POLICY RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Biosecurity Bureaucracy Banished

"Why on earth do we allow NZ's border bureaucrats to go through our luggage, our possessions and our imports - all in the name of biosecurity. It is simply not necessary," says Libertarianz Environment Deregulation Spokesman Peter Cresswell.

"There is another way," he says.

Libertarianz values property rights, and says that people's property rights should be protected. As an agricultural nation, it is crucial that NZers' produce be protected from damage by imported pathogens, and crucial that such pathogens are not introduced through government ineptitude.

Importers must clearly be held accountable for any damage caused to others' property," says Cresswell. "But we see no justification for government inspectors crawling through our containers and emptying our suitcases; or for damaging and pilfering importers' property; nor yet for bringing convictions for importation of pollens and other substances - substances often banned for no other reason than a protectionist restraint of trade. We must remove government from the role of risk assessment and inspection," he says, "and confine it to policing actual harms."

Instead of this intrusive nonsense, a Libertarianz government would simply hold importers and carriers accountable for any damages caused to others' property - should such damage be objectively proved in a court of law.

Importers and carriers - and their insurers - would then be free to accept their own level of risk. Insurers would be free to assess the likely risks involved with the importation of items and produce (which is after all where their skills lie) and importers would be free to accept their terms or not.

This proposed system is simple, workable and deregulated - and it offers a higher level of protection than presently exists.

ENDS

For more information contact: Peter Cresswell LIBERTARIANZ SPOKESMAN FOR DEREGULATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT Or contact Libertarianz Media Coordinator on (025) 861 927, e-mail: organon@ihug.co.nz

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www.libertarianz.org.nz www.freeradical.co.nz

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