Hughes GarethGARETH HUGHES (Green): Kia ora Mr Speaker. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. Kia ora. I rise to support this legislation and acknowledge the Minister. I'd also like to echo the comments made in the House about the Hon Nathan Guy and his resignation. We haven't agreed on much but I'd like to acknowledge the contribution and the public service the member has made. In one area where we did see eye to eye and I'd really like to acknowledge it as part of his legacy is the work on banning shark finning in New Zealand. We were one of the top 15 shark catchers in the world a pretty bad practice and I'm glad that stopped under his tenure. I'd like to acknowledge his work there. Now the Green Party supports this legislation. We think it's a great step forward. The legislation fixes amends and modernises the National Animal Identification and Tracing scheme. It tightens the rules improves the use of data aligns penalties with the Biosecurity Act brings in a new offence for transporting untagged animals and changes the performance framework. I mean obviously that comes in the context of the Mycoplasma bovis absolute cost. I understand the latest figure to date is 107000 animals have been culled as a response a cost over 10 years of nearly $900 million to try and eradicate this disease. And what we saw dealing with it was that NAIT—the National Animal Identification and Tracing regime—just wasn't up to snuff. It wasn't up to scratch. I think the best thing you can say about it is thank God it wasn't foot-and-mouth we were dealing with; it was Mycoplasma bovis instead.So as the result of the Operational Solutions for Primary Industries New Zealand review which was over 2016 to 2018 you see the recommendations that have come out. The two areas I think that are going to make such a significant difference is increasing the penalties because when you look at the previous data and I think this is to July this year in the two years since M. bovis was found there's been 382 infringement notices but the existing penalties regime says it's only a $150 fine for tagging offences and a $300 fine for registration breaches. I'd point out there's been actually no prosecutions at all and I think a $150 fine is similar to being slapped on the wrist with a wet bus ticket. So it's important we're increasing those penalties important that the transport requirements are being brought in.Now I'd note that there's been a big debate around the data and this is part of how modern society's debates around data are such a key feature. One issue I would take umbrage with is Nathan Guy's comments around What if ENGOs get their hands on the data?" I think it shouldn't be an "us and them" sort of response; ENGOs have a valuable role to play. And actually it's working in partnership where we've seen farmers actually improve their sustainability initiatives. So data will be a key question that I know the Primary Production Committee will pick up. It's a key issue that we'll be paying attention to and it's a key aspect for how we improve the sustainability of our land use and our waterways—so a really important point.I guess I'd like to finish by making the point that technology will play part of the solution. I know the concerns that farmers have had. We talked about problems with the 0800 number. We've heard problems with software glitches. I know farmers quite legitimately have pointed out "If only we had better internet connectivity we could have actually filled out this information." But I'd like to champion those farmers that are embracing technology. I was reading just before an article by grazier James Reeves—who I think is in the Waikato—who was talking about how the use of hand-held scanners has improved his farm's productivity. He's using it for weighing the cattle as well and he's encouraging other farmers to use RFID chips.So technology is going to be a key role in dealing with these solutions a key role in increasing productivity and a key role to increase sustainability. That's why the Green Party is really wanting to see an uptake of technology on our farms. But we're supporting this legislation. Kia ora koutou."