Chadwick Steve: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
Chadwick Steve: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:632;Page:3744] 
STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
: 
 I am pleased to take a call and remind some of the new members opposite about Carolina Anderson. When the attack happened to her I went to visit her in Auckland Hospital at the request of her father to start to workshop ideas about how we could make amendments to the Dog Control Act at that time—amendments that might make a difference. I must admit that in our discussion microchipping was not one of the things we even contemplated. I did not even know the technology was there. But then when the Minister worked on a little dog control amendment bill that I proposed as a result of that—and I congratulate Sandra Goudie on getting her disability assist dog legislation incorporated into this bill—we then passed it over to Chris Carter to look at what raft of amendments we would need to make to the Dog Control Act to make sure we could minimise and mitigate the level of attack we saw. I can remember very clearly going to the meeting when Mr Carter announced that raft of amendments and every spokesperson for every party went there to get a photo opportunity with John Anderson and to say: “We’re with you. We’re going to support you 100 percent. We think it was a terrible attack on your daughter and we will do all that we can in our power as MPs to make sure we mitigate future attacks.” 
Well that is what this legislation is about today. I am not going to get hysterical about it but I say to members opposite that I remember their spokespersons going up there and being just as horrified and saying: “Yes Mr Carter we want you to do all that you can in your powers.” That is why the legislation was voted on so unanimously at that time but now that it is reality it has sunk in. Now that Opposition members have done a bit of thinking about it they have been caught up in the rhetoric of those who have come to them to say that it is another cost impost but we are tired of hearing that. 
I met with Federated Farmers in my community. They came to me with a one-page sheet of the top 10 issues for Federated Farmers. Do members know that they did not even have export markets for sheep and beef cattle products internationally on that sheet? I asked: “Is microchipping your top agenda item?” and the Rotorua Federated Farmers said: “This isn’t actually our sheet Steve. We’re a little bit embarrassed about some of the things that are on here and some of the omissions.” I thought I knew who had written that sheet for them because the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua farmers have gone against the tide of the rest of the Federated Farmers branches in New Zealand. They are tired of dog attacks on stock on their farms. They say they support microchipping. So as a good MP—which is my position in the Chamber in relation to Federated Farmers—I held my little focus group meeting with them. I trust them I like them and they work well with us—and I tell members that they want microchipping. 
It is very interesting too for those of us who have had local body experience—which I have; I used to be on the district council—that the two issues that drive councils barking mad are dogs and trees. It is the dog control officers around the country who say that every aspect of dog control in this bill—and we are hearing only about microchipping—is absolutely welcomed. Kerry Prendergast from Local Government New Zealand came to the select committee and we were advised of the cost for some smaller areas in the country and that there were variations. But we as a select committee were also told that the dog register of every local council and local authority in this country is already set up. So what are Opposition members talking about when they talk about a massive cost impost upon local authorities? Dog registers are currently set up. 
This legislation already gives dog control officers an extension of their powers to deal with dog attacks in relation to dangerous and menacing dogs with power of entry for officers and provisions for feeding and sheltering dogs. They are all fantastic aspects. They are all about making sure that dog owners increase their level of responsibility and that councils do what they can within their powers to mitigate dog attacks. No one has ever said that a microchip alone will stop a dog attack.