8. SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki-King Country) Link to this
to the Minister for Biosecurity
Does he stand by his statement yesterday, following the release of the Auditor-General’s report on high-risk sea containers, that he “was pleased the report did not identify any critical biosecurity risk issues in the importation of sea containers.”?
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister for Biosecurity) Link to this
Yes. I am advised that none of the areas identified for improvement in the Auditor-General’s report—which the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, of course, accepts as a constructive contribution to this issue—represents a critical biosecurity risk. New Zealand is internationally recognised as having some of the toughest border controls in the world.
How does the Minister reconcile those comments with the ones he made on Morning Report today that this report presents “a bit of a wake-up call”, and “there are some issues there. We have to do better. We will struggle to meet rigorous standards.”, and that the report’s criticism of training was “fair”?
Because all those points are true, and I agree with all of them—more than I agree with the member’s statement earlier this week that biosecurity funding had gone down, when it has demonstrably gone up.
Why, despite import health standards for sea containers being a major criticism in the Auditor-General’s 2002 report and in the 2006 report tabled yesterday, are the standards still being heavily criticised?
The new system of container inspection was introduced in 2004. This came after a long period when only 25 percent of all containers coming into New Zealand were inspected at all. Most of that period was under the responsibility of the previous National Government. Biosecurity has faced an increase of 57 percent in containers during that time. The Government has lifted its baseline funding by 89 percent. Of course, biosecurity is challenging at any border in the world. Anyone who has been around the world knows that New Zealand’s biosecurity procedures are tougher than those of most countries.
Why, then, in the face of this report, has biosecurity funding—which is far from being boosted by the $32 million, as the Minister has suggested—fallen by $5.9 million in last week’s Budget; and, in the face of this report, is it the case that there is no money for the 15 critical issues that were raised in the Auditor-General’s report that was tabled in the House yesterday?
It is actually $33.1 million, and the member clearly has no understanding of the difference between one-off incursion expenditure, which is not included in Budgets, and the baseline expenditure, which goes up, over the next 4 years, by $33 million.
Hon Dr Nick SmithSomeone on the front bench who has been in a Cabinet of any description at some time in their lives should take the member aside—and should include Mr Nick Smith with him—and teach him a lesson on Government accounting.
How can the Minister expect the land-based industries to trust proposed import health standards for honey when the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry itself has not been able to fully implement the sea container health import standards after 4 years of trying?
Again, I advise some of the senior members in the National Party to take aside Mr Ardern and talk to him about biosecurity, international trade obligations, and the evidence-based system that we have to operate as the most dependent export economy in the world. When they have done that, he should come back and see me.
Madam SPEAKERThe evidence-based biosecurity system that New Zealand operates by—and every reputable country in the world aims to act by—requires scientific evidence as to whether any imported good would be a health risk to New Zealand. The scientific evidence this Government has is that heat-treated honey from Australia or the Pacific Islands will be perfectly safe. If the member wants to put his scientific evidence up against all the international experts we have consulted, I would like to see it.
Why did the Minister use the excuse on Morning Report“Up to 2004 there were no important health standards on containers”, and then repeat that in the House today and say that the Auditor-General “says that as well”, when the previous import health standards for managing biosecurity risks associated with sea containers have been in place since 1998?
In 2004 an extraordinarily high new standard of import health safety regulations were brought in by Biosecurity New Zealand. At the same time, New Zealand faced a 57 percent increase in containers, and Biosecurity New Zealand set itself the highest standards in the world to meet. The fact that it has not yet met those high standards does not mean to say this Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry are not determined to meet them. I wish that Mr Ardern, like may other people around the world, would at some time start praising New Zealand and the systems we have, rather than running them down all the time.