Grigg NicolaNICOLA GRIGG (National—Selwyn): Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to draw to the House's attention a headline in a local newspaper in mid-Canterbury talking about the harvest from hell. Mid-Canterbury arable farmers have suffered this year the harvest from hell. Yes some of it has been weather-related. It's been a cold wet summer. But I would also contend that the harvest from hell has been exacerbated by the Government from hell. The farming sector of New Zealand has spent the last two years screaming into a wind tunnel asking this Government to prick up its ears and start listening to it. For two years now New Zealand's largest export sector has been screaming out for border exemptions for critical workers like vets like contractors like shearers like viticulturists like grape pickers and like dairy support workers. Dairy New Zealand asked this Government for an exemption for 1500 essential workers to come in. What did it come up with? It allowed for 300 to come in. Tim Mackle put out a statement today and he's absolutely right he said this sort of understaffing Increases the risk of accidents and … puts animal welfare at risk." In terms of mental wellbeing it is a health and safety issue.The Government response to this sector over the last two years has been utterly pathetic. I have seen the International Organization for Standardization health and safety plans from arable farmers around Canterbury putting up full health and safety plans that would allow critical workers to safely isolate on farm. Once again absolutely nothing from the Government. It's literally tumbleweeds blowing in the wind. I have seen pleas from cropping farmers and contractors for rapid antigen tests so that they can get on with the essential job of feeding this country of bringing in this year's crop. Once again absolutely nothing. This Government is completely and utterly unprepared to listen to anyone from private enterprise and by goodness the results are telling! I have a list as long as my arm of examples from New Zealand's most arrogant and out-of-touch Government and its refusal to listen to industry and never has there been a more obvious example than the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill a piece of law that is ideologically driven devoid of any knowledge or practical implementation. But that is typical of this Government and its top-down approach rather than grassroots up.Once again I have another example we are seeing this "we know best" approach with regards to the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. Everyone will contend that the sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1 was a terrible terrible maritime disaster. But here we have an industry prepared to respond to it. It is saying to the Primary Production Committee: "Please can you legislate a gold standard for us? Please allow us to be the world's best in this export industry." But will the Government listen? No. I asked the Minister had he read the gold standard had he considered the gold standard. Answer: no.I would like actually to return from my list of ignorance from this Government to the crop. This year's harvest from hell exacerbated by the Government from hell. Eighty years ago my great grandmother Mary Grigg who was the member of Parliament for mid-Canterbury stood in this Chamber and spoke of the importance of paying farmers a fair price for wheat given that at the time they were obliged to increase production because there was a war. It is not dissimilar to this Government charging the agricultural sector with doubling its export earnings to $80 billion in 10 years all the while it's hamstringing them with regulations and restrictions that will actually force them to destock and reduce productivity. But in 1942 Mary Grigg got up and made the following very pertinent statement: "This is a matter that concerns very nearly the electorate [that] I am … proud to represent and which is so dear to me—mid-Canterbury; but it also affects the whole of New Zealand; … whereas wheat may seem [to be] purely a farmer's problem when wheat becomes bread it concerns every man woman and child in this Dominion." And here we are 80 years later not in the grips of a world war but in the grips of a global pandemic where the price of food is going through the roof the productive sector is being forced to fill this Government's coffers with its export earnings but at the same time it is not being supported by the Government to do that.I very very much look forward to the 2023 election. I cannot wait to get out on that campaign trail. I cannot wait to see Simon Bridges in the Minister of Finance's chair when we will at last start to see some disciplined spending from a Government. And I am very much looking forward to seeing Christopher Luxon as the next Prime Minister of New Zealand."