Environment Minister Trevor Mallard says he will leave it to the experts to decide whether to ban or restrict the use of the herbicide endosulfan.
Green MP Sue Kedgley today again called on the Government to ban endosulfan which she said was still sprayed on crops and fields despite being prohibited in some countries.
Ms Kedgley also highlighted the recent rejection of a shipment of beef being exported to South Korea because some of the meat was contaminated with the herbicide.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma) has issued a preliminary decision to allow continued use of endosulfan on plants, with public submissions on that decision closing on August 8.
Mr Mallard told Parliament he believed it was best that experts in their field made such decisions and not politicians.
NZPA