Clendon David: New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeClendon David: New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 29 March 2016. Volume:712;Page:9976. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]DAVID CLENDON (Green): I thought I would just take a brief call to support in large part my colleague’s earlier speech which in my view had a strong critique and some very positive forward-looking commentary—not in the least bit grumpy I thought.This is an important bill. I think it is fair to say that the horticultural industry has often felt like a poor relation. New Zealand is a food-exporting country and it will continue to be an important part of our economy. Tourism of course is our single largest export earner now. It is quite a good plan as well to bring people here to enjoy our produce our wine and the like and get a premium that way but food exporting undoubtedly is an important part of the overall picture.Yes we have for a long time focused on the export of protein in the form of dairy red meat and so on. The red meat industry has had its problems not least of all because of I would argue a lack of coordination at the producer marketing level. Dairy of course was focused too much on selling low-value high-volume commodity rather than the high-value low-volume commodities.I think we need look no further than Zespri to see the potential for a coordinated marketing mechanism in order that New Zealand producers are not competing with one another in a race to the bottom. We want to present New Zealand produce as high-quality premium products—let people compete on price. Let them come to us with a price. We need to be setting the scene where people want our produce and are willing to pay top dollar for it because it is the very best product. I think Zespri has achieved that through having a single marketing desk coordinating the growers coordinating supply and I think that is an important part of it.I had some direct experience of this in my former life as an academic. The school of natural sciences where I taught at Unitec taught horticulture programmes including organic horticulture which certainly is the long-term future for New Zealand—to present ourselves as the organic producer for the globe essentially. It is true to say I think that the industry always struggled to be heard by Government. My colleague Eugenie Sage did make a very pertinent point that it has taken a long time to see the very necessary and positive amendments made to this legislation that this bill will effect.As I mentioned earlier I think it is important that horticultural products of all products live and die on three things: critically on quality on consistency and on security of supply. There is no point going to market if you cannot assure those three things. I think it is important to have a coordinated approach well organised at this end of the supply chain to have the producers well integrated well organised and well coordinated to present high-quality products consistently high-quality products and to assure the markets that we can hit the button when and where they need the product and when they need it and that we can fulfil our obligations and our promises.I think this bill will make some small steps in that direction and for that reason the Greens will be supporting it. I guess part of my interest is entirely selfish coming from Northland where of course horticulture is a critical part of our regional economy. There has been a lot of investment particularly in avocados in the last couple of years: new planting—Richard Prosser: They’ve got a good MP now.DAVID CLENDON: —well yes he does visit occasionally I believe—increased planting in avocados and some significant investment in pack-houses. We need to make sure that that has got the best chance of succeeding.Horticulture is an employment-rich industry. It requires lots of people. Part of the challenge too is to ensure that the seasonal labour force has something to do every month and every day of the year. That is the challenge that faces that whole industry: to find the degree of coordination within and between the industries that will ensure we can create good and consistent employment in New Zealand for people working in the horticulture industry generally.This bill is useful. It makes positive amendments. It is a little overdue but give the Government credit where it is due: it has got to the table and we are pleased to support it. Thank you.