Ryall Tony: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
Ryall Tony: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:632;Page:3748] 
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) 
: 
 I am taking a call in what I think is a vitally important debate for the nation tonight. I have come down to the House because I am particularly looking forward to the Hon David Carter and Eric Roy speaking to the amendments they have moved to this bill and which I will be strongly supporting. I think the most important question Parliament can be asked is whether this legislation will save a child from being bitten by a dog. Will it save a child from being attacked by a dog? That is the genesis of this legislation. Mr Foss from Tukituki pointed out that 8 percent of New Zealand’s domestic dogs—all dogs—are unregistered but cause well over half of all the dog attacks in this country. New Zealanders need to realise that problem dog owners in this country do not register their dogs now. If members talk to any dog control officers in any local authority in New Zealand they will be told that problem dogs—the dogs that are menacing threatening and are causing the disturbances in their communities—are by and large unregistered. 
But even if they were registered how does microchipping prevent some child from being attacked? How does microchipping stop people who are calling from door to door from being bitten by dogs? The issue is one of owners taking responsibility for their dogs and of how authorities match owners to dogs. The dog registration system has failed with that over many years in this country and it is my view that microchipping of dogs will not fix the problem the Government is identifying. The Government thinks it is doing something that can be pointed to next time there is a bad dog attack in this country. Government members think they can say they have microchipped dogs and that will fix the problem. The fact that there will be another dog attack in this country—even when microchipping is passed—is indication that the Government’s motivation will not work. 
If the Government were serious about dog control it would be looking at providing additional powers to local authority dog control officers it would be looking at incentives for responsible dog ownership it would be looking at what could be done about the control of dogs in public spaces. Those would be the areas where a serious Government that wants to protect New Zealanders from threatening and menacing dogs would act. Instead as members on the National side of the House have said this Government is penalising the good dog owners of New Zealand. Good people will take their puppies down to get microchipped at a cost of maybe $100 a pop. Good people will register their dogs every year; in some local authority areas it is a six-figure amount to register a dog. On top of that owners will now have to pay for microchipping and the good owners will do it. But the bad people—the bad dog owners the people who do not exercise discretion over their animals—will not register their dogs and they will not microchip. 
Today in this House we have heard well-thought-out debate by National members responding to the knee-jerk reaction of a Government that thought it needed to do something to deal with the menacing dog issue in this country. Dog ownership and menacing dogs are very big issues. I have complete appreciation for those people who have been attacked by dogs; it is a dreadful experience and it happened to me when I was campaigning in the 1990 general election. The dog bit me but if it had been the Labour candidate it would have eaten her. The point about that was that it was an unregistered dog. 
Hon Member 
: How did you know? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I knew it was an unregistered dog because I talked to the council afterwards. The dog had no tag and no collar but it was clear where the ownership was. I raise the point that even if that dog had been tagged I would have still been bitten. Even if the dog had been tagged other dreadful menacing acts might have happened. This would apply to any other dogs around the country. The really important issue that the National Party is making here is that this legislation will not protect people. It is penalising good dog owners.