Page 881 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 16 June 1992
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I should say at this stage that it is my intention to support the amendment that Mr Lamont has foreshadowed. It seems to me to be a sensible amendment. I have looked at evidence from both sides at this stage and I am inclined to support the amendments drawn up by Mr Lamont. However, it is possible that there may be such a weight of opinion that I will be convinced otherwise. It may be that a weight of argument put to me that I have not yet been exposed to convinces me that that is not the appropriate way to go. I have no difficulty with waiting six weeks. I cannot see why there will be a great problem with waiting six weeks. I doubt whether there is a circus coming to town in the next six weeks, and therefore - - -
Mr Lamont: There will be now.
MR MOORE: Mr Lamont interjects that there will be now. That may well be the case. With the publicity that circuses have got, people will flock to them in order to get their last chance to show their children these exotic animals. I have a recommendation for people who want to see these exotic animals. We are fortunate enough to be within a half-day's drive of Dubbo, where probably one of the finest zoos in the world is located. I have been to quite a few zoos around the world, Mr Cornwell - I say that because of the look on your face - and I think that that is a very fine zoo indeed because you can see animals where they have plenty of room and where they are in their natural habitat. Since we are on the topic, consider the elephants, for example, in that zoo. It is the one place where you can see elephants where they do not stand and rock and sway from side to side, as one sees in an autistic child, for example.
It seems to me that we have an opportunity here to provide a circumstance where our children can see animals in a natural environment. Interestingly enough, I raised the issue of circuses with my eight-year-old son and asked what he thought of going and seeing circuses. He was pretty enthusiastic about seeing circuses. I said, "What do you think about banning these animals from them?". I had not personally canvassed the issues at all. His reaction was that he does not like the idea of these animals - in particular the tigers and lions we are talking about specifically - being kept in small cages. I guess that is really the reaction of many people. If you are transporting animals in circuses, it is pretty difficult to keep them in any other condition. Madam Speaker, on that issue, I shall be moving for an adjournment during the detail stage of this Bill when we get to the circuses. I want to make it quite clear that it is my intention to ensure that the Bill does not come on for debate for another six or so weeks.
The animal welfare legislation goes on to deal with animal trapping. I think that it is important for us to support the measures taken in this Bill as far as these issues go. I guess it is self-evident, is it not? The Bill is, of course, about cruelty, and cruel methods of trapping have been used for many years. That issue needs to be rectified. I read somewhere about a gin trap, and I would be very interested to know whether the Minister can explain exactly what that style of trap is. I am not familiar with the term at all. My imagination wanders rather broadly. Perhaps when we get to the detail stage, if not earlier, the Minister might explain exactly what that style of trap is. I have seen steel-jawed traps and so forth, as I have lived in rural areas and have seen how people attempted to control rabbits, I think through very cruel methods.
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