Turia Tariana: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Turia Tariana: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:628;Page:882] 
TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 Firstly I want to commend the Primary Production Committee for this legislation. 
I have been subjected to members of the Maori Party opining the fact that one of them has had a cow of a day and another has had a dog of a day. [ 
Interruption 
] That was yesterday. They complained of being drenched with rain herded through airports drafted into queues and shorn of any dignity as they were barked at while being herded into the waiting lines. All this was a result of inclement weather and a fogbound Wellington Airport. One of these members also claimed that as his plane descended into the Palmerston North Airport he thought for a moment that it would land either on the International Rugby Academy or on the veterinary school at Massey University. 
As a former dairy farmer I do have some hands-on knowledge and experience with the veterinary profession. I remember a time when I was quite intimately involved in the art of artificial insemination of a dairy herd and treating cows with mastitis or bloat. I may be described as a bit of a lay vet—although I may have appeared to be confident I was always apprehensive that my knowledge which was gained through practical experience might not necessarily be sufficient to ensure safe practice. I was therefore always appreciative of the skill and expertise of our local vet. He had a practical common-sense manner and he was determined from the outset that nothing but his best was good enough. It is a type of attitude that comes from the love of a job the love of animals and the love of the land. 
The Maori Party recognises the need for a competent professional veterinary workforce to service the needs of rural New Zealand and the livestock industry. We are acutely aware that rural New Zealand has the biggest shortage of vets and we are aware as to what this will mean in terms of the protection and quality of stock. This is significant as vets play a very important risk management role which is vital for the agricultural and farming sector. A competent workforce is absolutely necessary in order to reduce the increased risk of disease outbreaks including serious diseases like foot-and-mouth and TB in rural areas where vets are thinly spread. This is essential for the ongoing development of our primary industries. We also know that the shortage of qualified vets has posed a real problem for the agricultural sector with its heavy reliance on animal health and welfare and the bill helps to solve those acute shortages. 
The Maori Party is supportive of the changes proposed to regulate practising veterinarians to improve the registration process and categories in order to attract and retain veterinary surgeons. We also know that initiatives taken in the Taxation (Annual Rates and Urgent Measures) Bill which was discussed earlier today will contribute to retaining our specialist students onshore. When vet students complete their studies the accumulated debt for each student is about $50000 and that debt has been a major driver for many of them to move offshore. That has contributed to the current extreme shortage of rural vets in New Zealand. We are also supportive of the move to replace the 5-year vet science degree with a 4-year course. This is a significant move that will help to solve the acute shortages within the sector without impacting negatively on vets’ professionalism and skills. 
We are supportive of the moves to reform the regulation of the profession of veterinarians. We are pleased with the changes that have come through the Primary Production Committee and we commend the work that has been done to offer limited and provisional registration and also to seek professional standards and monitor performance. 
During the process of considering the bill a number of anecdotes were passed on from experts in the field—the literal field as well as the professional field. The bill sets in place certain academic and English language requirements in order for people to be registered by the council as a veterinarian. I did not realise until that moment that the only language animals understand is English. Given the requirement in the bill I can only assume that English is the language of the animal world. A registered person who holds a current practising certificate will have received quite specific competency testing in areas such as communications skills. We have heard horror stories of how some farmers have gone to vets asking for their animal to be fixed—meaning to have their general health improved their illness treated or their wound healed—and I ask members to imagine their horror when they realise that the professional has interpreted “fixed” as meaning that the animal should be castrated or put down. It is a bit late then to ask to see the registration papers of the offending vet. That is obviously an area where the disciplinary powers of the Veterinary Council of New Zealand will come into their own. 
We are aware that currently the situation in heartland New Zealand is less than positive for situations of abuse or neglect in respect of animal welfare. We are aware that even when cases of unprofessional conduct or severe neglect have been taken to the Veterinary Council of New Zealand it has not had the teeth to take effective action against recalcitrant vets. The vet practices that we have spoken with told us about clients that have come from other vet practices that are dodgy that have overcharged the clients and whose practices have been inferior. In extreme cases severe negligence with regard to animals careless practices or inappropriate use of drugs should have resulted in criminal prosecutions but the lack of ability of the council to enforce the law has resulted in both frustration amongst the profession and the concern that the profession is being brought into disrepute. 
Our informants welcome the bill particularly the aspect that relates to the increased powers of the council to discipline appropriately. The bill makes it quite clear that the council’s primary function is to regulate practising veterinarians to deal extensively with discipline and competency issues to be able to suspend and withdraw practising certificates and to impose conditions on practising certificates. 
One of the issues that our informants also raised however is the composition of the council itself. The bill continues the Veterinary Council of New Zealand which was established under the 1994 Act with broadly the same powers and membership. The membership consists of three vets who are selected by veterinarians two lay persons and one veterinarian who are appointed by the Minister and the person who is responsible for the veterinary science academic programme at Massey University. It was felt that because of the size of the vet community a quasi-judicial appointment would have given greater balance thus freeing the council from accusations of subjective decision-making. It was also suggested that lay persons should possess significant interest in or understanding or experience of a primary sector and that the vets appointed should have a standing and reputation within the veterinary profession. The Maori Party is pleased to support a bill that will put in place moves to ensure that the veterinarian practice continues to demonstrate high standards. Ultimately this will be in the interests of the animals of our country and will ensure that the public can have confidence in the profession.