KEY POINTS:
Dangerous goods, including toys and children's clothes, are on the shelves of New Zealand shops because of an apathetic attitude to safety, it was claimed last night.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs came under attack as it struggled to allay fears over a series of scares for shoppers.
Consumers' Institute chief executive Sue Chetwin said the ministry was complacent and not proactive enough.
And National Party consumer affairs spokeswoman Kate Wilkinson accused it of apathy because it allowed "unsafe products to sit on our shelves".
The ministry said yesterday it was still trying to get to the bottom of the issue of formaldehyde in Chinese-made clothing, sparked after scientists from TV3's Target consumer watchdog programme found levels of the chemical in children's pyjamas up to 900 times higher than the amount the World Health Organisation considers safe.
It admitted it was in the dark over a US recall of 250,000 Spongebob Squarepants books and Thomas the Tank Engine toys because of fears over the amount of lead contained in paint used on them.
China reacted yesterday to the worldwide pressure about safety concerns by declaring a four-month "special war" against poor product quality and supervision.
Ms Chetwin said the past few weeks had been "a big wake-up call which shows there needs to be better regulations and more enforcement".
Ms Wilkinson also criticised the ministry, saying it had the power to ban dangerous products but had not done so once in the past 12 months.
It also had the power to recommend product safety standards, yet no new standards had been produced in the past two years.
Ms Wilkinson said that in the past 12 months there had been 18 voluntary product recalls in New Zealand.
In the same period, Australia had 221 recalls.
"How many children's lives have to be endangered before there is action?" she said.
Last night, Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard said: "Our standards under the Consumer Guarantees Act require all goods to be safe and fit for purpose. So if anyone has any evidence that things are dangerous they should report them and we will take action. We are already going out and buying a wide range of garments.
"What I don't want to do is to say that anything that I don't know is dangerous is [dangerous].
"I am really concerned with some of the evidence we have had of Chinese manufacturers cutting corners either deliberately or because they don't understand New Zealand requirements.
"We are trying to make sure that the goods on New Zealand shelves meet that safe, fit-for-purpose standard that our laws prescribe."
Chinese safety standards have been under scrutiny since the international toy giant Mattel recalled 18.5 million Chinese-made toys because the paint used on them contained too much lead.
Two US firms have now recalled the SpongeBob SquarePants spiral address books and diaries and Thomas the Tank Engine spinning tops and buckets.
Paint on the metal spiral bindings of the books and journals contains lead that is toxic if ingested.
The Warehouse Stationery said last night it did not stock the products. Whitcoulls national sales manager David Surplis did not know if his company's stores carried them.
Parents are also in the dark over the formaldehyde issue.
The ministry is planning to start testing clothing on Monday, but its only advice has been that buyers should wash new clothes before wearing them.
The Weekend Herald has found that more than 100 tonnes of Chinese-made clothing and fabric flood into New Zealand every day. But few checks are made to ensure it is safe.
Trade Minister Phil Goff said yesterday that he would seek talks with his Chinese counterpart at the Association of South East Asian Nations economic ministers' meeting this week.
The talks would be mainly about a free trade agreement, but he would also raise concerns over poor quality and unsafe goods coming to New Zealand.
Green MP Sue Kedgley said New Zealand had been blinded by dollars at the expense of safety.
"One of the things we are learning is the high price of the cheaper product," Ms Kedgley said.
The Commerce Commission has closed an investigation into The Warehouse "Red Stamp" brand pyjamas after tests confirmed they complied with safety standards for children's nightwear.
The investigation followed two recent complaints that children had suffered burns while wearing the pyjamas.
Warehouse spokeswoman Cynthia Church said safety standards should be reviewed so parents were not lulled into a false sense of security.
"We will be seeking a meeting with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to sort this out before next winter."
