5. SUE KEDGLEY (Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Consumer Affairs
Will the Government issue legally binding standards on formaldehyde in textiles and conduct an extensive investigation into the safety of clothing sold in New Zealand, in the wake of TV3’s Target programme last night?
Hon JUDITH TIZARD (Minister of Consumer Affairs) Link to this
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has opened an urgent investigation into formaldehyde levels in imported clothing, and a swift, comprehensive, and appropriate response will be made once the results of the investigation are received.
How wideranging will the investigation be, how many clothes will be tested, and will she use her powers to recall any clothes and textiles that exceed the World Health Organization safety limit—and are therefore unsafe—and initiate the random testing of imported textiles and clothing?
Hon JUDITH TIZARD Link to this
I understand from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs that it is looking at making a reasonably wide range of clothing available for testing. It has been talking with the Ministry of Health and the Environmental Risk Management Authority. It is also in contact with our Australian counterparts. I would like to point out that neither New Zealand nor Australia has a standard for formaldehyde levels in textiles, and that the international levels vary wildly from those of Japan, which has a level of about 30 parts per million, through to those of some European countries, which allow up to 10,000 parts per million. So what we are also doing is looking for appropriate levels and appropriate testing procedures, but we will do that as quickly as possible.
Kate WilkinsonWhy is it that the European Union has had standards on formaldehyde in children’s clothing since 1999, the US has standards on formaldehyde in clothing, and clearly the issue was raised in Australia in the middle of the year, yet the ministry that she has been in charge of for 5 years has done nothing about this issue until this week, when the TV cameras turned up?
Hon JUDITH TIZARD Link to this
New Zealand has overarching requirements in the Consumer Guarantees Act, which requires all goods to be safe and fit for the purpose for which they are sold. If any consumers have any concerns, then they should complain first to the retailer and refer the complaint to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, or go to their general practitioner. We also recognise that formaldehyde is quite a common chemical. It is used in textiles to fix dyes and for the permanent pressing process. It is also used as a biocide and an anti-mildew process for goods that come here by sea. This is not a new issue, and it is constantly reviewed. I believe that all New Zealanders should be assured that the Government does have very good processes, but they also need to read labels and follow them.
How can New Zealanders have any confidence that the pyjamas and T-shirts their children are wearing are safe, when on the one hand this Government encourages a flood of cheap imports into New Zealand from countries with poor consumer protection and safety regulations, and on the other hand it fails to set standards, conduct random tests, and issue recalls of unsafe products, leading to New Zealanders being exposed to toys with lead paint in them, to toothpaste with industrial chemicals in it, and to clothing and now blankets today that are contaminated with alarmingly high levels of formaldehyde, which, despite what the Minister has said, is a known human carcinogen?
Hon JUDITH TIZARD Link to this
New Zealand is a relatively small market, so it is very difficult for us to dictate to the whole world how its manufacturers should work and what the standards should be. Indeed, there are conflicting, or different, standards in different areas. What I can say is that New Zealand does have standards. The standard is absolute: every good must be safe, every good must be properly labelled, and every good must be suitable for the purpose for which it is intended. Every consumer has that assurance, and anyone who is concerned about any good should go back to the retailer. There is a chain of responsibility from the manufacturer to the importer, to the retailer, and to the consumer. The Government has very good laws and very good standards, which should be good protection for everyone.
Shane JonesHon JUDITH TIZARD Link to this
We have absolute standards. Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, all goods must be safe and fit for their purpose. That Act is, in the first instance, self-enforcing, and the test is reasonableness. Under the Fair Trading Act, goods must be adequately labelled as to fibre content, care instructions, and, for clothing, the country of origin—
Hon Tau HenareI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. How is it that a member can ask a question from a sheet, give that same sheet to the Minister with the answer on it, and then the Minister gives the answer? For goodness’ sake!
Madam SPEAKERWould the member please be seated. That is not a point of order. We will hear the answer in silence, but the answer will be succinct.
Hon JUDITH TIZARD Link to this
Under the Consumer Guarantees Act and under the Fair Trading Act a number of standards are set out, but they are overarching standards and specifics where we know that products have been unsafe. We are concerned about goods from all countries, but what we cannot do, and what I do not want to do, is to add massive costs to New Zealand consumers by assuming that all imported goods are unsafe. The vast majority of them are perfectly safe.
Rodney HideI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. It would help the House enormously in its judgment on that answer if Mr Jones could explain whether he wrote the answer or the Minister wrote the question on the piece of paper.
I seek leave to table the Ministry of Consumer Affairs’ roles, which show the Minister can make mandatory standards, ban unsafe products, and recall—
Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. Does the member have several documents?
Just a couple; that is all. I seek leave to table a release today showing that Superlux blankets are now being recalled after tests that—
I seek leave to table a document outlining the string of consumer complaints, from Wednesday, 22 August this year.
Hon JUDITH TIZARD Link to this
I seek leave to table the release from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs labelled “Investigation into Formaldehyde in Clothing”.