Lorck Anna; Salesa JennyANNA LORCK (Labour—Tukituki): It gives me great pleasure to talk tonight about a particular area of the bill that I believe goes further than just being about good stuff. The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2020-21 Feasibility Expenditure and Remedial Matters) Bill shows how the Labour Government is working with farmers. As a member of both the Finance and Expenditure Committee and also a member of the Primary Production Committee to me it shows that we have a very positive working relationship and building on those excellent relationships with farmers by engaging at a level with Federated Farmers in a way that I think shows the character of this Government and how we're working with the primary sector. It is important to demonstrate that we are working at a level of listening in both rising to the challenges and responding when it's needed.Now this bill came out before I joined Government and so I had to go and have a look at some of the submissions that were made. And I'm pleased to read the submission on the tax bill from Federated Farmers who talked in words like this: this proposal is one that we agree with. Income equalisation will adequately address any extra income caused by the cull of livestock that are held for much shorter periods of time." "The six-year period is appropriate … over the period of the higher purchase price". It's these types of things that are coming through from Federated Farmers talking about a bill that Labour is putting forward.Now during the time when farmers were facing the M. bovis crisis they asked for urgent relief. As the Minister of Revenue at the time Stuart Nash said "The Government is offering tax relief to farmers affected by Mycoplasma bovis in light of the extra burden created by coronavirus. Farmers whose herds were culled will be eligible to spread their incomes over several years". The Cabinet in this urgent time have agreed to the law change but it had to go through Parliament and this is what we are doing today.In response to that Federated Farmers' national vice-president Andrew Hoggard said that he was grateful that the decision had been made quickly and in the nick of time for the end of the financial year. "Nash and agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor and their officials deserve a great deal of credit for acting in a timely manner" Mr Hoggard said. "We thank them sincerely on behalf of some very worried farmers." Federated Farmers general manager of policy and advocacy Gavin Forrest said the tax relief applied to farmers was a very good thing and "Anybody that ended up with a tax bill for the increase in the value of their cows on the books book income that was not associated with the cash income anybody in those circumstances should get relief from this". He also said that this was a certainty of relief. These words coming from Federated Farmers to Labour showed and I reiterate a working relationship with the farming community that is going from strength to strength.I would also like to refer to another part of the Federated Farmers submission where they called on a bit of a suggestion. They asked for the Mycoplasma bovis tax issue that the proposal should be generic and in considering this I'm pleased to report to the House that that submission—that there was strong support for that spread of income as suggested for a more generic provision to cover future biosecurity events. Officials have added that suggestion to the tax policy work programme. It's evidence like this that shows that we are listening and working with those people that need us at the time when they are facing uncertainty and enormous pressure. I'm proud of the relationship that Labour is building with the primary sector. I'm proud that we are actually working on something that is delivering—and I thought it was great that Mr Bayly called it good stuff like this in the tax bill that's building on the integrity of what it means to be fair and equal in the tax system. Thank you Madam Speaker.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): This debate is interrupted and is set down for resumption next sitting day. The House stands adjourned until 2 p.m. tomorrow.The House adjourned at 9.59 p.m."