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