Jones Dail: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Jones Dail: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:606;Page:3384] 
DAIL JONES (NZ First) 
: 
 The Prime Minister’s speech contained very little of note but during the course of it she did state: “Parliament should consider whether it is practicable to designate dangerous breeds and their crossbreeds and then to ensure that they are leashed and muzzled whenever they are out of containment. Increased penalties for breaking the law should be considered and enforcement of the law needs to be stepped up across the country.” The Prime Minister is quoted in a statement in the  
New Zealand Herald  
on Wednesday 5 February as saying: “I personally am appalled at those dogs being in a position to rip adults and children apart.” So it is apparent to me as a member of New Zealand First that the Prime Minister has indicated that she supports consideration being given to increased penalties the stepping-up of the enforcement of the law across the country where it is practicable the designating of dangerous breeds and their crossbreeds and ensuring that dogs are leashed and muzzled.  
Unfortunately that message does not seem to have reached the Minister of Local Government Chris Carter who seems to be incapable of understanding the firm message given to him by his leader. All that he wants to do is to refer a bill back to a select committee with no indication to that select committee of the matters that should be considered despite the Prime Minister’s clear indication in her speech. The Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 2) is before Parliament. It is essentially an amendment to the Dog Control Act of 1996. As the date suggests the Dog Control Act was passed only in 1996 and is generally a very sound Act. The Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 2) was referred back to this House in 1999 and it has stayed on the Order Paper since that time. Successive Ministers in this Labour Government have over the last 4 years failed to take any action with regard to that legislation.  
I do not want to make any statements of a provocative nature— 
David Benson-Pope 
: Stop grandstanding on someone else’s suffering and sorrow. It’s disgraceful! 
DAIL JONES 
: Clearly the senior Government whip cannot control himself and needs to be muzzled and put on a leash. I am sure that all MPs—and there must have been about 35 or so of us—who met John Anderson today were greatly impressed by the positive manner in which he is treating the very distressing situation in which his family has found itself. Mr Anderson has set out five points in his submission and I summarise them as follows. First in relation to dog control officers increased powers and better resourcing are required. Second dog regulation should be enhanced by enforcing compulsory registration the use of leashes compulsory muzzles for all dogs over a certain height and weight say 40 centimetres and 20 kilograms when out of confinement— 
David Benson-Pope 
: What a political cockroach. 
DAIL JONES 
: The senior Government whip may not like this but I suggest that he keep control of himself and try to deal with this matter on a cross-party basis. Mr Anderson also submits that dogs should be off-limits at playgrounds and the like. Third he says that stiffer sentences for owners breaking the Act should be brought in and that an assault by a dog must be considered to be equivalent to an assault with a weapon. I agree with Mr Anderson entirely on that last point. 
David Benson-Pope 
: You just don’t want to help us to do anything about it. 
DAIL JONES 
: The senior Government whip is still not restraining himself. Mr Anderson suggests that minimum sentences should be created rather than maxima only. Fourth he refers to the banning of certain breeds and fifth he advocates education for all concerned. I should also mention that he suggests that working dogs should be exempted from those controls.  
As a member of New Zealand First it seems to me that this House should prepare a resolution and direct it to a select committee so that it can consider the submission prepared by John Anderson and report back to the House on the five issues that he has raised. It is pointless merely sending this bill back to a select committee in the hope that something will be achieved. Some direction must be given to the select committee. The Minister of Local Government has absolutely no idea of the steps that we should take. He is now writing to local authorities to get some ideas from them. He has a very good short sharp submission from a person who should know better than any of us the steps that are required to resolve the problem that faces us. The question of working dogs would be dealt with separately.  
New Zealand First would be delighted to support a cross-party resolution of the House recommending that a select committee considers the issues that Mr Anderson has raised and reports back to the House in 3 months’ time with the second reading of the bill to be completed in another 2 months’ time and the bill to be finally passed by say the end of August. I look forward to support from United Future the Greens and the other Opposition parties given that the senior Government whip does not seem to support the proposal. I look forward to support for that from the other Opposition parties for a cross-party view of this matter. I say that we should give some direction to the select committee as to what it should do and that direction should be based on the very very helpful and clear submission prepared in a brief way by John Anderson.