Page 436 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 27 June 1989
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cruelty on our native animals are little better than child molesters.
This Government has got to square one, and I applaud it for that, but for it to complete the process it must come up with cost-effective ways of ensuring that offenders are brought to justice. I ask the Minister to review the policing arrangements for our rural areas to see whether they can increase the pressure on perpetration of crimes against our wildlife. I would like to quote briefly, Mr Speaker, from the letter to which I referred earlier from Mr Chris Cottam. He talks about clauses 7, 8 and 9 of the Bill, and he says:
It should be noted that many of the offenders -
He is talking here about those who destroy nests, in particular -
that we encounter are children. Therefore, are the pecuniary and imprisonment penalties imposed appropriate, or do the defence provisions of sections 24(3) and (4) provide an easy way out of prosecution for children who cannot be expected to have a reasonable understanding of the consequences of their action?
I endorse those comments. He goes on to say, in respect of clauses 8 and 9:
The Foundation welcomes the increased penalties as deterrents in these activities. Unfortunately, the effect is not as great as it could be because there are not enough resources in the Parks and Conservation Service to properly enforce this aspect of the legislation. We have seen the recent creation of an enforcement unit within the Service, but it does not have adequate resources to effectively investigate and prosecute breaches.
That is a matter of great concern. It is all very well, as I have said, for us to impose considerably heavier penalties, but if we cannot catch the offenders those penalties are fairly useless. Mr Speaker, wildlife also needs protection from feral animals, and I urge the Government to make sure the control of feral animals becomes a high priority. During the election campaign, the Liberals pledged to give higher priority to the control of feral animals, and I hope this Government follows the Liberal lead.
I would also like to add some comments, Mr Speaker, on the development of animal welfare legislation. I understand that presently a review of animal welfare legislation is taking place and that a report is expected to go before the Government later this year. It covers cruelty to animals and related subjects, such as codes of practice for animal experimentation. I look forward to that legislation coming
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