Gallagher Martin: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Gallagher Martin: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:628;Page:969] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 I rise to speak in the third reading of this bill just as I did in a previous reading. I certainly also listened with great interest to the contribution of members of Parliament during the Committee stage of the bill. I think for the sake of those who are listening to this House tonight that it is very important to focus on what this bill is about. 
The Veterinarians Bill repeals the Veterinarians Act 1994 which among other things sets out the requirements to register as a veterinarian in New Zealand. That very very important issue is addressed by this bill. The legislation is to be implemented by the Veterinary Council of New Zealand and the bill aims to take a principled approach to the regulatory framework for veterinarians rather than a more prescriptive approach. The approach is intended to provide greater flexibility for the council to implement the legislative framework. I note that the key provisions of the bill relate to the qualification requirement for veterinarians the registration processes for and categories of veterinarians the disciplinary powers of the Veterinary Council of New Zealand and I note the commentary on the bill focuses on the main issues examined in it. I will talk later on about the very critical importance of vets to New Zealand and the importance surrounding that branding issue. 
I was personally touched by the sincerity and focus that members of the Opposition had particularly in terms of naming potential appointees to the Veterinary Council. Although I think it is a compliment that they must have such a high view of the members they were naming I do think it is very important that we should of course look further afield than members of this House. I thank those who nominated me as a potential member of the council for their kind words and kind thoughts but I think we do need to look very extensively for potential appointees. I think a lot of people outside this Parliament could do the job equally as well as people like myself if not absolutely better. 
I think the Opposition may wish to reflect on the people it did nominate because I can obviously think of a number of people in the Opposition who may have time on their hands later in this term. It is a contribution for example that Dr Brash could possibly make later in the term in view of his vast array of skills and experiences. He of course—and I think this is obvious and I predict this here in Parliament in the closing stages of the year 2005—will have time on his hands. I do think we on the Government side of the House will certainly be going to the Minister to say that would be a fitting role for Dr Brash in terms of his service to our nation. 
I thought the contribution made by the member for Otago—I have not heard her speak much in this House before; I know she has spoken obviously but I was not in the Chamber at the time—touched on a very important and valid point which is the role of the family pet. We often underestimate just how meaningful and how important pets are. People do genuinely love their animals and they are an integral part of the family. We look at other people and we say that they are mad; we wonder how they could like a dog as much as they do. But having had a dearly loved German shepherd in our family that we kept alive as long as possible until the vet came and said that it was time for our dog to exit this life I can certainly relate to the member for Otago’s sincerity and anguish. She highlighted just how important the family pet is and I was personally quite moved by her commentary on and wonderful insight into and observation of just how meaningful pets are. 
I have been with my kids when the Siamese cats and the German shepherd had to go and they were taken along to the vet for the injection. That is a skill in human relations and sometimes we underestimate it but I think it is a critical part of a vet’s empathy and training. Obviously we want children to be brought up to have a love of and a care for animals. I think that is a reflection of their humanity. I do not underestimate how important pets are. I want to go on record as thanking the member for Otago for her very good contribution and observation. Of course she highlighted the actual importance of this bill. 
I want to move on and take the opportunity to thank the Primary Production Committee for its good work. I think sadly to a degree the chair of the committee perhaps unwittingly got into some point-scoring which diminished the wonderful work he did. I will pay him a compliment. I know he is not an electorate member and certainly he will have time at his disposal. I understand that the member stood in the Banks Peninsula electorate. I have looked at the map. I saw that electorate did not go blue; it is a very red electorate. But certainly I will be gracious and compliment the chair of the committee and also the other members of it. I thank my good mate Clayton Cosgrove for the wonderful work he did and for his focus. I also thank Doug Woolerton. He is a very good member of the committee. 
Certainly I do compliment the chair on his very very gracious words with regard to the deputy chair of the committee in the previous term who is our good mate on the Government side of the House—and I think on all sides of the House—Janet Mackey. Yes there is possibly a role for her on the Veterinary Council. Whether Janet Mackey would be willing to play a role on it is food for thought. She was in my view a very good example of an excellent member who covered a huge geographical area in her electorate. 
I say without being at all patronising or condescending—which I am not—to the Opposition members that if they want to learn how to be excellent wonderful constituency members of Parliament and how to cover areas with a huge geographical spread they should look no further than to Janet Mackey. She had an exceptionally down-to-earth approach. She was very very close to the people who did not have that view. I say to the new Opposition members and also to Sandra Goudie that they should stop and watch to make sure they do not get a born-to-rule mentality. If I can give some advice to the new members of the National Party in the context of this bill and of the contributions they made on it it is not to get a born-to-rule mentality. Janet Mackey is a very very good role model for them. 
In the time that I have left I want to say it is absolutely important that we clearly keep the brand if one likes of veterinarians. There is an item in the report about branding and focus. This is why I agree with previous speakers. I represent an electorate that is at the heart of the Waikato which is a major export and rural agricultural area. Of course as a member of Parliament for that area I am deeply interested in this bill. I want to join other members in complimenting the Veterinary Council of New Zealand and the Veterinarians Association. They do excellent work and they have a very very important role in this country which literally lives or dies by its ability to produce and export products that come from our farms and from the land. I think that this bill is very very important. I know that during the Committee stage all members treated this bill with absolute seriousness because it is a very important bill. 
I say to the Opposition members that if they want to have a good advocate for rural people quite frankly Richard Worth the previous member for Epsom may leave some members for dead. I found more passion in his contribution than in the contributions of some of the so-called provincial members. Richard Worth is from an inner-city seat. I compliment him tonight. Frankly some of the newer members of the National Party could learn from Richard Worth’s passion and interest. He made a very very credible and very interesting contribution during the Committee stage. I think it is the culmination of his esteemed legal career that he should arrive in this House as an Opposition spokesperson and make the contribution he did on the Veterinarians Bill. I compliment Richard Worth on that. 
I will close by saying that being a member of the Veterinary Council would be a good role for Dr Brash. It would be an honour for him and I will be promoting that later in this term when he is looking for a new job.