[Greens-Media] Minister Hunter Barking Up Wrong Tree on Dog & Cats

[Franks, Office]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE


May 18, 2016


Minister Hunter Barking Up Wrong Tree on Dog & Cats




Greens Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Tammy Franks MLC has questioned why the Dog and Cat Management Bill 2015 which has received widespread support from all sides of politics was today threatened to be referred to a rare Deadlock Conference by Minister Hunter over the specific definition of 'desexing'.



The Bill provides for mandatory desexing for dogs and cats born after the commencement of the legislation which do not fall into specific exemption categories of working livestock dogs or exempted animals for breeding. The Parliament has agreed to the broad thrust of the bill but not that the only types of desexing undertaken to be restricted to 'spay and castrate' only rather than all currently used and potential future forms of desexing.



Tammy Franks MLC says: "Minister Hunter has developed the reverse Midas touch across a number of portfolios. Whatever he handles turns to muck. This cats and dogs bill is the latest in a litany of his failures. What he originally told the South Australian public and the Parliament was about stopping overbreeding and puppy factories today he turned into a debate on dog bites.



"The Parliament today declined to take wording advice from the man who brought the term 'co design a new engagement paradigm' into political currency to explain his mishandling of the Clovelly Park and Mitchell park contamination matter. I for one will not be taking wording advice from hapless Hunter and have listened to what the vets have asked be put in the legislation what this Labor Minister wants on a whim and would hope the Lower House will now listen to the experts in desexing - the vets.



"The idea that only desexing through spay and castrate means are somehow a silver bullet when it comes to dog bites was not proven by the Minister in the debate even by his own admission today.



"What other Minister worth their salt would then threaten to take a definition of desexing that has the support of the Australian Veterinarian Association of SA all the way to a deadlock conference in favour of his own more restrictive definition that the vets have told us they do not want? It's either bad advice or bad judgement or possibly both.



"Vets are the professionals in the surgery performing these desexing procedures they should be listened to when they ask for a definition that covers all their practices not restricted to just two, "she concluded.



Media Contact: Tammy Franks 0457 549 938






________________________________

The information in this e-mail may be confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, access to it is unauthorised and any disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it is prohibited and may be unlawful.