Guy Nathan: Animal Welfare Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is subject to correctionGuy Nathan: Animal Welfare Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 30 April 2015. Volume:704;Page:3113. Text is subject to correction.]Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries):I move That the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill be now read a third time. I am very pleased to speak on the third reading of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill. Animal welfare matters to New Zealanders. It matters because we know that animals are sentient—capable of having feelings perceptions and experiences. It matters because our multi-billion dollar primary industries are dependent on the welfare of animals from which our primary products are derived; approximately $25 billion is generated from animal products per year. It matters because two-thirds of New Zealand households own at least one pet and they are much-loved members of their larger extended families. Most important animal welfare matters because New Zealand is a fair-minded and decent society and treating animals properly is a part of our culture. It is very much a part of how we define who we are.New Zealand already has a strong animal welfare system. In November last year the global charity World Animal Protection ranked New Zealand first equal out of 50 countries for our animal welfare regulatory system alongside the UK Austria and Switzerland. That was fantastic. Our existing Animal Welfare Act is already part of our global success; so are our innovative spirit and our constant pursuit of excellence. Animal welfare matters: New Zealand Animal Welfare Strategy released in 2013 defines New Zealand’s two primary animal welfare objectives as being—the first one is caring for our animals and the second one is “reputation for integrity”. A review of the Act in 2012 identified several areas where the clarity enforceability and transparency of the Act could be improved. The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill addresses each of these.The bill explicitly recognises the sentience of animals as I have already noted. That means that they can have both positive and negative experiences. It clarifies several areas around live animal exports. Mandatory standards and regulations will strengthen protections for animals exported for breeding purposes. The current prohibition of animal exports for slaughter will continue under the Animal Welfare Act instead of the Customs and Excise Act. The ability to regulate surgical and painful procedures will provide clearer responsibilities for those in charge of animals. Conduct towards wild animals that goes beyond generally accepted hunting or killing practice will be an offence under the Act.The bill creates a tiered enforcement scheme to address repeat low to mid-level offending where existing sanctions have been ineffective. The bill also allows animal welfare inspectors to be proactive by issuing compliance notices requiring people to take action before their animals suffer. The bill improves the overall transparency of the Act. The amendments make it explicit that the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee must consider the practicality and economic impact where relevant but this cannot override animal welfare considerations. The bill provides clear time limits and justifications for allowing practices that do not fully meet the requirements of the Act. These transitional regulations allow an industry a maximum of 10 years to implement new compliant practices with a one-off 5-year renewal in very limited situations.The use of animals in testing teaching and in scientific research is controversial and it must be tightly controlled. Part 6 of the Animal Welfare Act already contains a sound ethical framework. This makes it clear that no living animal may be used in any scientific project unless the benefits of that work to humans other animals or the environment outweigh the harm to animals involved. The bill now requires the Animal Ethics Advisory Committee to consider whether sufficient regard has been given to using non-living or non-sentient alternatives when projects involving the use of animals in research testing or teaching are being considered. The euthanising of animals to undertake research on their tissues or body parts will now also be included in official statistics in line with international best practice.There is considerable public concern about the use of animals to test non-essential products such as cosmetics. To the best of our knowledge cosmetic testing on animals has never been carried out here in New Zealand. The ethical framework means it is very unlikely that such testing would happen in the future. However the current Act does not expressly ban cosmetic testing on animals. The bill now explicitly bans the use of animals to test finished cosmetic products and ingredients intended to be exclusively used in a cosmetic. This will guarantee that cosmetic testing on animals will never happen in New Zealand. Important research testing or teaching for purposes such as developing human and animal medicines will not be affected. I want to acknowledge the contribution of the Green MP Mojo Mathers on this particular issue. Thank you very much.The primary benefits of this bill will be realised through a programme of regulations that will set clear and specific rules for the care of and conduct towards animals for the carrying out of surgical and painful procedures on animals and also for live animal exports. The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee will be responsible for maintaining these regulations in conjunction with its role in developing codes of welfare. NAWAC as it is commonly called and the Ministry for Primary Industries are already working to develop these regulations. Once the bill has been passed they will consult extensively with all affected parties and the wider public to ensure that these regulations are fair robust simple to understand and effective to enforce.Both industry and advocacy groups engaged extensively with the development and progress of this bill. I want to acknowledge the wide range of submissions received by the Primary Production Committee. I want to also thank the select committee for its hard work on this bill. It has been a truly collaborative process right through from the select committee working with different political parties here in the House. The Government looks forward to the ongoing engagement of all of these different groups as the regulations are developed over the next 18 months or so.I am proud of the record of this Government on animal welfare. In 2010 we allocated an additional $8.2 million to support animal welfare compliance and enforcement. This enabled the Ministry for Primary Industries to more than double the number of its animal welfare inspectors and to provide funding to the SPCA for its very important enforcement work. Penalties and sentences in the Animal Welfare Act were increased also in 2010. The penalty for wilful ill-treatment was increased from 3 to 5 years’ imprisonment with a maximum fine of $100000 for individuals and $500000 for a body corporate. We have banned the use of animal testing for psychoactive substances banned shark finning and banned the use of blunt force trauma to euthanise bobby calves. Dry sow stalls are being banned from December this year and we are phasing out the use of battery cages for hens. A huge amount of work has happened already and there is more to be done.As I said I would like to thank the officials from the Ministry for Primary Industries the Primary Production Committee members and also members of the public who have taken time to put their input through submissions into this bill. In closing I would also like to note again that although New Zealand is now ranked first equal by the global charity World Animal Protection the bill currently before the House is evidence that we will never be complacent. Our world-leading animal welfare laws are being made even stronger. I commend the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill to the House.