Page 1473 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 11 August 1992
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I have commented on a number of the points Mr Lamont made. Mr Westende, I think, reflected the complete confusion on that side of the chamber about this issue. Let me quote what he said; both Mr Connolly and I rapidly wrote this down when it was said. He said that he does not have a cat or a dog because he would not lock them up. He would not do it for a cat or a dog, but he would do it for exotic animals in circuses.
Mr Humphries: When he went away, he said.
MR WOOD: When he went away, at any time. It is all right for cats and dogs - - -
Mr Humphries: He could not look after them when he went away. You misunderstood.
MR WOOD: No; I heard it very well, Mr Humphries. He expressed an opinion about cats and dogs, but it is not going to hold for circuses. That is the view of the Opposition. It is one of confusion.
I have commented on codes of practice and the difficulty we will have with any national code of practice. Mr Westende was concerned about AWAC, the advisory committee. I have never seen a government - ours or yours or anybody else's - introduce an advisory committee or whatever committee may be established as a result of legislation until the legislation is there. This committee will be established properly in due course; that is the way to proceed.
Mr Westende made a comment about RSPCA concerns about inspectors and who is going to train them. I think he has his letters mixed up; it may be that he is talking about the Dog Control Act. He might want to check that. I do thank Mr Westende, who came to me in good spirit with a range of proposals and amendments. He and I had a meeting; my officers attended and went away and considered the proposals he brought in. I want to make it clear that there was every effort on his part and mine to find agreement where that was possible. In fact it has not been possible. There are a few minor amendments he may be moving later that we will accept, but the general thrust of this legislation the Government is determined to maintain. It is simply no longer appropriate for exotic animals to be part of circuses.
MS ELLIS (9.42): I would like to make a couple of observations in this debate, and in doing so I am attempting to broaden the debate slightly. I do not think we should be talking about the word "cruelty". It is a very difficult word to define for the people opposite and for the people in the community who may have a view of this subject different from that of the Government and Mr Lamont. What we are really talking about is attitudinal changes that need to come by natural means within the community. Attitudinal changes historically have already occurred as far as animal care is concerned. Zoo lobbies around the world have responded to attitudinal changes. The sorts of confines in which animals were kept in zoos in the past are now frowned upon, and action either has occurred or is under way to better them. You only have to go to Dubbo to see what I am talking about.
When we think about attitudinal changes occurring with animals of a different type, we think about whales. For heaven's sake, there were times when if a whale had beached itself we would have been fighting over the blubber. Today we see whales beaching themselves and hundreds and hundreds of people attempt to
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