Shirley Ken: New Organisms and Other Matters Bill — In Committee 
Shirley Ken: New Organisms and Other Matters Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:612;Page:9074] 
Hon KEN SHIRLEY (Deputy Leader—ACT NZ) 
: 
 Thank you Madam Chair. I have been looking at the schedule as listed and my question to the Minister in the chair is why schedule 2 of the Act lists only macrofauna. It seems that microfauna are not listed. I am thinking particularly of the Asian gypsy moth the painted apple moth or the tussock moth—the organisms we are spending vast sums of money on trying to eliminate in the Auckland and Hamilton regions at this time. There is a wide range of other micro-organisms. Perhaps an explanation of that is provided elsewhere but one issue that immediately leaps out at me is that the organisms listed are just the macrofauna—things like the pocket gophers beavers foxes mustelids mongooses and all the ones Mr Power read out for us. That is one question I would like the Minister to respond to. 
The other one that leaps out is item 20 in schedule 2 of the Act which is “Any predatory snail”. The list includes “Any giant African snail” which is very specific and then “Any predatory snail”. A lot of New Zealanders perhaps do not realise that we have native predatory snails. They are carnivores and they are big characters. The  
Powelliphanta 
 snail and the  
Paryphanta 
 snail are very prolific in the north-west Nelson region. One can go out at night and the bush tracks are just carpeted with those great big snails as big as one’s fist and they are carnivores—they are predators. I would like to know how they fit into the schedule. I would hate to think that we are banning our own predatory snail that is already here. Perhaps the Minister could explain that one to me. 
Another one is No. 29 on the list—and Mr Power drew attention to it—which is the Star of Bethlehem. I take it the following name Pua-hoku is Maori. Perhaps the name is not Maori. However if that plant does not belong here why does it have a Maori name? That is a fair question is it not? How has it got a name in the indigenous language if it is not an indigenous species? We know that Maori made up a name for orange roughy when it was discovered in the 1980s and perhaps there is a similar explanation in this case. Perhaps the Minister could tell the Committee whether the name comes from elsewhere in Polynesia because I am not sure whether Pua-hoku is a Maori name or is from another Polynesian language. It is an interesting question. If the star of Bethlehem is not a native plant how come it is listed with a Maori name? We also have the Latin name  
Hippobroma longiflora 
 so that is an interesting one. 
The Minister also said she thought we should be able to have skeleton weed. Perhaps the Minister could tell members why she made that comment. She said it is more is the pity it is prohibited and that she would like to have some skeleton weed. That is a very interesting statement coming from the Minister for the Environment as the Minister in the chair. Why would she like to see skeleton weed in this country? Perhaps there is a reason for that. I cannot think of one but I would like to hear from her what that reason may be. 
Those are just a few questions and I would certainly like the Minister to answer them prior to the close of this debate.