ANIMAL WELFARE (COMMERCIAL BREEDING OF COMPANION ANIMALS) AMENDMENT BILL

Introduction and First Reading

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (10:33): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to amend the Animal Welfare Act 1985. Read a first time.

Second Reading

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (10:33): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Several years ago I introduced a bill relating to what is euphemistically called 'puppy farming'. We know that there are a lot of good animal breeders out there. My colleague the member for Mount Gambier knows a little bit about breeding; I do not know whether he breeds dogs, but he certainly breeds sheep.

What I am trying to do with this bill is focus on the people who are not doing the right thing. I don't know about other members' electorates but I know, in my electorate, there are a lot of people who are very concerned about the treatment of animals, and if anyone has not realised that animal welfare is a political issue then I think they have been out of circulation for some time.

This bill, which is very simple, says that a person must not breed a dog or other prescribed companion animal for a commercial purpose, except in accordance with an authorisation of the minister under this section, and they must not sell a dog or other prescribed companion animal that has been bred in contravention of subsection (1), which I just quoted. It is designed to target people who are not legitimate breeders.

Members may have seen from time to time on television reports of people who are breeding dogs in terrible conditions, and I guess cats would come under this as well. I will not comment on a case that involves someone in my electorate at the moment as it is before the court, but members would have seen photos and moving imagines of the ill treatment of dogs who have been bred in appalling conditions in so-called puppy farms.

This has nothing to do with farm animals in general: this is purely and specifically focused on dogs and other companion animals. I know that a sizeable number of people in my electorate want something done about it, and that is the reason I am introducing it, because they have asked me to something about it.

The bill is very simple; as usual, members always have the option of trying to improve it. The bill does contain defences, for example, if the alleged offence was not committed intentionally, so it is targeting people who are quite deliberate in what they are doing and knowing what they are doing. We have had people selling dogs from the back of cars in car parks, and the origins of those dogs are very questionable.

It is a simple measure and I do not need to speak at length on it. It defines a prescribed companion animal, and I think sometimes simple provisions are the best ones. It has nothing to do with farming or animal husbandry in the proper context of what farmers do. With those few words, I commend the bill to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.F. Evans.