Parliament is to reconsider the law allowing animals to be used on the testing of party pills.
The first reading of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill was completed this morning on a voice vote and MPs also agreed an SOP should be considered to ban animals being used to
test the safety of psychoactive substances.
ACT MP John Banks said the recent passage of the Psychoactive Substances Bill had allowed animals to be used to test the
safety of party pills and it was immoral and cruel animals should suffer and die for people’s pleasure.
A number of MPs backed Banks including Labour’s Trevor Mallard who said he wanted the select committee to specifically
look at the use of animal testing for party pills. Mallard said the issue had “gone viral”
A motion to vote on a referral of his SOP seeking to ban the use of animals in the testing of psychoactive substances
was accepted by leave and then passed on a voice vote.
The minister responsible Nathan Guy said New Zealand had one of the best animal welfare regimes in the world, but a
review showed it should be improved and modernised.
A number of MPs said the bill did not go far enough in other areas and talked about the need for greater regulation of
animal testing in general, factory farm practices and live animal exports.
MPs began the first reading debate on the Victims' Orders Against Violent Offenders Bill
The following bills remain in the Urgency motion.
First reading debates on:
Second Reading debate on:
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