Ardern Shane: New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second Reading Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Third Reading 
Ardern Shane: New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second Reading Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:612;Page:9609] 
SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country) 
: 
 It is great to follow so many good speakers from the Primary Production Committee. When I was a member of that committee I used to say it was the best select committee in Parliament and now that I am not a member of that select committee I still say it is the best select committee in Parliament. I would love to be back as part of the Primary Production Committee. 
The select committee heard 352 submissions with most of them in favour so I have been led to believe. We are talking about a $1 billion export industry from New Zealand exporting what used to be called when I was a child going to school Chinese gooseberries. I do not think many people understand that—$1 billion worth of Chinese gooseberries are exported by the Zespri Group from Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty and across New Zealand. Those growers came to the select committee—a very good select committee it is—and suggested that they had one or two problems with people in Australia exporting second-grade fruit under their brand. They have some problems with that. I think they said they were a bit anxious about some of this back-door exporting. 
Recently I was contacted by a person from the BBC who wanted to talk to me about the back-door tax from down under. I am not sure whether he was referring to back-door exporting or another issue that has nothing to do with this bill so I had better come back to the— 
Hon David Carter 
: “Back-up Pete”. 
SHANE ARDERN 
: He might have been talking about “Back-up Pete”. He was talking about something from the back door. I think he said the back-door tax from down under which I thought was a very catchy line that the BBC ran. 
This bill is about people who are taking an inferior product putting it under a brand that has cost a New Zealand industry a lot of money and effort to build up and damaging that brand. We cannot allow that to happen. The Horticulture Export Authority has come up with a plan which is outlined in this bill. It says that all products must meet the standards set down under the terms and regulations laid out in this legislation. The National Party supports that concept. The kiwifruit industry considers that exporting kiwifruit to Australia with the Horticulture Export Authority framework will allow marketing to be coordinated and quality standards to be applied which will stop all that sort of activity from going on. 
I know there are some people who have concerns about the whole idea of any regulation at all of exports and I know there are some who have submitted that they will be restrained or their exports will be curtailed or otherwise restricted by this bill. I do not think that is so. I think if they applied to the Horticulture Export Authority and Zespri and worked through this issue with that group of people who appear to me at least to be interested in the best interests of this industry and of the whole of New Zealand they would find a way through. I understand that they have concerns and I note that but I think that if they work through the channels that have been outlined here they will find a solution to their problems. 
There are a number of other issues that are touched on such as market development. Section 26(1) of the Act refers to the recognised product group for the product specified under the Order in Council. Clearly that is a key point with regard to this legislation because if what is being exported cannot be specified in terms of size colour breed or other type of measurement then it is very difficult to tell what it is that those who are complaining are complaining about. We know that through the very solid science and work that are going on. Zespri Gold which is a relatively new development is starting to develop new markets that did not exist prior to the whole formation of the kiwifruit marketing structure. It is showing huge promise in countries like Japan and in other areas of the world to which we would not traditionally be able to export this product. We should support whatever it takes whatever regulation is required to protect enhance and help that. 
I think the select committee has gone through that thoroughly. I know that the chair of the select committee my very good colleague the agriculture spokesperson for the National Party assures me that the whole process was taken very seriously. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: Who’s that? 
SHANE ARDERN 
: I know that the member interjecting over there will have paid close attention to it being a huge customer of Zespri’s in terms of consumption of kiwifruit—if not the fruit itself certainly the products made from it particularly if they have some kind of alcohol content. I know that those things would have been thoroughly investigated by this committee so we can only assume that most of the problems that were raised have been addressed. 
I notice in the list of things that the bill also addresses mention of an appeal authority or a hearings authority or a structure whereby people can come put their case and have it heard fairly by people who have no axe to grind as it were or any particular political bent line or reason to want to persecute one group or another. That is an excellent structure as well because clearly for whatever reason there will be some detail with regard to exporting somewhere that the committee has not thought of. If the export authority can address those issues under its licensing structure then clearly we will have fewer problems with it. If it were too constrained people would constantly feel aggrieved and want further appeals for change and that would obviously be a costly process and a waste of time. I am pleased to see that that part has been addressed. The bill provides for hearings to take place to consider a refusal of a grant or a refusal to revoke an exemption or to impose or vary any conditions in relation to the exemption under section 40 of the principal Act. That sounds like a very sensible way forward. 
Hon David Carter 
: You can rely on us. 
SHANE ARDERN 
: The member says we can rely on the committee. I am sure that is absolutely so. I know that that issue was raised under the former chairman a couple of times. He was working on it. It took a change of Parliament and a new chair and we are here today debating it. I see that members opposite are pleased with that. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: Sit down Shane. You’ve been going half an hour. 
SHANE ARDERN 
: It is good to see that Government members over there are still awake and are pleased with that—although it is hard to tell. However they have suddenly risen to the occasion and I am sure that at least half a dozen excellent speeches from them will follow to talk about this issue. 
The select committee also considered that section 26(2)(a) of the principal Act should not be replaced. Obviously that would have taken a fair bit of time and a lot of consideration. Clearly the select committee has looked at all the reasons why that would be so. I am pleased that it has been left there and I look forward to one of the Government members taking a call to tell us why it was not replaced or repealed. I look forward to the contribution from those members opposite on that. 
I also note that clause 5 has been altered to state clearly that there should be no quantitative restrictions on exports. That is a very good idea. Of course we would not want to restrict the tonnage that we can export. If we can export thousands of tonnes of kiwifruit whether they be Zespri Gold or just ordinary Zespri we would not want to— 
Hon David Carter 
: Chinese gooseberries. 
SHANE ARDERN 
: And Chinese gooseberries if a market could be found for them still. We would not want to restrict that either. This is excellent work from the best select committee in Parliament. The bill is very good and I look forward to its passage through Parliament. 
Bill read a second time.