Mathers Mojo: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMathers Mojo: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 01 December 2015. Volume:710;Page:8388. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.MOJO MATHERS (Green) to the Minister for Primary Industries: What percentage of complaints made to the Ministry for Primary Industries about animal cruelty result in prosecutions?Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries):I am advised that last year the Ministry for Primary Industries prosecuted 26 individuals or around 5 percent of the 698 animal welfare complaints received. Every single one of these animal welfare complaints was followed up. Prosecutions are only one outcome of animal welfare complaints; for example some complaints are unable to be substantiated and for others if the non-compliance was relatively minor individuals may be issued with formal warnings and/or fines. In Budget 2015 the Government allocated $10 million over 4 years to boost the ministry’s animal welfare compliance and enforcement capability and to develop more transparent and enforceable animal welfare regulations.Mojo Mathers: Is the Minister confident that the Ministry for Primary Industries undertakes enough prosecutions given that last year farm workers who stomped on and killed piglets were not prosecuted and a farmer who deliberately rammed cows with a quad bike was not prosecuted?Hon NATHAN GUY: Indeed the Ministry for Primary Industries has a real focus on animal welfare issues. It needs to have the evidence to bring a prosecution through the New Zealand judicial system. The member will be aware that there was a shocking case of a West Coast farmer who recently went through the court and as a result received 4½ years’ imprisonment and from memory that individual will not be able to own or be near any livestock for 10 years. The Ministry for Primary Industries does take this issue very seriously.Mojo Mathers: Will the Minister direct the Ministry for Primary Industries to undertake more prosecutions of people who abuse animals as a result of the publicity from the Sunday programme that showed calves being left in the hot sun thrown into trucks and kicked and beaten to death?Hon NATHAN GUY: Like I am sure the House I was very disappointed in that footage on the Sunday programme. The Ministry for Primary Industries stepped up the investigation on 14 September which was the day it was provided with the video footage. The ministry will take this particular case very seriously as it does in all other cases. Because of the investment that the Government has made in terms of Budget 2015 we now have more animal welfare compliance officers to do the job that is needed.Mojo Mathers: How will the Minister ensure that our international reputation will not continue to be harmed by these horrific cases of animal abuse on farms on trucks and in slaughterhouses?Hon NATHAN GUY: The footage that we saw on the Sunday programme in my view was extremely disappointing. In my view it is the action of a minority—a small number of cowboys—in the industry. As I mentioned before the Ministry for Primary Industries will be very thorough in its investigation. The member will also know that we have brought in the new amendment Act and regulations which we will be consulting on which will further strengthen the overall enforceability of the Act and the code.Hon Damien O’Connor: Has the Minister instructed the Ministry for Primary Industries to hand over the video to the police to assist them to catch and prosecute that rogue operator who has put New Zealand’s reputation at risk?Hon NATHAN GUY: These investigations are completely separate of Ministers or the executive. These are very similar to a police investigation. I am not briefed on the detail of them. It is a decision for the ministry to make. That is a decision that I am sure the ministry will take into account when it gets more information. At the moment instead of the member scaremongering he should wait for the ministry to do its job. The ministry has stepped up an investigation on 14 September. Instead of the member scaremongering let us wait for the investigation to conclude.