Are Children to be Valued on an Equal Basis with Animals?
The Kiwi Party

Press Release
July 6, 2010

The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill should receive its Royal assent sometime this week after passing its third reading on July 1st. The new five year prison term for causing the cruel death of animals will take effect the day following the Governor General applying his signature.

The bill began as a private member's bill of Tauranga MP Simon Bridges after he conducted a survey of the residents of Tauranga. No question in this survey was asked about tougher sentencing for those convicted of cruelty to animals, yet when asked in Question 4 of the survey, “Do you support tougher sentences for violent and drug offenders?" 89% said "yes".
Simon’s response was to draft his bill that makes the penalty for cruelty to animals the same as for cruelty to children.
Kiwi Party Leader Larry Baldock said that was hardly what the good people of Tauranga were calling for!

“Those who inflict pain and death by acts of cruelty to animals definitely deserve stiff penalties for their behaviour, but does the life of a child now have the same value as an animal in New Zealand?

“For many years we have placed no value on a human child before birth, as we have terminated more than 17,000 precious lives annually under the guise of ‘family planning'. If abortion is not an act of special cruelty, even in the rare event of saving the life of the mother, then it is no wonder we see our society degraded again and again with acts of cruelty perpetuated on those fortunate enough to survive their gestation period in the womb.

“If 5yrs is an appropriate prison term of cruelty to animals it must be time to impose an even tougher sentence on those thugs that kill and maim our precious children on a regular basis across the nation. Cruelty that sometimes leaves no physical scars but nevertheless leaves emotional scars that continue for life.

“Draft a bill to address this discrepancy, Mr Bridges, and the people of Tauranga and all New Zealand will know you and your National-led government are listening and have your priorities right,” said the Kiwi Party Leader.

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