Heatley Phil: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Heatley Phil: Veterinarians Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:628;Page:971] 
PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei) 
: 
 I think those scathing comments from Martin Gallagher about Moana Mackey’s performance in the last election in losing her mother’s seat were unnecessary. I think he could have been much more charitable to Moana Mackey about her attempt to win that seat. This has been very much cross-party legislation on which the parties have worked together—National has voted with Labour on most of it tonight—and for him to attack not National members but members within his own caucus is entirely unnecessary. I have a lot of respect for Martin Gallagher and I am disappointed about that. Anne Tolley did a good job but that should not take anything away from Moana Mackey who genuinely ran for that seat and who wanted to represent those people. To compare her with her mother is entirely unfair and unfortunate. 
On the other hand I would like to acknowledge my colleagues—not cut them down as that member chose to do with his colleagues. I acknowledge four colleagues in particular—and I do not intend to cause offence to those whom I leave out. This is their first urgency and they have been debating the Veterinarians Bill since roughly 4 o’clock. Those members are Jacqui Dean Jackie Blue Jo Goodhew and Kate Wilkinson and they have been involved in every single— 
Hon David Carter 
: What about Chester Borrows? 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: I am coming to the gentlemen. Those four in particular have been involved in every single part of the bill. I have kept a record and they have risen to debate every part. [ 
Interruption 
] I will be tabling the record. They contributed as they saw fit and I acknowledge them for that—we really appreciate it. They also took the time to laugh at all our jokes—and they are doing it again—and we have appreciated that and I would like to acknowledge them. Of course Chris Tremain the member for Napier has been here and Chester Borrows the wonderful member for Whanganui. We have been surrounded by support and I guess David Carter and I are quite overwhelmed. It has been quite wonderful and I thank those members very much for that. 
We would like to acknowledge the Veterinary Association also and the Veterinary Council which contributed so much to the legislation—of course not tonight in this Chamber but at the select committee. They were there we consulted them and we brought in their experience. Clearly most of us are not vets—the Hon Pete Hodgson is the only member of the House who was a veterinary surgeon—so that advice was much appreciated and also of course the advice of the Meat Board. 
We do need the bill to pass this evening. As David Carter pointed out it has languished on the Table of the House for 6 months. The Primary Production Committee worked very very hard from February of this year through to June to move it and for it then to languish on the Order Paper for 6 months has been quite soul-destroying for the Veterinary Association and the Veterinary Council which wanted us to get on with it to ensure that they could register vets for next year instead of having to wait a further 18 months or 2 years. But finally we have forced the Government to put the bill through under urgency and we are delighted with the outcome. 
Issues in the bill that we challenged at the select committee included particularly the limited registration criteria. The Minister of Agriculture was hell-bent on making sure we could have South African vets United States vets Canadian vets and European vets come into the country. We welcome them too. Labour is hell-bent on bringing them into the country but it does not acknowledge all the other professionals including vets who train here but leave to go overseas—600 a week—because of the high taxes the political correctness the compliance costs and the headaches they face in practising here. Vets are leaving New Zealand. We have invested in them and they are going overseas. Architects are leaving doctors are leaving teachers are leaving nurses are leaving—everybody is leaving. It is only the loyal National Party members who are willing to stay and fight. We see that all the time. Vets are leaving too. In the bill the Minister is trying to encourage vets from other nations to come over and serve our rural communities and our inner-city communities with small-animal surgeries yet he is ignoring the plight of the vets who train here. The National Party makes a plea to the Government to look after our own as well as looking after the interests of those whom we are seeking to attract to this country. 
National will support the bill as it has done through all its stages and I commend it to the Committee.