Goudie Sandra: Dairy Industry Restructuring (New Sunset Provisions) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Goudie Sandra: Dairy Industry Restructuring (New Sunset Provisions) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
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SANDRA GOUDIE (National—Coromandel) 
: 
 I applaud the speeches from the excellent Minister the right honourable Hon Maurice Williamson and the excellent chair of the Primary Production Committee Shane Ardern—they gave excellent addresses on this Dairy Industry Restructuring (New Sunset Provisions) Amendment Bill. I have to say that Fonterra is a fantastic company for New Zealand and provides a large majority of its income from its exports and the hard work of its farmers. The farmers do an extraordinary job so I would like to acknowledge them. National has a proud history of supporting New Zealand farmers quite contrary to the Opposition and I find it interesting that we have a communist bagging another communist. This year we announced— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not know whether you were focusing on the comments that the member just made but they have been ruled out of order on a number of occasions and although it might not be the grievous insult that it was some years ago to describe a member in that way it is something I think he would take offence at. Certainly it has been ruled out by Speaker after Speaker. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I was listening very carefully and I recall the words very carefully. The member referring to the bagging of one by another did not identify a person in particular so it was indirect in its reference. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member said that it was the member she had just been listening to. Only one person spoke before her. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I did not recall what she said in that way. I heard her say that it was interesting to hear a communist bag a communist. Whether or not it was the person who spoke immediately before the only person who made the connection directly was the member sitting here. I say to the person speaking that I will not rule it out but the point has been well made by Mr Mallard that she should not bring people into disrepute in this House and that is a term that has been taken as offensive before. The member sailed very close to the wind but not over it. I invite her to heed the warning and carry on. 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker Barker and I will keep sailing. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am doing this reluctantly because as you know I do not like arguing with you but that was not a marginal case—or one close to the line. That was a member indicating that another member of this House was a communist. I was not the only one who made that connection. I think it is fair to say that the co-leader of the Green Party made that connection as well. I indicated that I would take the point of order. It was absolutely blatant and it was I think offensive. It has been so for a long time. I know I am relitigating a ruling and I know that that is not a healthy thing to do in this House but I ask you to reflect on the ruling. Just because the comment was made by a relatively junior member whom members do not take seriously does not mean that you should not rule in the same way you would if the Hon—the right honourable as she described him—Maurice Williamson had made the comments. 
Hon John Carter 
: I have a number of points. Firstly your ruling has been challenged. You have already made your ruling. Secondly a member cannot take offence on behalf of another member. Thirdly if the co-leader of the Green Party had taken offence she was quite capable of making that point herself. Quite honestly the member did not refer to anyone directly. I was sitting right beside her and heard what she said. She did not state it as the member has said; she just talked about one person to another. The matter should lie as you have ruled. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: There are several points I want to make about this to the Hon Trevor Mallard. Once a matter is ruled it is ruled and that is it; there is no going back. Whether the ruling is right or wrong that is the end of the matter. If I have made a mistake in that ruling I just have to live with it. Having said to the member that I am not going to require her to withdraw and apologise I am not then going to turn round and say that she has to withdraw and apologise. It is just like in sport: if a referee awards a try the try stands and that is the end of the matter. The matter is closed—game set and match. 
The second element is that the Hon John Carter makes the point that members can take offence only on behalf of themselves; they cannot take offence on behalf of someone else. That rule has been longstanding in this House. I do not want to go over and relitigate this matter any more but the third point I make is that I thought on balance the member made the comment and I did not hear—had I heard the member make a reference to a person’s name and the accusation I would have seen it in a different light. She did not. One had to make the connection—to be here and listen to the whole debate and make all the connections. It was not so easy. But I have chided the member and made it clear to her that those sorts of references and that style are unacceptable and if the member makes them either in this speech or in a subsequent speech I will tell her that she is to withdraw and apologise. That is her final warning. The matter is closed. 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: I shall continue to laud the excellence of our dairy farmers in New Zealand—in fact of all the agricultural sector—and recognise the hard work they do. Of course I was one of those hard-working dairy farmers and I understand what it takes to produce their export product for the benefit of New Zealand and I applaud them all for that. 
This year in support of the agricultural sector we announced hundreds of millions of dollars for research and development in the rural sector. We are driving the Primary Growth Partnership to boost our rural sectors and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases to find ways to make our farming sector more efficient productive and environmentally friendly. So we are committed to delivering growth to ensure prosperity for all New Zealanders. A huge part of that is through our agricultural sector and that is why it is so important that we support our agricultural sector. 
I will cover a few specific points in the bill. Concerns have been raised about the eligibility criteria for access by independent processors to the regulated raw milk made available under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act. The Government shares many of those concerns about the current eligibility criteria and that is why we have committed to reviewing them so that all concerns can be considered in full. And we know that we have the support of the majority of the House for that. The Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001 promotes efficiency and the pro-competition provisions ensure that Fonterra operates in an environment that is contestable and where it faces potential competitive pressure. This environment drives Fonterra and the wider dairy industry to improve economic performance. We are looking to have a good discussion around this issue we are pleased that the bill is going forward and we welcome the opportunity to have that discussion.