O'Connor Damien: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Connor Damien: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 26 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1992. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR (Labour—West Coast - Tasman) to the Minister for Primary Industries: Does he have confidence in his department?Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries): Yes I have confidence in my ministry. In particular I have confidence in the way it is responding to the fruit fly incursion in Auckland. It is coordinating 180 staff working hard on the ground with the support of the local community to eradicate this pest. I also have confidence in the way it is supporting those in need through drought conditions. The Ministry for Primary Industries has provided additional funding to rural support trusts and is regularly engaged with local authorities to coordinate support for farmers and growers in the affected areas.Hon Damien O’Connor: How have the 13 brown marmorated stink bugs entered New Zealand and can he assure New Zealanders that a population has not been established which would cost the country billions of dollars?Hon NATHAN GUY: No I cannot confirm that but what I can confirm is that there has been a population explosion in the US. The Ministry for Primary Industries is reviewing all the import health standards. It is looking at chemical eradication in particular for products that are coming in to the border. We are extremely aware of this pest and the ramifications it could have on the horticulture industry. That is why biosecurity will always be my No. 1 priority.Hon Damien O’Connor: What is the cost to the Ministry for Primary Industries of moving the Pasifika Festival out of the fruit fly exclusion zone?Hon NATHAN GUY: I am unaware that there is any cost. What I can say because I visited the response site yesterday is that there has been great collaboration between the Auckland Council Ministry for Primary Industries officials and also the organisers of this festival. It makes prudent sense for it to be moved to the planned location and I endorse that.Hon Damien O’Connor: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I just want to clarify and I am not trying to be smart—did the Minister say he did not know of the cost?Mr SPEAKER: It would really help—[Interruption] Order! It would help if members themselves could listen to the answer. The Minister responded that he was unaware of any cost.Hon Damien O’Connor: Does he accept ultimate responsibility for the failure of our biosecurity system and why does he not abide by his own Government policy of “three fly strikes and you’re out” and simply resign?Mr SPEAKER: The Hon Nathan Guy either of those two questions.Hon NATHAN GUY: What a ludicrous question. We cannot take anything this member says seriously. Last year when we had a fruit fly find in Whangarei this member came out and said that we should ban all imports of fruit and vegetables from Australia. Not even the industry was calling for that. Do you know what that would have meant? The price of bananas would have gone up. We could have had trade ramifications from the Australians. This member is completely out of touch.Richard Prosser: With regard to the Associate Minister’s answer to supplementary question No. 3 in response to question No. 9 in the House yesterday will the Minister explain the mechanism by which his department when triaging calls to the answerphone of the hotline which is not staffed 24/7—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is simply too much noise while this question is being asked. If the member could also just make his question far more concise. He does not need I think to refer to the answer yesterday but just start with the essence of the question. I can assist the member to get an answer.Richard Prosser: Will the Minister explain the mechanism by which his department when triaging calls to the answerphone of the hotline which is not staffed 24/7 manages to identify the origin of cellphone calls in order to give priority to calls from cellphones from the street next door to an existing fruit fly find over calls from cellphones on the West Coast of the South Island?Mr SPEAKER: To the best of the Minister’s ability the Hon Nathan Guy.Hon NATHAN GUY: The 0800 number is working extremely well. We have noticed a big increase in calls. Yes there is a process where members of the public who are calling through late at night will go across to a recording and they are treated with priority in the morning. I know that the member has a real focus on border security particularly when his pocket knife got removed from him when he was wanting to fly on a plane.Richard Prosser: Point of order—Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order and it will be heard in silence.Richard Prosser: Thank you Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table a recording of the 0800 number which shows that the caller was asked to leave a message—Mr SPEAKER: Order! If it is an 0800 number every member has the ability to dial that after question time if they wish to listen to it.Richard Prosser: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Just to clarify I am sure this recording will no longer exist.Mr SPEAKER: I am not putting the leave to table a recording of an 0800 number answer.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. This is a point of order. It will be heard in silence but before I hear it if the member is any way questioning a decision I have just made that in itself will lead to disorder.Rt Hon Winston Peters: My colleague has been pointing out that on a very critical matter to do with biosecurity a phone is not being answered when it should be. He has evidence of that and I think the country needs to know that that is the level of unimportance that the Government attaches to it. Therefore it is significant—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. He is very lucky if he remains for the last question. I have ruled that I am not prepared to put the leave. That is the end of the matter.Hon Members: Why?Mr SPEAKER: Because I have explained that to the member. Anybody can go and ring an 0800 number if they so want to. Question No. 12 Barbara Kuriger. [Interruption] Order! If I hear another interjection from that quarter I will be asking a member to leave the Chamber.