McKelvie Ian: Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
McKelvie Ian: Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 24 July 2012. Volume:682;Page:3830. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
IAN McKELVIE (National—Rangitikei) 
: 
Tena koe Mr Speaker. Kia kaha. This bill the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill ensures we continue to have the most efficient and effective dairy industry in the world. It will ensure our dairy industry is able to meet the significant challenges ahead both at home and abroad. Frankly having listened to the last half-hour in this House I could spend the next 20 minutes challenging almost everything that has been said but I will not. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Oh go on! Just have a go at it. 
IAN McKELVIE 
: No I would not do that to you Mr Goff. I will not waste time. I have got a very short time here. This industry— 
Hon Phil Goff 
: That’s true. 
IAN McKELVIE 
: On account of my age. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: It’s about another 2½ years I’d say. 
IAN McKELVIE 
: Well I am older. This industry has as a result of this legislation the confidence and ability to significantly assist the creation of new jobs for New Zealanders and to assist in the development—and not only the development but the creation—of a new way in relation to our environment and farming in New Zealand. It needs to have the strength and the confidence that this structure will give it to achieve that. 
Many dairy farmers were uneasy about the ability of this Parliament to interfere in their business. They were a little nervous about what Parliament might do to their industry. I am pleased to say that we have not damaged their industry but strengthened it by the actions of this House. In the Trading Among Farmers scheme its market price in my view will be set by the response to the market. It will eventually manage the milk prices well. What I mean by that is that as this system eases into place the share price will eventually measure and monitor or set effectively the milk price. So I think this scheme Trading Among Farmers is an extremely good scheme for the future of the dairy industry and I think it will give some resilience to Fonterra and some resilience to this industry that it much needs. 
There has been a lot of talk about the fact that Trading Among Farmers sells the New Zealand industry to overseas interests or to other people. I can assure members of the Opposition that the only people who will sell this industry are the New Zealand farmers; no one else has the ability to sell it. So if it is ever sold it will be the New Zealand farmers who will do that. 
Mr Browning a member for who knows where accuses us of selling out the industry as I said. I think he has also made a lot of statements during the course of this bill about the environmental matters created by the dairy industry. As I said earlier this bill will give this industry the confidence and the income to significantly change the way that it works. The ball is now clearly in the dairy farmers’ hands and I am convinced they will pick up the ball and run with it hard for the benefit of us all. 
I just very briefly want to acknowledge the great effort put into the development of this legislative process by so many passionate and enthusiastic dairy industry people. There were a large number of diverse opinions expressed during the course of this bill’s passage through the House and indeed it was a mission for us on the Primary Production Committee to get our heads around some of the early parts of this bill. There have been a number of statements made about the time that the select committee had this bill for. Frankly I got my head around it and I think everyone had plenty of time to get their heads around the matters that were raised both by the submitters and by other members who presented to that select committee so I think the process was a good one. 
I am confident this bill has the best interests of New Zealand and its dairy farmers at its crux. I guess I am a little perplexed as I said that the entire House did not get their heads around how this would be moved forward. However I am confident that we have made the very best decision for both New Zealand and the dairy industry and I am pleased to recommend that this bill progress through the House. Thank you.