Kedgley Sue: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Kedgley Sue: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:656;Page:5632] 
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
: 
 I was pleased to hear the Minister discussing the issue of live exports of sheep for slaughter and pleased to hear his comments on the programme the other night. He implied that he would not approve live sheep exports under his watch. But I suggest to the Minister that what New Zealanders would really like to hear from him is an unequivocal assurance that there will be no live sheep exports for slaughter under the National Government. He has made a generalisation but New Zealanders want an absolute assurance that this brutal live trade in the export of sheep for slaughter will not proceed under this Government. We would be very grateful if the Minister could clarify that. 
I do not think that anyone who saw the television programme the other night would ask questions as to why New Zealand should not be sending live sheep exports for slaughter in Saudi Arabia. The conditions are absolutely horrendous on the ships. The sheep are jammed into those ships—we saw the pictures of the ships—and then once they arrive in Saudi Arabia there is no animal welfare legislation there or any way of guaranteeing that the sheep sent for slaughter will not receive the horrendous treatment that was shown on the screen the other night. 
The other question we need to ask is why on earth we would even consider sending our sheep all the way on that horrendous journey simply to be slaughtered at the other end. We have a very satisfactory trade in halal sheep— 
Hon David Carter 
: I agree. 
SUE KEDGLEY 
: —I am delighted to hear the Minister agree—so why would we have to send them over there to be slaughtered? 
One of the things that emerged from the television programme was that in Australia live sheep exports have resulted in the closure of abattoirs and the loss of jobs so why would we even want to contemplate that happening in New Zealand? A few months ago in this House the Minister was defending or appeared to be defending the trade. I obtained under the Official Information Act a whole raft of papers and memoranda going backwards and forwards that made it clear that the Government was seriously investigating this trade. In fact it was giving the green light to the Saudi Arabians and Mr Assaf. I have all of the documentation under the Official Information Act. But I think that the Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry were perhaps hoping that the trade could resume under the radar quietly with none of us being alerted. Well the Green Party I am delighted to say exposed the fact that there were negotiations about the resumption of trade and that the Government was engaged in quite detailed negotiations. I am delighted that that was exposed in this Parliament by the Green Party. There was of course an uproar of public opinion once the public realised that the trade was a possibility and I believe that the Minister has backed down as a result of that. But I am delighted whatever his motives that he has backed down and that this trade will not resume. 
I challenge the Minister now as well as to make an unequivocal commitment to New Zealand on the live sheep exports to also use his powers under the Animal Welfare Act to get rid of the cages used to house sows in and to phase them out over a number of years. There will be some consultation on that later this year but the Minister knows that under the Act he and he alone—sadly not this Parliament but just the Minister of Agriculture—has the power to require any code to be reviewed or to make changes. He has been given that power under the Act. So I would like him to assure New Zealanders that he will use those powers and that he will not pretend they do not exist. Sure under the Act he has to consult with the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee but that is all he has to do. 
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.