Dean Jacqui: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Dean Jacqui: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:628;Page:962] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Otago) 
: 
 I rise to speak again on the Veterinarians Bill and to respond to some comments that suggested that perhaps this bill is not important to members of the National Party. We know that the Veterinarians Bill is very important to members of the National Party. 
Katherine Rich 
: Paramount. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: It is paramount thank you. What is the reason for the Veterinarians Bill being of paramount importance to the members of the National Party? It is obvious. All that members need to do is look along the row upon row of National MPs in this Chamber to see that there is a mix of the experienced and the fresh keen National MPs who represent rural and provincial electorates up and down New Zealand who have at heart the interests of rural and provincial people of pet owners of sheep farmers of deer farmers and of all sorts of agricultural sectors. All that members have to do is get out a map showing the results of the past election and they will see blue. They will see blue starting at the top of the North Island and in a great swathe all the way down the North Island. That blue tide continues down the South Island taking in my own electorate the rural and provincial electorate of Otago and on down the country all the way to Invercargill. So if it is to be suggested tonight—as it has been—that the National Party does not have a passionate concern about the Veterinarians Bill then let us put that silly notion to rest right now. 
But it is not just as members of the National Party that we are concerned about the Veterinarians Bill; as individuals we are deeply deeply concerned about the effects of the bill. I mentioned in the Committee this evening the sad demise of our dear dog Sally. Interestingly enough Sally is not the only canine member of our family. We also had a littermate of Sally a dog called Tommy. Tommy was a funny little dog actually. [ 
Interruption 
] I will tell members about Tommy because it is very relevant to the title and commencement of the Veterinarians Bill. Tommy was the cutest little puppy and he was the littermate of Sally. Sally is the dog I mentioned before who loved to chase tennis balls. Unfortunately Sally met a very sad end on State Highway 1. We do not quite know who ran her over; it is something we have never been quite able to figure out. [ 
Interruption 
] Well there was a rumbling of wheels coming down State Highway 1. There was a swish of air and a number of cars—one could almost call it a motorcade—rumbling down State Highway 1. It was around the area of Waimate perhaps a little further south and the cars were travelling very fast—and I can tell members that Sally paid the price. 
What does that have to do with the bill? I will tell members what it has to do with the bill. When our dear little dog Sally—who loved to chase tennis balls who would nip them with her dear little teeth who would puncture tennis balls with her dear little teeth and force them into her dear little mouth because she was like that—met her end on State Highway 1 under the wheels of a motorcade we knew that we had to trust the vet. We delivered our little dog into the tender care of the vet and we needed to know that whatever the outcome for our dear little dog Sally we had the provisions set out in the Veterinarians Bill.