Wilkinson Kate: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWilkinson Kate: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 22 August 2007. Volume:641;Page:11354. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.KATE WILKINSON (National) to theMinister of Consumer Affairs: Does she have confidence in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs; if so why?Hon JUDITH TIZARD (Minister of Consumer Affairs): Yes; because it is a small but hard-working ministry. But I am sure there is always room for improvement.Kate Wilkinson: Why should we believe that the Minister is concerned about consumer safety when she has not recommended a single product safety standard for 2years when only six have been recommended in the last 6 years and when the formaldehyde content in textiles was raised as a concern in the Australian media 3 months ago yet nothing has been done about it until this week?Hon JUDITH TIZARD: Because the legislation under which our consumer law operates—which was described by David Russell the former chief executive officer of the Consumers Institute as a fine elegant standard which is much admired internationally—has absolute standards. Every good must be safe and fit for the purpose for which it is intended. We have good standards and those standards are very well managed. However what we cannot do is stand by every consumer and tell them what to buy and what not to buy. We have to be active intelligent well-informed consumers. We have done a great deal. We have had mandatory recalls for hot-water bottles. We have had mandatory recalls for tongue studs. We have had many voluntary recalls including I have to say in the last 2 hours a voluntary recall of blankets by Spotlight Stores (NZ) Ltd when high levels of formaldehyde were found after voluntary testing undertaken in Australia. That affects 850 blankets. The system is working.Kate Wilkinson: Why should we believe that she is concerned about consumer safety when she has not recalled a single product in the last 12 months or that voluntary recalling of products is working well when in the last 12 months only 17 product recalls have been made compared with over 200 for the same period in Australia?Hon JUDITH TIZARD: Wherever goods are found to be unsafe they are subject either to a voluntary recall or to a mandatory recall. The system is working very well in New Zealand and this Government has properly funded the Commerce Commission to investigate the Fair Trading Act. We have increased the number of staff in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. We are working closely with other ministries and other countries and the absolutely independent former chief executive officer of the Consumers Institute say that our system is both efficient and widely admired.Dianne Yates: Could the Minister remind the House when and why the Ministry of Consumer Affairs was established and what its role is?Madam SPEAKER: I hope the question is answered in a succinct manner.Hon JUDITH TIZARD: Certainly Madam Speaker. Since it was established by the fourth Labour Government the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has effectively maintained safety standards. For example its work covers the development of consumer policy consumer protection product safety and weights and measures. It provides appropriate accurate and accessible information education and advice to consumers and to businesses on consumer laws and issues. What is more the New Zealand market overwhelmingly works.Kate Wilkinson: Why is it that we have a product safety standard for toys relating to small parts yet we have nothing from the Minister on the hazardous chemical residues on children’s clothing and nothing on the lead content of paint used to paint those toys?Hon JUDITH TIZARD: All goods sold in New Zealand must be safe and fit for the purpose for which they are intended. We have very good standards and we see them enforced. The recalls are an example of the system working. I am astonished that the Opposition which despises all consumer support is trying to attack us and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs for an excellent system that works.