Ogilvy Bernie: Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Transitional Provisions and Controls) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee  
Ogilvy Bernie: Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Transitional Provisions and Controls) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee  
[Volume:616;Page:11765] 
BERNIE OGILVY (United Future) 
: 
 United Future believes that this legislation is needed and that it is overdue. That is why we strongly support this legislation. I shall refer to one or two of the things that have been mentioned. 
I noted that when the Education and Science Committee was asking questions of the officials a comment was made that this bill would certainly not be the last amendment to the hazardous substances and new organisms regulations. That gives me some comfort—not necessarily full comfort—in respect of the questions that have been asked around the Chamber. It tells me that as we move along there will be little wires we trip over and things that need to be tidied up. My colleagues asked for instance whether sufficient regulations were in place to cover what we now know. I am sure there are not. That is my question. I think that as one of the officials admitted there will be further amending legislation coming through to tidy up as we go along. That encourages me as I said in my earlier speech. 
I am comforted by the fact that there are in this bill in any case sufficient hand-holds to speed up the process and to ensure that the things we do know at least are done and are properly classified. The gazetting arrangements that this bill allows for certainly go in that direction—ensuring that the licences are set up and the permissions are made. At the end of the day I think all of this comes down to labelling so that everybody has clarity about a whole range of substances. Even if they have a common base chemical in them they will have one range. Fly spray as I seem to recall was one of the illustrations used. There will not be a regulation for every fly spray— 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: One has to get a licence to use it. 
BERNIE OGILVY 
: I agree; we need some directions on how to use it. There needs to be a regulation stating: “Put finger on top and squirt.” “Push here and not down here.” or something like that. 
Those labelling issues tie up to Dr Smith’s question. He raised the matter of international standards. As we all know New Zealand is part of a global village and as we go around the world we are starting to realise that there are international symbols for virtually everything from driving on roads to whatever. I want to be assured that for hazardous substances there is an international standard that we are conforming to or at least that we are setting the pattern for everybody else to follow us. Would that not be remarkable in itself? 
I take on board what this bill is trying to do. I endorse it and the sooner we get under way with all the detail the sooner I am sure the officials and others will be able to tell us how many of these numbers we will have to legislate for yet again or make amendments for to tidy up what is left over. As I said at the beginning United Future endorses this bill and would love to see it in place so that we can get the actions that are required.