Rich Katherine: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
Rich Katherine: Biosecurity Amendment Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:609;Page:7067] 
KATHERINE RICH (NZ National) 
:  
That premature closure would have been most unfortunate. It is difficult to follow such a powerful speech as the one delivered by my colleague Mr Rodney Hide from the ACT party but I have to say that as a result of that speech I am deeply concerned about aspects of this bill. I am deeply concerned about the Minister’s inability to answer what I thought were some quite basic questions about the bill. In fact in just making a general comment about the way the Minister has conducted himself through this entire debate I say he has not taken one call. 
Rodney Hide 
: He’s scared of Parekura. 
KATHERINE RICH 
: Has he been taking lessons from Parekura Horomia? That is a very good question. [ 
Interruption 
] 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Can I just say to the member at the back that when he refers to people he must use their full name not just their first name. 
KATHERINE RICH 
: Some of the questions asked by members on this side have been very reasonable. Some of the questions raised by my colleague Lindsay Tisch about a very distressed businessman from his electorate who is now worried about whether his business might go under— 
Rodney Hide 
: How do the ferrets feel? 
KATHERINE RICH 
: That is quite right. How do the ferrets feel about the Biosecurity Amendment Bill? Their entire ability to survive is being put severely at risk. 
 The Minister has not answered some very very basic questions. One was whether the redundant provisions that are repealed the amendments to the Forests Act would be replicated in the Biosecurity Amendment Bill. How can we sleep at night when worrying about the repeal of these provisions if nothing is to be put in their place? Who knows—because of the large number of incursions we have seen in just a short number of years I suspect that maybe the Minister who has been looking after this particular portfolio Marian Hobbs invited termites to come here. Basically there has been a rush at the border and a large number of incursions have occurred in a short space of time. 
Section 70 of the Forests Act provides very broad regulation-making powers for the purpose of “eradicating or preventing the spread of any disease which may affect areas trees tree seed timber forests or forest products.” I do not recall any discussion about those particular aspects earlier in the debate on the bill. How can members on this side of the Chamber be confident that these particular provisions are redundant as the bill describes them when we have heard nothing from the Minister about what provisions in this bill replace them? I can see why a number of people involved in the forest industry a billion-dollar industry in this country are concerned—and rightly so because this provision removes some security aspects from an Act that is nearly 54 years old which is nearly as old as the Minister in the chair David Cunliffe. Obviously they have not been looked at. Some real concerns have been raised yet the Minister remains silent. For a member who is getting a salary of over six figures and a Crown car plus a number of other perks the least he could do as part of his duty is to answer some very simple questions. This Part 2 is probably one of the shortest parts I have debated in this House. It is quite simple yet the Minister in the chair has been absolutely silent. 
Section 71B(2) of the Forests Act is amended by repealing a quite important paragraph. [ 
Interruption 
] I would like to ask for quiet from some of my colleagues because this is a very important part. In fact I think that Part 2 is so substantial that members on this side of the Chamber will probably take more than one call and hopefully provoke the Minister into saying something—anything. Any sort of reply or attempt to answer some pretty simple questions would be quite encouraging. 
Opposition Member 
: What about a smile? 
KATHERINE RICH 
: Even a smile would do. That Minister should put down his crossword. From here it looks as though he is doing the crossword out of the  
Woman’s Day. 
 He should stand up and answer some of these very basic questions.