Page 1470 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 11 August 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
It is recognised that the Bill is a start in tightening up the area of animal welfare, but the uncertainties in the Bill are causing unnecessary concerns in the community and unfair pronouncements against well-meaning and hardworking Australians. We support Mr Moore's amendment; but, once that is concluded, I will be moving my own amendment. There are many more to come.
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (9.28): Madam Speaker, I am interested in members' comments. Thus far, perhaps with the exception of the question of circus animals, this has been a bipartisan debate on legislation that has been produced with the general support of all members in the Assembly. We are, believe it or not, discussing clause 4. We thank you, Madam Speaker, for your tolerance in this repeat in-principle debate.
I shall comment on a few of the matters members have raised. One of those - Mr Moore, I think, was the first to mention it - was my likely attendance at the animal welfare Ministers conference in a little while. I went to the first such conference last year and I found it as interesting and useful as any of the few ministerial conferences I attend. But that does not mean that there was agreement at the conference. I found that issue after issue brought considerable disagreement amongst members. Whether it was the docking of cows' tails or the way we control dogs or the question of rodeos, there was considerable disagreement from State to State.
I say that to caution you that it will be rather difficult to establish national codes of practice, as has been suggested here. Indeed, the more likely way we will go is to establish a model code of practice on which States will base their codes of practice. We can put into the model our own interpretation, our own strengths, what we want to be careful about. If a particular State does not want to have anything to do with the docking of dogs' or cows' tails, then it does not go into it. So there will not be, I expect, national uniformity on these issues.
The agenda for the forthcoming conference has not been determined, though I understand that I am about to be invited to raise matters for the agenda. I will be pleased to do so, and maybe I can raise some of the matters that are topical in the ACT and to which the ACT Government is giving consideration.
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! It being 9.30 pm, I propose the question:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr Berry: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.
Question resolved in the negative.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .