Organic Products and Production Bill
Members, we come now to Part 5, which is the debate on clauses 60 to 104—
Point of order. I seek leave for all provisions to be taken as one question.
Is there any objection to that? There are no objections. The question is that Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, and Schedule 1, Schedule 2, and clauses 1 and 2 stand part.
I have great sympathy for the people in the gallery who must be wondering what a boring place this is. So I thought I would take a very brief call to explain what we’re doing. We have an organics industry in New Zealand which is expanding and has trouble selling products overseas and to some jurisdictions because they don’t recognise organic standards, so we’re introducing a regime that enables our exporters as well as New Zealand consumers to be able to rely upon claims to organics. And the only comment I would make in order to bring this within the Standing Orders, as I make this contribution, is that one of the parts that we’re approving now is the ability to make regulations. Those regulations are effectively food standards and standards for what goes into an organic product, how it’s produced.
Interestingly, New Zealand is probably the best at developing standards for food production and exports in the world—born of the fact that we’re so distant from world markets and that we’ve had to develop standards for refrigerated meat, for a lot of perishable products that we sell to the other side of the world. We’ve had to do that both to get it there safely but also to meet the requirements of other countries, which are sometimes unfairly strict in order to try and block our exports into those countries. But as a consequence of our need to meet those imperatives, we’ve become very good at that and this is another example of that. There are lots of checks and balances before those regulations can be imposed, including consultation with the industry at two stages in the process to make sure that when those regulations are necessary, they’re fit for purpose.
I really appreciate that explanation. Thank you, Minister.
The question is that the Minister’s amendments to Supplementary Order Paper 262 set out on Supplementary Order Paper 284 be agreed to.
The question now is that the Minister’s amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 262 as amended be agreed to.
The question is that the Minister’s tabled amendment to clause 125 be agreed to.
The committee has considered the Organic Products and Production Bill and reports it with amendment. I move, That the report be adopted.
Report adopted.
The Organic Products and Production Bill is set down for third reading immediately.
Third Reading