Shane Ardern
National Party Biosecurity Spokesman

4 December 2007

Court ruling a vote of no confidence in Anderton

An Appeal Court decision to keep Australian honey and bee products from being imported into New Zealand vindicates the strong concerns expressed by beekeepers, says National Biosecurity spokesman Shane Ardern.

“Yet again we have seen evidence that Biosecurity Minister Jim Anderton has failed to understand the seriousness of what may seem on the surface a small concern.

“This was never just about the honey industry. It was about bees being threatened with diseases which would cause devastation to our pastoral and horticultural industries, as well as the honey industry.

“Beekeepers had asked for more concrete evidence that the import health standards were robust in light of reports by New Zealand bee experts raising concerns about the effectiveness of the standards.

“This is not just a science debate; it is also a compliance argument.

“This latest incompetence in the biosecurity portfolio highlights the fact that the biggest biosecurity risk in New Zealand is Jim Anderton.

“After this decision, I want to know if the Minister will now ask his officials to abandon their plan to let raw pork meat into New Zealand - a move which brings with it the same potential devastating risks to our pork industry.”

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