are very concerned. They produce a high-quality product here in New Zealand. It's obviously world-renowned and I just hope that perhaps the Minister could give us some clarity for those winemakers tuned in here this evening so that we can see how this bill might affect those.So New Zealand First will be supporting this piece of legislation. We've had such a wonderful relationship with the Minister in the chair. He's alleviated all our fears. The collegial relationship—it's fascinating it works very very well you know. So we're more than happy to support the Minister as he passes through this piece of legislation at committee stage. Thank you so much Mr Chair.