The kiwifruit industry is a significant part of our economy and any threat to it must be dealt with with the utmost seriousness. We support the Government's action to date in responding to this incursion and we also support the Minister's call for calm. Inevitably there will be questions to be addressed in the wake of this incident about the adequacy of our biosecurity preparedness.
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand says that it is world leading and as the nation in the world with the most biodiversity and arguably the greatest reliance on natural capital in our economy it needs to be. The Green Party earlier in the House questioned whether a biosecurity approach based on risk profiling and selective practices was adequate. We have questioned the appropriateness of cutting funding and front-line staff positions in biosecurity as this Government has done. We have pointed out the gaping hole in our biosecurity defences against micro-organisms. All; of these matters will need to be addressed. Finally, although other parties have tended to ridicule the Green Party's attitude to free-trade agreements, this latest incursion must surely cause everyone pause for thought. We need a smart economy that delivers real benefits for everyone and for the environment.
Biosecurity incursions such as this one highlight the extraordinarily high price that can be associated with a policy that has seen hugely increased imports, often of goods or products with very limited usefulness. In conclusion, I wish to offer the Green Party's support to the Government in the attempts to identify, isolate, and, if possible, eliminate the threat posed by Psa.
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