Robertson Grant: National Animal Identification and Tracing Bill — Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Robertson Grant: National Animal Identification and Tracing Bill — Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 14 February 2012. Volume:677;Page:378. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
: 
 Can I just start my speech by acknowledging the role of the Minister for Primary Industries in shepherding this legislation through. It is true to— 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: “Shepherding”! 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: You liked that Mr Cosgrove? Yes shepherding. I will come back to sheep in a minute actually as Mr Cosgrove often encourages me to do. But I do want to acknowledge the Minister for his leadership on this issue. As he noted in his speech this was something that began under the previous Labour Government. In particular on the day that the member for Wigram Megan Woods gave her maiden speech it is worth noting that Jim Anderton had a significant role in the development of the National Animal Identification and Tracing system. Mr Anderton saw as others involved in the agricultural sector did that a system of national identification and tracing that was consistent and was not the piecemeal system that we had would allow New Zealand to both avoid significant problems and costs and also embrace opportunities. Those significant costs have been noted throughout this debate. The fact that a major foot-and-mouth outbreak in New Zealand could cost this country in the region of $10 billion makes the cost of actually implementing a system like this pale in comparison and it is quite clear from the various times in New Zealand that we have had foot-and-mouth scares just what impact that would have on our exports. So the idea of an identification and tracing system stopping that or at least significantly limiting the impact of that is something that all New Zealanders and the agricultural sector should be pleased about.  
But also it is the opportunity that this provides that I think is one of the things that causes me to be really pleased to be supporting this National Animal Identification and Tracing Bill tonight in the House and that is the opportunity to be able to sell into markets across the world that are demanding more and more that they understand the origins of the produce that is being purchased. What this system allows us to do—to be able to trace as the Minister has just said to the individual animal; in this case cattle and deer—actually allows people to have confidence about the sustainability of the New Zealand farming system. People can understand exactly where produce comes from.  
Members will be familiar with the Icebreaker brand. This is something that Icebreaker has done magnificently well. Being able to provide Baacodes that people can scan that can link back to exactly where the wool for an Icebreaker product has come from is hugely significant selling into markets that are worried about sustainability concerns and that want to know that the product that they are buying comes from an ethical farm comes from a sustainable farm. This applies to produce as well. In the Committee stage of the debate I mentioned a project I have had a little bit to do with called Paddock to Plate—and Paddock to Plate— 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Horrible name. 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: I still quite like it. 
Colin King 
: Pasture to plate. 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: —but Paddock to Plate was a project that was about ensuring that the people who were really significant to the New Zealand economy—the supermarket buyers in the UK—would be able to say with certainty: “This is where this produce has come from. This is what we know about it.” I actually think you could take that further than just being able to identify and trace the cattle. What about knowing more about the land the pasture—for Mr King’s benefit—that was involved in the production of these goods. There is technology available now that can tell us about the soil content that can tell us about the way that grass is grown. Let us actually provide to consumers internationally the full picture of how New Zealand is creating a more sustainable farming process. 
Jonathan Young 
: The soil. 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: The soil—indeed absolutely. This is exactly the kind of thing that consumers internationally are looking for. So that is why I regard this bill as a very good bill because what it does is provide opportunity for New Zealand to be able to take advantage of those markets where people are interested in ensuring that they are purchasing sustainable products. 
 There is some concern on this side of the House around the question of who is developing this technology. There is huge opportunity in this traceability technology and Sirtrack which was one of the organisations that was helping to develop this came out of Landcare Research and has been sold off. Now that is in some ways a good thing for the people who developed the technology but really we do have to ensure that we keep companies like that going inside New Zealand and to make sure that those companies that are developing that technology are supported and understood.  
It is true to say that this bill has had widespread support across the House as the Minister noted. I understand that in the earlier readings the only party to vote against it was the ACT Party. It was the only party. I have no idea why—[ 
Interruption 
] It is lack of freedom for livestock Mr Cosgrove that is the issue here—one law for all. It was discussed earlier in the Committee stage whether or not this would move beyond cattle and deer to sheep. That is the obvious next step and I know that the Minister has discussed that and said that it is a possibility. But it is true to say that there was reluctance from some in the farming sector to adopt this. It is unusual for the Minister in charge of this bill to be one to be pushing compulsion so hard. He is not a man who usually likes to support the idea of compulsion but in this case the Minister has seen the wisdom of the fact that we need a comprehensive system. If there is not a comprehensive system then we undermine the opportunities that I mentioned before and we undermine our ability to fend off accusations if there is something like a foot-and-mouth outbreak. As the Minister said the farming community the Federated Farmers did eventually come on board with this. I am sure Mr Anderton worked very hard on that in the initial stages and it was obviously carried on by the current Minister as well.  
The fact that we have these systems in place now in New Zealand also brings us into line with a number of our other key trading partners. We look at Australia where cattle are already using eartags from a traceability system. They are also looking in Australia at the lifetime tracing of sheep. So clearly New Zealand needs to continue to advance into that market— 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: Careful! 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: Mr Cosgrove is an expert on the lifetime tracing of sheep so he too will be able to contribute to the wisdom of following Australia in that particular area. I do think that it is important. This is about market advantage as much as anything for New Zealand and if other countries such as Australia are going into this area then we too need to do that when it comes to sheep.  
So it is with great pleasure that I support this bill. I do not think that it would be—[ 
Interruption 
] Perhaps some people would see it Mr Cunliffe as being unusual that the member for Wellington Central is taking such an interest in this rural issue. But the fact is this is about the New Zealand economy. This is about the strength of the New Zealand economy. It is about applying technological solutions that are developed in New Zealand to be able to establish our sustainability overseas.  
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Clean green clever! 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: It is about a clean green and clever New Zealand—that is right Mr Cunliffe—and that is why I am very pleased to be able to support it. I look forward to the Government extending the process out further beyond dairy and cattle to sheep to create a fully comprehensive system of traceability from the paddock to the plate and to make sure that New Zealand actually can sell into those overseas markets and to be able to say proudly that we are a fully sustainable country and being able to prove that.