Tisch Lindsay: Veterinarians Bill — First Reading 
Tisch Lindsay: Veterinarians Bill — First Reading 
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LINDSAY TISCH (National—Piako) 
: 
 National supports the Veterinarians Bill to the select committee. A number of issues have been mentioned already this evening and we certainly want to know what they mean. National members have had a meeting with vets in recent times. One of the major concerns is that the bill will allow—and that was not done in consultation with vets—a prescription to be given by a vet but the farmer landowner or whoever will be able to buy that prescriptive drug off the shelf at for example one of the stock and station agencies. Although one can understand the costs associated with that—and we want to keep compliance costs down and make sure that the purchaser of the product is getting the best deal—it may be that the person selling at one of those agencies does not have the expertise to understand the importance of the drug he or she is dispensing. A person could have the script for a prescriptive drug and the agency he or she goes to could well be having a sale and is able to give a 10 percent discount on the particular product. That would be an incentive for the person doing the buying. That is an area of concern that vets have identified. 
In contrast members of the farming community whom I have spoken to say that they want the best price they can get because of the compliance costs. They understand the use of medicines because they are dealing with them all the time. That is an area we need to work through in the select committee. 
Like many professions in rural areas the veterinary profession is having trouble attracting the personnel it requires. It is the same with valuers accountants teachers and doctors. The veterinary profession is no different in wanting to attract its people to some of the rural areas. The demands now placed on vets and the opportunities for them to specialise are very exciting. There is now a big demand for small animal vet services and vets are attracted to that side of the profession. 
The equine industry is very much a part of where I come from Matamata. Vets working in the equine industry there are very busy with the work they do. In fact a new hospital for horses is being established and opened tomorrow in Matamata. That shows the importance of veterinary science in the very important racing industry. 
There is a big demand for vets in the meat inspection services. Vets are at the coalface and are the people who will sign off on the export product. As my colleague the Hon David Carter mentioned during his speech primary industry is still New Zealand’s No. 1 export earner. We need that protection and vets form part of that. They are the safeguard. Anything that can add value to our primary products—and in that case it will be vets—is to be encouraged and supported. 
When we look at what this bill actually does we see that it replaces the current 5-year degree requirement with a more flexible requirement that allows the Veterinary Council to recognise formally veterinary qualifications from certain institutions. Further a person holding a minimum 4-year veterinary science degree from an institution not recognised by the council may seek registration. That is important because many vets in rural practice are from overseas. In the Waikato a number of vets are from South Africa. We also had a young lady who came out from the United States. That was interesting for her to come from the profession there and work in a rural area in the Matamata region. 
Vets have told us recently that a huge number of women are graduating in veterinary science. That is great to see. However those women are not actually moving out into the farming areas—let us say for example the dairy area—but are mainly specialising in the small animal practice. 
I guess we have had success over the years because as some members may recall New Zealand did not have a veterinary science school and if someone wanted to be a vet he or she had to go over to Werribee just outside Melbourne where the veterinary science school was. We have advanced our reputation. We have a proud reputation in veterinary science. We have some leading exponents of that—[ 
Interruption 
] Well the National Certificate of Educational Achievement will most certainly put a damper on that. 
The point I make is that we need to attract train and retain our brightest and best in New Zealand and that is certainly why National supports this legislation. As I said earlier our wealth creators—the primary industries—need back-up and support from other professions and vets and the Veterinary Council are to be encouraged and supported. National will support this bill through to the select committee. 
Bill read a first time.