Goodhew Jo: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Goodhew Jo: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:628;Page:916] 
JO GOODHEW (National—Aoraki) 
: 
 I rise to speak to Part 3 “Complaints disciplinary hearings medical and competence assessments and conditions of practice”. I do so because this is a very important part of the bill. Why so? Well we know that about half of the submissions before the Primary Production Committee were from worried pet owners. Why would there be worried pet owners? Because pet owners are second only to parents in terms of protecting the vulnerable—children and pets. That is why we have emotive pleas from pet owners and emotive pleas from parents that we look after their interests. That is why there is a provision that deals with complaints disciplinary hearings medical and competence assessments and conditions of practice. We have this part of the bill because those things are important if we are to protect pets as we would children. They are very vulnerable members of our families our whanau and that is why Part 3 has 34 pages—34 of the total of 91 pages. It is very very significant. 
My learned colleagues who are members of the Primary Production Committee that considered this bill have given us excellent insight into the deliberations of the select committee and I make no apologies for repeating my former theme. A large number of amendments were proposed by the select committee; a large number of paragraphs were struck out and new paragraphs put in—unanimously of course. They represent the very hard work that the select committee did to achieve a balance between the interests of the veterinarians and the interests of the pet owners. 
I am speaking to Part 3 because I am a pet owner so I understand. My pet Hogan a cat is reaching a stage at 18 years of age when he is a very very old pet. Of course I am concerned because before too much longer he will be visiting my friendly vet. I spoke to my vet today and he really encourages us to get this bill through the House before Christmas because it is very important for him. One day before too much longer Hogan will be visiting the vet and it will be for the last time. I want to make sure there is a process in place should I want to make a complaint about the vet—but I doubt I ever would. 
I want to refer to an earlier question asked by a colleague of mine about what the “things” might be in clause 32. I have an idea of what the “things” might be for I know that my vet stores the dead pets in the freezer. I think the “things” might be the dead pets in the freezer awaiting repatriation to their owners their whanau their family. They may be the “things”. I propose that this is perhaps an answer to that question. 
I do feel very passionately about this part because it is about protection for pets such as Hogan our 18-year-old cat who may soon be shuffling off this mortal coil or kicking the bucket or going to the great cattery in the sky. I like other owners—like the owners of Bianca Parker-Green the cockatoo—feel very very strongly about the protection of my pets. But as someone who has had a profession and is married to a professional I understand that there needs to be a balance between the rights of the vets and the rights of the pets and the pets’ owners. My learned colleague mentioned natural justice and Part 3 is the part of the bill that sets it all out so that we understand how these processes should take place. I remind members that Mr Heatley warned the vets. 
We know that the members of the select committee balanced both sides and came up with the many amendments. The original bill was a mess because the previous Minister of Agriculture had not consulted the sector groups.