Page 3741 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 September 2018
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my Greens colleague sought to put in place back on 1 August, and I suspect that most of us in this chamber have a good degree of sympathy for this measure as well.
In conclusion, I invite those opposite to demonstrate their compassion and their commitment to helping those in need of affordable housing by adopting this bill. It is not a demanding or arduous decision; it will not derail whatever else the government might have in mind. It would make an enormous difference to the lives of some who would now get a chance to access an affordable home that would otherwise be denied to them.
Debate (on motion by Mr Barr) adjourned to the next sitting.
Domestic Animals (Dangerous Dogs) Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
Exposure draft
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (10.08), by leave: I present the following paper:
Domestic Animals (Dangerous Dogs) Legislation Amendment Bill 2018—Exposure draft.
I seek leave to make a statement in relation to the paper.
Leave granted.
MS LAWDER: Firstly, Madam Speaker, let me quote these words:
I rise today to address a matter that is becoming a significant concern to Canberrans and which the government and all members can do something about today. I am not going to talk about theoretical plans, artists’ impressions or legislation that may or may not be enacted by lawmakers in other places, other cities or other countries. I am going to talk about something that each member here can do to look after the wellbeing of Canberrans in our city today.
The issue of dangerous dogs, injuries to people from dogs, injuries and death to pets by dogs and the general fear created by poorly managed dogs is something that is of growing concern in our community. A lack of resources, a lack of urgency to address the existing legislation, a lack of education of dog owners about their responsibilities and obligations and an apparent lack of priority from this government concerning dogs have resulted in a problem that is rapidly running out of control.
Those are the words of my late colleague Steve Doszpot in March 2017. Mr Doszpot, along with his Canberra Liberals colleagues here, had been formally consulting with a range of stakeholders with different community interests on dog management and dog control for some months. We knew it was a growing problem in Canberra.
There were 85 attack investigations in 2012-13; 93 attack investigations in 2013-14; 245 attack investigations in 2014-15; and 360 attack investigations in 2015-16. In March 2017 Mr Doszpot prepared a motion to try to get the government
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