Page 1480 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 11 August 1992
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Mr De Domenico: But they do.
MRS GRASSBY: Yes, I am sorry; that is a part I do not like about it. I think it would be much better to see a horse win because it was so much better than the others. You do not need to whip it to get it to win. You do not need to whip a child to get a child to be good. You get a child to be good by giving it love. I think you get an animal to be good by giving it love too. Mr Humphries has just told you all the wonderful things he does with his dog. Obviously quite a few people would like to be one of his dogs. They get better treatment than some people get.
Mr De Domenico: I think you are barking up the wrong tree there, Ellnor. You will not have a leg to stand on there.
MRS GRASSBY: I am sorry, Mr De Domenico; I cannot see any water in your argument because obviously you do not care about animals.
Mr De Domenico: I do. I just do not ban them.
MRS GRASSBY: I do not think you do care.
Mr De Domenico: I do not want to ban them, though.
MRS GRASSBY: If you do not know about it, it does not matter; it does not matter what they do about it. It is unfair to see an animal in a cage. It is unfair to see an animal of any kind chained up. I do not care what animal it is. I hate to see a dog tied up. An animal is meant to be free and to be able to walk around, not to do tricks. Get the people to do the tricks and pay them well to do it, and the more you pay them the better tricks they will do.
MR CORNWELL (10.07): I must say, Madam Speaker, that I have found this to be an extraordinary debate.
Mr Lamont: Educational, at least.
MR CORNWELL: You may find it so, Mr Lamont, although your speech, your longwinded speech, did not really indicate that. You insulted a couple of people who, as Mr Westende rightly pointed out, were in no position to respond, which I think is an extremely cowardly method of behaving. I waited to hear what you had to say in order to make notes. I have to say that, apart from making a note about your objectionable behaviour towards Mrs Ashton and Mr Perry, I really have a blank space under your name.
I did, however, note that you did not appear to apply your criticism of the treatment of circus animals to all circus animals, any more than any of you have attempted to apply your criticism of the treatment of animals to all animals. If you people feel so strongly about the treatment of animals, in what clause of this piece of legislation do you intend to ban racing? We hear a great deal of talk from you people opposite.
Ms Follett: Well, move the amendment if you want to do it.
MR CORNWELL: We are not supporting this. It is your Bill.
Ms Follett: You are the ones who keep talking about it.
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