Damien O’Connor is no newbie when it comes to politics.
The Labour MP had spent 24 years in Parliament since being elected in 1993 for the West Coast-Tasman seat.
He became an associate agriculture minister from 2001-2005, rural affairs minister 2004-2008 and tourism 2005-2008 in the Helen Clark government.
Over the last nine years O’Connor was Labour’s spokesman for primary industries and now, after what he described as the long years of Opposition, he had made it to the helm.
The 59-year-old was now responsible for agriculture, biosecurity, food safety and rural communities and associate minister of trade and export growth.
He deemed it a huge honour to take responsibility for New Zealand’s proudest and biggest sector.
“Agriculture is my heritage and my passion and this is a very exciting opportunity.
“It is an incredible privilege to serve in the Labour-led Cabinet and work to implement some of the improvements we know are needed and been talked about for so long.
“And I am very proud to say that I represent an amazing electorate that borders eight National parks – nowhere else in the world could you say that.
The father of five daughters lived with his partner Sharon Flood on a small rural property at Mahana, Upper Moutere where they grew boysenberries and ran a few livestock to keep the grass down.
“I have just enough land to keep me out of trouble,” O’Connor said.
He was raised on the family dairy farm near the mouth of the Buller River. One of his brothers still farms that property while a second brother was also a West Coast dairy farmer.
After studying agriculture and commerce at Lincoln University O’Connor worked and travelled around Australia for five years.
He returned home in the 1980s and became a fourth generation farmer, sharemilking on the family farm.
“That coincided with the challenging times of the 80s so I bought a jet boat, parked it up in the paddock and it eventually led to my tourism venture.”
O’Connor set up a jet-boating firm and the business expanded to become Buller Adventure Tours that included jet boating, white water rafting, horse trekking and motor and mountain biking adventures.
That led him to become a founding director of the Buller Community Development Company and a president of the Buller Promotion Association.
O’Connor said he learned through tourism and marketing that to make real change he needed to get to Wellington.
“I had the opportunity and I wanted to give back to the community I was so passionate about and that had given so much to me so I chose to take the gamble and have a go.
“It has been rollercoaster ride but a satisfying experience.
“Like a fine red wine, I hope, after 24 years in the game I am at my best now.”
O’Connor said it had always been a commitment to separate biosecurity and food safety from primary industries and strip out forestry and fisheries.
“That leaves the question what is left for primary industries and I am very aware that I must make sure we do not undermine our core capability across the board of primary industries.”
Discussion on how to best integrate the objective of primary industries, minus the forestry and fisheries, while giving more to biosecurity and food safety was under way.
The restructured primary industries space was a huge first step in the Government’s commitment to retain value for NZ and ensure better pathways to the future.
“Agriculture and farming are facing some big disruptions such as synthetic proteins and we need to change tack to block competitors who are increasing efficiencies.”
Labour believed the structural change would improve NZ’s performance on biosecurity given the removal of its independence had risked NZ’s reputation and its biosecurity.
Biosecurity resourcing would increase and a Select Committee Inquiry into biosecurity would be held, leading to an independent biosecurity authority sufficiently resourced and capable of maintaining a robust, pro-active and fit-for-purpose framework.
“There have been acute issues with Mycoplasma bovis. I have got many questions I need answers to around that and I will certainly be doing that as soon as possible,” he said.
“We need more investment in biosecurity and to ensure that investment goes into the right places with the right people passionate about making that money work the best it can.”
Government Industry Agreements were sound in principle but needed to be for for prevention as much as they were for incursion management.
While the proposed water tax had gone, water issues hadn’t.
“We will be looking at the previous government’s policy and doing a thorough review of current work.”
While there was agreement with the Green Party regarding a wind-down of government-subsidised irrigation that did not eliminate ongoing government contributions with closer scrutiny for environment outcomes, O’Connor said.
And the Government would ensure an adequate food safety regime was in place for small operators, to encourage innovation in the development of provenance as part of the food story.
