Turia Tariana: Biosecurity and Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Legislation Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Turia Tariana: Biosecurity and Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Legislation Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:646;Page:15198] 
Hon TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 I am inspired to speak after listening to the Minister who in fact brought the Green Party into Parliament. Now it seems he is being stung. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: I brought the Maori Party into Parliament too actually. 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: I would doubt that. The Maori Party put forward Supplementary Order Paper 188 in my name regarding the sunset clause because we are not convinced that the bill addresses the statutory gap that exists between the Biosecurity Act and the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act in approving the introduction of new organisms. The example of Australian honey is a classic example of why this Supplementary Order Paper is required. 
Members will recall that the National Bee-keepers’ Association presented the case that Australian honey needed to get clearance under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act due to the presence of a new organism  
Paenibacillus alvei 
. As history now shows us that position was supported by the Court of Appeal. However as was reported by the Primary Production Committee the Environmental Risk Management Authority is unable to carry out such an assessment on  
Paenibacillus alvei 
 
because of both the limited provisions of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act and the paucity of scientific data on the organism. Instead this bill provides that clearance for the import of Australian honey will be assessed under the less stringent Biosecurity Act. 
The Maori Party considers that the current statutory scheme is unable to address the biosecurity concerns associated with  
Paenibacillus alvei 
 and it is precisely because there is a lack of certainty around the risks associated with  
Paenibacillus alvei 
 that a rigorous assessment process needs to be undertaken. We will not compromise on standards and just accept that because the risk cannot be categorically stated it will be assumed to be OK. That is not the way to keep our bees or our country safe. We need to ensure that such important decisions are made using the very best information available about environmental risk and if that information is not available then research needs to be commissioned in order to establish the degree of risk. The Maori Party seeks to introduce a sunset clause of 18 months as a means of achieving the space and time needed to cover all the bases. We cannot afford to be complacent. We must not ignore the fact that many submitters expressed serious concerns over this issue to the Primary Production Committee. 
Given that the bill simply overturns the Court of Appeal ruling that all new organisms imported into New Zealand must have prior approval under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act regardless of whether they are imported intentionally or incidentally it will allow Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officials time for further thinking and work on a more robust process through which to assess incidentally imported new organisms including the setting of minimum standards as suggested in the submissions of virtually all New Zealand’s primary producers. Although we accept that there is an urgent need for existing import health standards to be validated and for changes to be made to ensure that import health standards currently under consideration can be progressed there is no corresponding need for urgency concerning the process by which import health standards will be considered in the long term. 
The need for an urgent amendment to solve an existing problem should not create a situation that places our environment at risk of contamination and we did urge all parties to consider and support our Supplementary Order Paper.