Page 1468 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 11 August 1992
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There is a third premise to Mr Moore's argument, although it is not stated openly, only implied. He seems to be suggesting that the only cruelty which takes place with chimps has to do with their accommodation. Hopefully, I have set him right. I have been able to show Mr Moore video evidence of instances where members of Perry Brothers Circus have used a monkey to attack demonstrators, throwing the monkey at one person and then encouraging the monkey to bite the person. There was also a video of one of those closely "affiniated" circus handlers swinging the monkey by the chain around its neck when the highly "affiniated" monkey tried - ungratefully - to escape. Do we really suppose that any code will be able to prevent the degrading spectacle of monkeys being chained? Madam Speaker, that is where I intend to leave my address. I shall reserve further comment in relation to some of the matters raised until Mr Westende has moved his amendments.
MR WESTENDE (9.19): Madam Speaker, I have not spoken yet on the amendment. May I first of all correct a few things Mr Lamont said. I found it very offensive that he would character-assassinate Mrs Ashton and Mr Perry, who are not in a position to defend themselves in this house. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Mr Lamont. I would have thought that even you would have more manners than that. Furthermore, Mr Lamont, if you want to quote councils that have banned circuses, you should be accurate and quote councils that have banned circuses from performing on council land. That is the fact, Mr Lamont. You say that they have been banned by 100 councils from performing on their land. Why not mention the 900 councils in Australia that allow them on council land? If we want to debate, let us be fair. Let this be a fair debate. Let this be a fair law. Let us be fair to the animals, and let us be fair to the people who treat those animals like human beings.
Turning to Mr Lamont's policy statement, it is rather odd that in the submissions to the people who constituted this forum there was an entirely different draft that was omitted from this document, which read as follows: "It is recognised that varying State regulations make it difficult for mobile enterprises such as circuses to comply with the different conditions imposed. The development of a national code of practice for circuses, therefore, is strongly supported. Abidance by this code, when developed, should be a condition of the permit".
Mr Lamont: Where is this from?
MR WESTENDE: That is part of the submission that resulted in this document, and it was very conveniently omitted, Mr Lamont.
Mr Lamont: It was your Government that supported it. Your Government endorsed it. Mr Kaine was the leader. He was the Chief Minister.
MR WESTENDE: I am saying to you, Mr Lamont, that that paragraph was very conveniently omitted.
Mr Lamont: And we hope that it remains that way.
MR WESTENDE: We hope that it does not, and we are working on it. I am glad you mentioned the next poll, because there will be a next time. There will be a poll two years from now and you will have to account for your actions in this house. If you are so damned sure that you have people on your side, why did
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