Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:648;Page:17529] 
1. SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister for the Environment 
: Will he act to ban the toxic insecticide endosulfan which has been prohibited in the European Union but which is still sprayed on tomatoes and other food crops as well as parks and playing fields in New Zealand; if not why not? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 In order to ban it I would need to call the application in. The application does not meet the test highlighted in Justice Potter’s 2003 decision in the Mothers Against Genetic Engineering case. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Can the Minister confirm that for the second time in 3 years New Zealand’s meat exports to South Korea have been rejected because of contamination with endosulfan residues; and even if his Government is not worried about our children playing in contaminated playing fields and sports fields or eating contaminated food will he not at least use his powers under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act and act to protect our meat export trade and our clean green image? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I can confirm that a shipment has been rejected by Korea and that that is an issue. The question is how we deal with the longer-term issue around the use of endosulfan. It is my opinion that the Environmental Risk Management Authority supplemented with expert scientific advice is the appropriate body to make that decision. I think transferring the decision making to a politician risks there being a lack of expert knowledge which was highlighted by the member herself when she called for a ban on water in 2001. 
Hon Marian Hobbs 
: What extra resource has been applied to assist the management of chemical contamination? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The Government has appropriated $1.158 million extra in this year’s Budget for the Environmental Risk Management Authority of which almost half is to double the number of reassessments per year of chemicals of concern to the public of New Zealand. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Has the Minister seen reports that endosulfan has been linked to congenital physical disorders and mental retardation in and deaths of farm workers and villagers in developing countries in Africa southern Asia and Latin America; if so why on earth would his Government allow an insecticide that has been banned or heavily restricted in more than 50 countries around the world to be used on our sports fields on our playing fields on our golf courses on our bowling greens and of course on our food? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think the member is aware there is a process going on within the Environmental Risk Management Authority to make a decision as to whether this chemical should be more heavily restricted or banned. I am prepared to let the experts take it through that process. As the member is aware she can make a submission on the chemical as can every other New Zealander who wishes to. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Can he confirm that despite the Environmental Risk Management Authority process he actually has powers under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act to override the Environmental Risk Management Authority decision and to intervene as he pointed out himself recently if there is a risk that the big picture as it affects New Zealand at a national and an international level may be insufficiently taken into account; and surely he would agree that the risk that endosulfan poses to our meat trade is sufficiently big picture even if the health of New Zealand is not that he should use his powers to override or call in the Environmental Risk Management Authority decision? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: In order to call in the Environmental Risk Management Authority decision I have to indicate that I do not have confidence in that organisation to make that decision properly. I do have confidence in it.