Pettis Jill: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
Pettis Jill: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:632;Page:3795] 
JILL PETTIS (Labour) 
: 
 In the late 1970s I used to drive from one side of the city in which I lived to the other to pick up my mother’s pedigree corgi and take it to the dog-dosing strip in London Street Wanganui to be dosed for hydatids. Lisa our corgi never went anywhere other than around the street for a walk or to the local park. She had no more chance of coming into contact with hydatids than she did of flying to the moon under her own power. I do not remember one single person from the rural community in New Zealand in the 1970s saying: “I don’t think city dogs should have to be treated for hydatids because city dogs are not likely to catch it.” Is it not strange that it was a case of one law for all dogs when it related to hydatids in the 1970s and 1980s but now several decades down the track it is different? 
I would like to know how those members opposite who have suddenly gone jelly-legged in respect of this legislation would cope in a real crisis. How would they cope if they were part of a governing party that had to make a decision in the interests of all New Zealanders particularly an issue that related to international matters? I would say National members’ jelly-legged behaviour in respect of this bill is indicative of the fact that they are not fit to govern. If those members cannot be sensible on a matter relating to the microchipping of dogs it proves they are not capable of governing and should never get anywhere near the seat of Government again. 
Part of this angst and mock protesting is all about National members assuaging their guilt for voting for the 2003 bill in its third reading. Those of us who have been in Parliament for more than a couple of years know that the third reading debate is a party’s last chance to object to a bill. What did National members do? They all stuck their hands up and voted for it. But then when the pressure— 
Hon Members 
: No! 
JILL PETTIS 
: Yes they did. The only people who did not vote for it were ACT members and at least ACT has stuck to its guns. But you Tories all voted for it. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Clem Simich) 
: Order! 
JILL PETTIS 
: Now those members have got all jelly-legged when the pressure is on which shows they could not cope in a real emergency. Labour will not support Eric Roy’s amendment which proposes that only dogs that bite should be destroyed. But what about the question of whether it is a big bite or a little bite? What if the dog is auntie’s little nipper that is a chihuahua a corgi—those dogs can bite quite seriously—or a Pomeranian? People could say: “Auntie’s Pomeranian didn’t really break much more than a first layer of skin.” or: “It’s not a menacing or dangerous dog. Don’t destroy the chihuahua or Pomeranian—just those ugly big dogs.” 
So the grandstanding of the amendment put forward by the National Party in Eric Roy’s name is just superficial window dressing so that National members look like they are doing something. Those members have left it too late to do anything; they had their opportunity at the third reading debate in 2003—that is when they could have done something but they did not. National members did not mind trotting up when the Minister of Local Government at the time the Hon Chris Carter was responding to the tragedy of the Carolina Anderson incident. Those Tories did not mind trotting up for the photo opportunity to say to the public: “Look what we’re doing. This is terrible. We’ll do whatever we can.” This Government did want to do whatever it could which is why it has introduced a package of measures. We have never said that microchipping alone will stop dogs from biting—nobody has said that. 
Hon David Carter 
: Helen Clark did. 
JILL PETTIS 
: David Carter is on record in  
Hansard 
 as saying he supported microchipping as part of the package. 
Hon David Carter 
: Rubbish! 
JILL PETTIS 
: I will come over and show the member the exact dates on which he said that. I cannot find the exact quote in my pages but he is on record as saying that. The statement is a direct quote from  
Hansard 
 to the effect that when microchipping became available he would vote for it. They microchip other animals— 
Moana Mackey 
: He said “Rubbish!” but he is still checking. 
JILL PETTIS 
: Yes because David Carter knows only too well that he did say that and  
Hansard 
 will prove it. This is flim-flam window dressing from National.