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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (21 May) . . Page.. 1569 ..

MR SPEAKER: Order! It being 5.00 pm, I propose the question:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Mr Humphries: I require that the question be put forthwith without debate.

Question resolved in the negative.

Debate resumed.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, I think it behoves the Government to take another look at this issue and to try to press for a better outcome than the outcome that we have at the moment. Quite frankly, I do not think we have reached where we ought to be on this issue. We are not meeting widely held community values in relation to the keeping of these animals. We are not meeting the standards set by such conservative and mainstream organisations as the RSPCA. Quite frankly, we have to do better than we are doing.

MR MOORE (5.01): Mr Speaker, I must say that, having listened to this debate and having looked at the code, I do look forward to the Greens' legislation. That is why today I will not duck and weave. I will not just cluck, cluck about this code and risk making a turkey of myself.

Mr Humphries: You are just chicken; that is all.

MR MOORE: This code is a paltry attempt at improvement. Having heard Ms Horodny and Mr Whitecross, we ought to say that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. I heard Mr Humphries interject about being chicken, but that is just because he is a little cocky. I would not go so far as to call him an egghead, because I do not think this is a matter about which we should "yolk".

When I plucked up the courage to do this speech in this way, it was just in recognition of the small steps taken in this code, and to take the opportunity to publicly state my in-principle support for the Greens' legislation. Certainly, I am aware of the drafting instructions given on that legislation, although I have not seen the legislation itself. I do not want to walk on shells in dealing with this legislation. When members are considering the whole issue of poultry, perhaps we need to extend our view of just what we mean by poultry. After all, there are now emu farms and other farms as well, and it would be best if we did not bury our heads in the sand.

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