Macindoe Tim: Animal Welfare Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Macindoe Tim: Animal Welfare Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:664;Page:12411] 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
: 
 There is clearly a great deal of public interest in this important issue of animal welfare and it is good to see that it has commanded urgent attention from a diligent Minister of Agriculture and a very busy and effective Government. Like Mr Choudhary the previous speaker I pay tribute to my colleague Simon Bridges the member for Tauranga who I think deserves considerable kudos and credit for his hard work and attention to detail on this matter and for showing his responsiveness to that widespread public interest. I think it is a fitting reward that his member’s bill has been adopted as a Government bill and I congratulate him on that. I know that he has worked tirelessly to achieve that end. 
Dr Cam Calder 
: Indefatigable. 
TIM MACINDOE 
: Absolutely indefatigable—I thank Dr Calder for that. 
The provisions of this bill have been well canvassed by previous speakers and in the bill’s earlier readings as it has moved through the House. I am pleased that it is now a very comprehensive measure that underlines the seriousness of the issue. Several of my constituents in Hamilton West have raised with me in recent months their very real concerns about animal welfare issues. The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill demonstrates that we are taking their concerns and indeed in many cases their deep revulsion and distress very seriously. 
I imagine that all members of this House and an overwhelming number of New Zealanders struggle to understand how anyone could deliberately be cruel to a domestic pet and are sickened when instances of that type of abuse are brought to our attention. How anyone could feed kittens to a pit bull terrier is almost impossible to comprehend. How anyone could take pleasure from training dogs to fight is beyond me. The disturbing reality is that such sickening cruelty to animals often reflects a propensity to inflict cruelty on the frail and vulnerable adults and children in our communities. So it is right that we enact stronger penalties to reflect society’s collective revulsion towards those who inflict terror and pain on any living creatures. 
I am encouraged to detect support for this bill from all the other parties in the House. But it was disappointing to hear Mr O’Connor wander from the topic in his speech. When both he and Ms Mackey expressed concern at the relatively low number of convictions for animal cruelty I found myself in agreement with them but for 9 long years under their Labour Government very little happened in that area. But Mr O’Connor’s suggestion that the new National Government is neglecting the people is bizarre irrelevant and unfounded. It was a shame that he showed little ability or inclination to focus on the provisions of this bill when he spoke. Animals barely got a look-in when he was on his feet. In fact it was a real “Four legs bad two legs good.” type of address and that was very disappointing. 
So let us look at what more informed commentators have said about this measure. There are not many more qualified to do so than the SPCA’s national president Bob Kerridge who said: “It is time to recognise that cruelty to animals is a social sickness that is as heinous as any act of violence inflicted on fellow humans and the two are inextricably linked.” He also said: “Wilful ill-treatment epitomises the most reprehensible acts of animal cruelty we encounter for which sentences are generally abysmally light given the nature of the crimes.” Well this bill addresses Mr Kerridge’s concern and increases the maximum penalty for wilful ill-treatment of an animal to 5 years of imprisonment. 
The bill has also been warmly endorsed by Dr Wayne Ricketts of the New Zealand Veterinary Association who backs increasing the maximum penalty for wilful ill-treatment of animals and who has commended the Government’s comprehensive overhaul of animal welfare legislation and codes of welfare for commercial activities involving animals. Dr Ricketts said: “We are delighted to see an increased compliance and enforcement effort with the doubling of enforcement officers and the stated focus on bringing the key organisations involved in animal welfare together. 
There is no doubt that there is considerable professional support for this bill. Those who have great experience dealing with the issue out in our community are right behind it. It is wonderful to know that all members of the House are behind it and I look forward to this bill very shortly becoming the law of New Zealand.