Foss Craig: Food Bill — First Reading 
Foss Craig: Food Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:665;Page:12630] 
CRAIG FOSS (National—Tukituki) 
: 
 In speaking on the first reading of this 340-odd-page Food Bill I congratulate the Minister for Food Safety the Hon Kate Wilkinson on bringing this bill to the House and for the work clarity and productivity gains she is setting in place for New Zealand and for our families to enable further job growth in many of our lower-paid and lower-skilled industries. I genuinely congratulate her for some of the other work she is doing at the moment and on the way she is managing to steer New Zealand in the right direction. I also congratulate the new Opposition spokesperson on agriculture Damien O’Connor. It is an interesting admission of failure on the part of the Opposition. The previous spokesperson failed to land a blow on the Hon David Carter and with previous history I think Mr O’Connor will also struggle. I recall that a few years ago he—I think it was him—struggled through his ministerial role. 
Today is Thursday and a previous speaker mentioned the naked pie man in Palmerston North. Well that is very interesting and for the sake of  
Hansard 
 I had better not go there but it did bring up all interesting sorts of play on words and things. I note that Hawke’s Bay produces the best pies in New Zealand year after year. It is very interesting because after this bill the New Zealand Productivity Commission Bill will come up for debate. In fact this bill fits in very nicely with productivity gains for New Zealand. It simply provides clarity and certainty to those in this sector. As we all know as other speakers have acknowledged and as I acknowledge the bill originated under the previous Labour Government. The potential growth and New Zealand’s upside from anything related to food is very very large indeed—particularly from my region of Hawke’s Bay wine country—especially in emerging Asian markets. 
I note very quickly a couple of points. The Food Bill will go to the Primary Production Committee which I am on. The schedules in the back of the bill particularly schedule 3 on page 299 which is about horticultural producers who do direct sales of their own produce to consumers define that sector of direct sales. There has been a bit of mischief around that sector over time but it is a tradition in places like Hawke’s Bay Wairarapa and down south Nelson way to have honesty boxes out the front of orchards and places. The bill puts some perimeters around it that are not too stringent. 
I congratulate the Minister and her officials for the way they have managed to pull this together. I am sure the select committee will find some amendments it may want to put in the bill on its way through that process. A point of interest particularly to me is in schedule 7 on page 328 where there are various changes to other Acts particularly the Geographical Indication (Wines and Spirits) Registration Act. Being from the Hawke’s Bay we have a very large interest in all things wine and food as we are the food basket of New Zealand. I look forward to this bill passing through the House and contributing to it as it goes through the Primary Production Committee and I look forward to it coming back before the House. Thank you. 
Bill read a first time.  
Bill referred to the Primary Production Committee.