Carter David: Local Government Law Reform Bill — Second Reading 
Carter David: Local Government Law Reform Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:631;Page:3658] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (National) 
: 
 I am delighted to take a call on the Local Government Law Reform Bill and I want to speak about only one part of that bill—that is the part concerning microchipping. I say to the House that New Zealanders know that we are seeing a Government on its way out over an issue like this. This Government is completely missing the representation and the feeling out there in the community because the people of New Zealand know full well that putting a microchip in a dog dooes not stop dog attacks. The issue is as simple as that. A microchip in the neck of a dog will not stop one single dog attack. 
We observe today the Government with absolute arrogance accepting a select committee report—a very good select committee report—and saying right up front that it will disregard the work of that select committee; disregard the many people who made submissions to that select committee; and disregard the thousands of New Zealanders who signed petitions all around the country and said to the Government: “For God’s sake wake up and listen and realise that a microchip in the neck of a dog will not stop a dog attack.” 
Last Saturday at a rally in Christchurch organised by my colleague Kate Wilkinson about 250 dogs and dog owners turned up to protest against this Government move. I was struck by a bumper sticker that the organisers launched at that rally—and I think I am right in saying that it has been launched by the Kennel Club—that stated: “Dog owners will vote—2008”. If the Government arrogantly thinks that this issue will go away next week if it muscles the legislation through Parliament and uses its numbers in the House to disregard the wishes of many New Zealanders I say to Helen Clark that her arrogance will cost her. The arrogance of Helen Clark and the Labour members will cost the Government at the next election because New Zealanders know how stupid this legislation is. 
I have listened today to speeches from people like Ron Mark Nanaia Mahuta and Gordon Copeland. Following the Carolina Anderson case they all tried to argue that if we successfully instituted a compulsory microchipping regime in this country we would stop dog attacks. [ 
Interruption 
] I say to Gordon Copeland that that is just stupid. 
Ron Mark 
: Reduce. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Well now those members are saying that it will not stop it; it will reduce it. That is equally stupid I say to Mr Ron Mark to think that the dog’s behaviour would be affected by a microchip in its neck. That is just absolutely stupid. 
Next week at the Committee stage we will have the opportunity for a debate. At this stage it looks as if the Government will ignore those amendments that I have tabled on behalf of the National Party—one to exempt farm working dogs and one to exempt all dogs—because we do not have the numbers. That will occur despite the fact that on Monday night Gordon Copeland gave an interview on TV3 in which said he was now prepared to vote against the Government. 
Shane Jones 
: He was misquoted. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Now he says he was misquoted. I saw the interview I say to Mr Jones and it did not look to me as if he was misquoted. But I must say that immediately afterwards the interviewer Ingrid Hipkiss said she did not think Gordon Copeland would have the gumption— 
Eric Roy 
: Fortitude. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: —the fortitude to carry on and actually vote against the Government. So National has two amendments one to exempt farm working dogs and the other to exempt all dogs and those amendments are likely to be lost because the “Poodle Party” of United Future is not prepared to support common sense. 
This Government has its priorities totally wrong when we have a Minister in the House—Nanaia Mahuta—whose ministerial responsibility is microchipping. I would have thought there were far more important issues in this country. 
Rodney Hide 
: Auckland issues. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Auckland issues and power blackouts are far more important. 
Hon Member 
: Snow down in the South Island. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Well do members know what Helen Clark said on breakfast TV on Monday morning? When asked to comment about the snow Helen Clark said: “I love the snow because I am a skier.” Many South Islanders did not get to see that because they had no power but I will make sure they all know that at the next election. But I come back to the “Minister for Microchipping” which is Nanaia Mahuta’s job. We now have a situation where Helen Clark and Heather Simpson have cleverly mustered the numbers—although they did not have to work very hard on New Zealand First; those members are absolute poodles and will do exactly what they are told. The two parties they had to work on were United Future and the Greens. 
I say right up front that the Greens have been absolutely consistent with their position. They said they would support getting rid of compulsory microchipping for all dogs. They have since done better than that in the Local Government and Environment Committee supported by National. The position brought back from the select committee which would enforce the microchipping of dangerous and menacing dogs is exactly where we should be. We need to identify the dogs that are dangerous and menacing and microchip them. 
Ron Mark 
: Oh how do you do that? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: But the Government wants to inflict the cost on everybody else—250000 farm dogs—and Ron Mark said in his vitriolic way that the cost was not important. He said that if people could afford a bottle of wine they could afford to microchip their dog. That is what Ron Mark said. He said the cost was unimportant. Well I say to Ron Mark that when he goes back to the electorate he hails from around Waimakariri the farmers of that electorate have been trying to get an appointment with that member for a long time in order to tell him the facts about microchipping. One of the things they want to do is to take the opportunity to tell the member that he does not understand the legislation. 
Ron Mark 
: Give me the name. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I am happy to give the name if the member wants to be embarrassed. This member—Ron Mark—sent an email to Kirstyn Barnett in which he stated: “Inserting a microchip is a one-off identification for the dog and owner. Therefore microchipped dogs would not need to be registered annually.” That is what Ron Mark told his constituent—and that is absolute rubbish! I tell Ron Mark that that is absolute rubbish because there is no proposal here for the annual registration to be done away with. So I tell Mr Ron Mark that he should not mislead his constituents. He should make an effort to understand the legislation. 
In the debate we last had on this issue another New Zealand First member Brian Donnelly suggested that the only reason we continued to register our dogs was for hydatids control. That is what Brian Donnelly said. Well we have not been doing that for 30 years. So I say to New Zealand First that its members should get to understand the legislation. They should not come into the House preaching to us talking about Carolina Anderson and attempting to use her case as a reason we should all be supporting this legislation when that member does not even understand how the legislation works. 
Ron Mark 
: But you voted for it. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: And then he says we voted for it. Well let me explain that again to the member because I am quite happy to do that. There was— 
Rodney Hide 
: ACT never did. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Nor did National. An amendment was moved by Chris Carter on Supplementary Order Paper 67 and National voted against it the ACT party voted against it and one member of United Future Paul Adams voted against it. So those are the facts I tell Mr Mark and it is time the truth was told in this House. National did not support microchipping when that amendment was moved—independently of the select committee report. It was put forward on a Supplementary Order Paper by the Minister at that time Chris Carter but it was not voted for by National. So the truth today prevails I tell Mr Mark. 
In conclusion I say we should make sure the public of New Zealand understands—and Labour members should understand—that putting a microchip in a dog does not change its behaviour. For any member of Parliament to vote on the basis that it will is just plain stupidity. I look forward to the debate next week and I hope that in the meantime pressure can be brought by the many dog owners around New Zealand—like the thousands whom I met yesterday alone at the Fieldays at Hamilton. We should let those people have their say before we pass this stupid legislation next week.