King Colin: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
King Colin: Local Government Law Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:632;Page:3796] 
COLIN KING (National—Kaikoura) 
: 
 We are talking about the Local Government Law Reform Bill and in doing so it is very important to remember that when we talk about microchipping dogs it is a question of safety. That point often gets overlooked when we start to debate this topic. Last night all we heard was a muddying of the waters. As my learned friend John Carter mentioned we did not hear any compelling evidence to suggest that dog microchipping should be carried out. Will the public feel any safer if it knows that a dog is microchipped? I think not. 
In referring to the question about the third reading of the last bill on this matter I find it interesting to note that many recognised and credible bodies have reviewed their situation and changed their view. I would like to draw the attention of the list member from Wanganui Jill Pettis to the comments of the New Zealand Kennel Club which said: “Scrapping compulsory microchipping is excellent news.” It said microchipping is a nonsense and asked why when councils have not been doing a number of things they should do that now. The club’s president Lesley Chalmers said the best solution was to license the owners not the dogs and added: “We do not agree with the microchipping of dogs.” It is a moving situation to see that the New Zealand Kennel Club which originally supported the Government’s move to have all dogs microchipped came to the view after reflection and consideration led to clarity that microchipping was not necessary. 
We have to ask ourselves why the Government is so desperately holding on to this situation. In the light of everything all I can come up with is that the Government feels threatened that this situation is the nearest possible thing to a vote of no confidence. This is another nail in the coffin of a tired and mean-spirited Labour Government. 
When we start to look around the landscape of this Parliament we see a very good approach by those who have taken a position against microchipping. I was very moved to hear the Maori Party bring history into the House in respect of the issues around dog control in the 1890s. I can fully understand how the Greens feel aggrieved. It was quite moving to get a phone call from Stefan Browning a Green member from Marlborough who wanted to check my position and make sure we were on the same wavelength. I was able to tell him that indeed we were on the same wavelength on that issue—maybe not on one or two others. National has been as solid as a rock on this matter throughout this period in the House. It is opposed to the microchipping of farm dogs and for that matter of all dogs. It is only this tired mean-spirited Government that is acting like a dog with a bone and that is the most dangerous sort of dog to deal with. 
Let us look at the Government side of the House and see what is happening to Labour’s circus of dog obedience. New Zealand First is on the Government’s choke chain. United Future has been running with the hares and hunting with the hounds. Of course in the Progressive party there is Jim Anderton who is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Labour the microchip master is the dog in the manger. I will go back to show members some of the behaviour we have had during this period. Gordon Copeland talked earlier about principles and morals and where he stood in trying to shift the blame on to the Greens. I quote a media report: “They say that every dog has his day. But for United Future MP Gordon Copeland his tough talk over microchipping lasts only a few hours. In the morning Copeland claims to have the Government in a corner saying that they will have to back his claims to exempt farm dogs or face total defeat. By the afternoon he rolls over and plays dead.” What a shameful situation that is.