Hon Jim Anderton

Minister of Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, Minister of Fisheries, Minister of Forestry
Associate Minister of Health,
Associate Minister for Tertiary Education,
Minister Responsible for Public Trust

Progressive Leader

21 December 2006 Media Release

Anderton says welfare of animals critical to New Zealand

In an address given at the University of Canterbury School of Law today, the Minister of Agriculture, Jim Anderton, said that in a country as reliant on animals as New Zealand is, "We have to be leaders in everything related to animals. Legal developments are no exception."

Jim Anderton was contributing to 'Animals and the Law', a specialist course being offered at the Law School by Dr Ian Robertson, who has qualifications in both law and as a vet. The Minister said that this branch of the law was developing internationally and it is important that New Zealand keeps up in this field.

He added, "Our Animal Welfare Act is highly regarded internationally.
It is state of the art legislation and it has been used by a number of overseas countries, including the UK, to revise and redesign their own legislation."

The Minister talked about New Zealand needing to be a world leader in animal legislation. "This is not just a matter of morality (though that should be persuasive enough on its own.) It is also a matter of economic necessity. We've been dependent on animals virtually since the first European settlers arrived here. So we have long been an animal-dependent economy and for our entire foreseeable future we will continue to be dependent on our primary industries for our first world status. "

New Zealand's practice and policies have international standing. "This is demonstrated by the appointment of the President of the SPCA, Peter Mason, to the Executive Board of the World Society for the Protection of Animals. It has invited New Zealand to play a prominent role supporting the proposed United Nations Declaration for the Welfare of Animals," Mr Anderton said.

ENDS

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