Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:619;Page:15150] 
4.  
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Agriculture 
: When will the code of animal welfare for layer hens be released and will it require the phasing out of the battery hen cages particularly in light of a Colmar Brunton poll which found that 78 percent of people found the practice of keeping hens in battery cages unacceptable? 
Hon JIM SUTTON (Minister of Agriculture) 
: 
 The code will be released once it has been written sent to me and approved by me. I have not yet received it. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does he agree that raising hens in cages where they have a living space less than the size of an A4 sheet of paper and cannot turn round or stretch their wings is cruel and does not permit hens to express normal patterns of behaviour; if not why not? 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: I would like to quote the expert opinion of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee as of 19 April when it sent me an early draft of its proposed recommendation. It said: “NAWAC is unable to recommend replacement of the current cage systems with alternative systems until it can be shown that alternative systems would consistently provide better welfare outcomes.” 
Sue Kedgley 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked for his personal opinion of whether he thought the battery hen cage was cruel. I did not ask for an opinion from the advisory committee. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: He does not have to give a personal opinion. He gave an answer. I assume the answer he gave supported what he read out. 
Janet Mackey 
: Does New Zealand have a good animal welfare system? [ 
Interruption 
] 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: As listeners will realise it has the vocal support of the animals. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Now that the draft code has been released publicly by some egg producers and now that the Egg Producers Federation has confirmed on National Radio today that the code will not recommend any phasing out of the battery hen cage can he reassure New Zealanders that he will reject the code; if not why not? 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: I will not reject or accept the code until I have received it and read it. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does the Minister agree that an increase in the size of battery hen cages amounting to no more than the size of a credit card per bird as is proposed in the draft code of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee is a complete nonsense and will do nothing to improve the welfare of the 2.5 million hens that are kept in these atrocious battery hen cages; if not why not? 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: I have only the member’s word that the advisory committee is proposing an increase per bird the size of a credit card. I do not choose to base my opinion on that information. 
Sue Kedgley 
: What evidence is there that keeping hens in cages where they have living spaces less than the size of an A4 piece of paper can provide “better welfare outcomes” than letting them roam on free-range farms as recommended in the draft code; and if the Minister were a hen what would he prefer? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am in a little bit of difficulty here. I suggest the Minister answer the first part of the question. 
Hon JIM SUTTON 
: I would have to seek the advice of the member on what it feels like to be a hen. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was a pathetic response but never mind. I seek leave to table the layer hen code of welfare which has been released by egg producers and confirmed on National Radio today. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.