Gallagher Martin: Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Gallagher Martin: Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:642;Page:11844] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 Mr Deputy Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
] Is it not distressing Mr Deputy Speaker that members opposite would denigrate the importance of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill by indulging in cheap shots across this House? 
Previous speakers have praised the chair of the Primary Production Committee for his role and the Minister has praised all members of the committee for their contribution to this bill. I have to say that I was disappointed that the Hon David Carter who is actually a very fine person rose not as the chair of a select committee of the Parliament of New Zealand selected and elected by this House but as a partisan speaker from Canterbury. I think that is a big shame because David Carter is a fine person. I personally think he seems to have been a good chair of the Primary Production Committee. This House under MMP now has select committee chairs from a range of parties and they are servants of the select committees. When they report back to the House a major component of their speech in my view should focus on representing the cross-section of the views of their select committee. I think it is quite sad that one or two chairs of select committees have not adapted to that role. 
Having said that I will be gracious—I will show the graciousness that perhaps was not evident in David Carter’s presentation—and compliment all members of the select committee on the excellent work they did. I also think it is appropriate that we acknowledge the excellent contribution of the advisers and the officials and their work in helping the Minister and members of the select committee. 
I represent one of the major agricultural regions of New Zealand—the Waikato obviously. It is a privilege to have in my city AgResearch a major institution. We can boast that anything up to 25 percent of the nation’s scientists are in Hamilton. People who are involved in animal production and pasture management obviously have a key interest in and have made a key contribution to this very important legislation. I thought that this bill was non-partisan legislation and I thought members of this House could rise above the notion of partisan point-scoring. I would say to members opposite that they do themselves no credit—not all of them; just one or two—by trying to turn this bill into some sort of means of partisan point-scoring. Frankly rather than indulging in partisan point-scoring let us focus on the intent of this bill. Indeed this bill is a very important bill. 
I compliment Sue Kedgley on some of the important points she made and I compliment Dr Pita Sharples as well. I think this has been a very constructive assessment and debate with the exception—sadly in my view—of one or two comments made by the chair of the select committee. I notice of course the Minister’s key points. She said that although access to and use of agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines is extremely vital to New Zealand’s pastoral horticultural and forestry sectors there are risks if they are used inappropriately or unwisely. If they are used inappropriately—and I know that the member for Hamilton East is listening to this—or unwisely they then pose huge risks to human and animal health to our biosecurity and to our agricultural exports. This bill is indeed a key part of New Zealand’s regulatory framework for managing those risks. I know that the member for Hamilton East joins me in acknowledging the huge importance of this bill. I know that member joins with me in praising the Minister for her contribution and I know that member who represents the city of Hamilton also praises the select committee for what I think is excellent work. 
I will finish my brief contribution tonight. I praise the chair of the select committee and praise the select committee for its good work but I would particularly praise the very excellent hard-working Minister who continues to make a wonderful contribution to the Government to the country and to this Parliament. Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker.