Peters Calls For Immediate Independent Bio-Security Audit

Winston Peters has today called for an immediate audit of New Zealand’s bio-security border controls by an independent team of experts.

“An immediate audit by an independent team of five experts representing agricultural, horticultural, customs, and bio-security interests needs to undertake an immediate audit and be required to provide an interim public report within seven days.

“The recent confirmation of Foot and Mouth Disease in the UK and now in France, Ireland and Holland is devastating news.

“New Zealanders are being asked to rely on Government assurances that we are doing enough to protect our borders. We clearly are not. How can we be confident when, halfway through the Government’s term, they have failed to deliver on their election undertaking to decontaminate imported cars at the point of shipping.

“Some vehicles are ‘de-contaminated’ thousands of kilometres away; others are ‘inspected’ in New Zealand. Both contaminated and decontaminated vehicles sit for weeks side by side on our wharves. The Government has failed to deal with this problem so how can we be assured that they have appropriate measures in place for other risks?

“New Zealand needs an independent team of experts to conduct an interim audit now and to oversee ongoing monitoring of appropriate measures for biosecurity border controls,” said Mr Peters.

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