Prosser Richard: Border Processing (Trade Single Window and Duties) Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeProsser Richard: Border Processing (Trade Single Window and Duties) Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 11 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16522. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]RICHARD PROSSER (NZ First):I am pleased to rise on behalf of New Zealand First to take a short call in this Committee of the whole House stage as we debate the Border Processing (Trade Single Window and Duties) Bill. Focusing on the Minister of Custom’s proposed amendments as set out on Supplementary Order Paper 419 I have to say that New Zealand First is pleasantly surprised and somewhat encouraged by the direction the Government appears to be taking with regard to biosecurity at least to the extent that it seems to be addressing it as far as this particular bill is concerned.At the second reading we expressed a concern that this Government might choose to follow a path that does not afford sufficient regard to the importance of biosecurity—or that it might not. There was perhaps some lack of clarity if not actual ambiguity as to the Government’s intentions or indeed the potential lack of them in so far as its intended way forward under the regime that the passing of this bill would bring about. We are pleased then and tentatively encouraged by the Minister’s desire to split this bill into two bills the Customs and Excise (Border Processing—Trade Single Window and Duties) Amendment Bill and the Biosecurity (Border Processing—Trade Single Window) Amendment Bill. This will afford greater attention to biosecurity and widen the ambit of the bill so as to secure consistency with other relevant pieces of legislation as they relate to the biosecurity agenda.The Minister’s Supplementary Order Paper still delays the implementation of the legislation for another 2 years which we do not necessarily see as being ideal. We understand that key stakeholders in industry and indeed the departments concerned will need sufficient time to familiarise themselves with the changes to procedure that this legislation when it becomes law will bring about. But we are duty-bound also to ask whether 1 year would not provide a sufficient period within which the stakeholders and interested parties could bring themselves up to speed. Two years may err on the side of caution and that may be no bad thing in some circumstances but again New Zealand First wonders whether it might not be advantageous to importers and exporters alike as well as of course the vital biosecurity considerations of many sectors to make the benefits of the Single Trade Window available to all those interests in 1 year rather than 2 years.The Minister’s Supplementary Order Paper brings the second of the two bills that this bill will become the Biosecurity (Border Processing—Trade Single Window) Amendment Bill into line with a number of important pieces of legislation: the Biosecurity Act 1993 the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997 the Animal Products Act 1999 and the Food Act 1981. We understand as I am sure the rest of this Committee understands that the Food Act itself is likely to be very much amended and in many regards superseded by the Food Bill which is currently before the Primary Production Committee. The Minister’s Supplementary Order Paper brings the new bill the Biosecurity (Border Processing—Trade Single Window and Duties) Amendment Act 2014 as it will become in line with the Food Act. The Supplementary Order Paper also aligns the bill with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 and the Wine Act 2003. These are regarded as being eminently sensible additions.In closing I will reiterate that New Zealand First regards this Government’s track record on biosecurity as being nothing short of woeful. We are encouraged by the attention this Supplementary Order Paper appears to be bringing to it and we are happy to support both the Supplementary Order Paper itself and indeed the passage of the legislation through the House and on to the statute book. Thank you.