Kedgley Sue: Animal Products (Dairy Products and Other Matters) Bill — First Reading 
Kedgley Sue: Animal Products (Dairy Products and Other Matters) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:618;Page:14234] 
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
: 
 I seem to be the last speaker in this debate but I am very pleased to join the total consensus in the House to support the Animal Products (Dairy Products and Other Matters) Bill. As the Minister who introduced it said I think it is a fairly straightforward bill that basically is about applying risk management to the dairy industry. As others have pointed out that is absolutely essential for the health and well-being of New Zealanders and for the protection of our exports. 
I think that we in New Zealand are fortunate in that we have very high standards of safety in the dairy industry. I think we are fortunate too that our cows roam in paddocks and are not kept in concrete feedlots as they are in some countries overseas. We are fortunate that we do not do things like inject our cows with a genetically engineered growth hormone as is done in America. 
If I may digress for 1 minute I was delighted to hear that Gerry Eckhoff watched that very interesting programme on antibiotics the other night. He talked about how important it is that we use antibiotics in a sensible and restrained way because of the concern about resistance that that programme documented. I am sure Gerry Eckhoff is aware that antibiotics are used reasonably judiciously in the dairy industry to treat mastitis but I am afraid to tell him that in other industries—as I am sure he is aware—they are used most injudiciously. I am referring in particular to the poultry industry where antibiotics are fed continuously to chickens in their feed and water. 
When Gerry Eckhoff talked about the need for judicious and restrained use of antibiotics I became very hopeful that he will take up in the Primary Production Committee—the committee he has praised so heartily—the most injudicious indiscriminate way that antibiotics are fed in New Zealand to literally 80 million or more chickens on a continuous basis raising the spectre of huge resistance. I am sure that members are aware of surveys showing that 50 percent of the chicken flock is contaminated with vancomycin-resistant bacteria. 
The Minister of Consumer Affairs is looking perplexed as if she does not believe me but I would be very happy to supply her with all the studies that show this very regrettable aspect of our chicken industry. Fortunately we do not have this problem in the dairy industry. Antibiotics are not used indiscriminately and the industry has a very good and well-deserved reputation. I think this very straightforward bill and this risk-management approach will hopefully enhance and strengthen that reputation. 
Gerry Eckhoff talked about how New Zealand’s reputation as a country is at stake if we do not properly manage the risks to our dairy industry etc. He is absolutely right. I think there are some concerns that the dairy industry needs to address to make sure they do not become more serious ones that could damage our reputation as Gerry Eckhoff mentioned. The first one is DDE residues being found in dairy products. We have already had examples of testing in England which found DDE residues in butter from New Zealand. I think that is a very real issue that the dairy industry needs to look at. I think the dairy industry needs to look at the whole controversy around A2 milk. I think there is a feeling that the whole issue has been seen as a threat and there has been a lot of controversy. I think we should look at it with a very open mind and do as much research as possible into claims that the various proteins in milk could affect our health. I think the industry needs to look very seriously at that. 
Although for the most part we have very good animal welfare practices in the dairy industry because our cows roam free nevertheless there are some practices that I think we need to mention. They could be the sorts of things that could raise concerns and animal welfare is becoming a concern internationally. We give cows various hormones and drugs to induce their calves to be born up to 3 months earlier simply for the convenience of them all being milked at the same time. The inducing of calves in very substantial amounts is a practice that is causing concern internationally. There are concerns around whether that is acceptable and around the treatment of male calves that cannot be used for dairying. I think the treatment of calves in general is something the Dairy Board needs to look at. Finally there is the whole issue of effluent from the industry that is contaminating our rivers streams and lakes and causing a very serious environmental issue. 
None of the issues I have raised are dealt with in this bill—at least not that I can see. That is a concern because I think the Dairy Board needs to address all of those issues if it is to retain its excellent reputation both internationally and here in New Zealand. However it seems that the major policy objective of this bill is really to facilitate the entry of our dairy products into international markets. In most areas of food safety we find that the focus is actually on our exports rather than on protecting New Zealand consumers and it would appear that this bill has the same focus. I notice that when the Minister talked about whom he had consulted most of them were in the industry. He did mention that some sort of consumer had been consulted but generally I think there is too much focus on protecting our international reputation and industry. I have no problem with that but not at the expense of protecting the New Zealand consumer. I think we see that reflected in this bill as well. 
Nevertheless like all the other parties in the House the Greens will support this bill and we are very happy to do so. It will go to the Primary Production Committee and I am sure that some of the concerns I have raised will be raised by the Green Party when it considers the bill in that committee. We will therefore be happy to join the consensus in this House in supporting this bill. 
Bill read a first time and referred to thePrimary Production Committee.