Page 1689 - Week 06 - Thursday, 13 August 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR HUMPHRIES: I have done so, Madam Speaker; what I am saying is perfectly relevant.
MADAM SPEAKER: Would you please continue, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: This goes exactly to the heart of this amendment. We are reducing the penalty involved because some person innocently - - -
Mr Berry: No, you are not.
MR HUMPHRIES: Listen, Mr Berry. A person may innocently conduct a medical procedure - not necessarily even breaking the skin of an animal - on their dog, cat or canary, or whatever, and they will be guilty of an offence under this clause. We are prepared, apparently, to accept that as an offence. I am simply arguing that we should be lowering the penalty; it is too high. Madam Speaker, if those opposite will not consider that kind of issue, they really have closed their minds, very dramatically, to the issues that this Bill presents.
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (4.30): Madam Speaker, I do not need to repeat what I said by way of interjection; but when Mr Humphries was Education Minister the schools for which he had responsibility were refining their very carefully established codes of practice concerning the care of animals for which they have responsibility. That includes the way that they deal with the animals that they might cut up - there is no question about that - and it is done properly. It was done when you were Minister, and it continues to be done.
Today there has been an operation in this Assembly, but it is a very bloody one. We have been ACIL-ed; that is what it is. We are not looking at the animal welfare legislation; we are carrying out a Liberal Party tactic. That is what we are doing.
Mr Humphries: Relevance, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Humphries. I believe that he has finished.
MR STEVENSON (4.30): When I initially read the Bill, I also had a concern about this particular clause. I think Mr Humphries has raised a number of points that are relevant.
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! It being 4.30 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 . . . .