Bills

Veterinary Services Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading (resumed on motion).

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (15:38): I rise to make a few concluding remarks in regard to the Veterinary Services Bill 2023. I do take my hat off to the community of veterinarians. My heart goes out to them for some of the difficult cases they need to deal with and also with the serious effect of suicide on this sector. It is true that, apart from obviously looking after the health of animals, vets have in their possession the instruments to put animals down, and sadly they can be used the wrong way, so my thoughts go out to veterinarians. We need to make sure they have the supports in place so that they can do their work well.

I know they cop a bit of flak about the charges, especially with regard to pets, certainly with respect to large animals; it gets a bit exponential as animals get bigger. Essentially, a vet is not just a vet; they are a small business. It does not matter whether you have two in a group, one in a group, or it might be several, they must have all the equipment.

So, if you are a single operator, you must have the X-ray gear and all the other machines and equipment that are needed to work with animals. As has been said before, there is a vast array of animals and birds, etc. that vets need to be equipped to work on from the smallest animal right through to the large animals.

I take my hat off to the work that was done out at Roseworthy several years ago putting in the equine centre there, and large animals can be operated on in that space as well. I think there have even been some dead seals dissected there over time to see what they actually died of. I have had a long campaign to have some control measures put in place with regard to long-nosed fur seals, but sadly we have not had too much traction—

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr PEDERICK: In a managed way. I would urge no-one to go down that path because it is a minimum $100,000 fine.

I support this bill. I support where I believe the amendments are going with the make-up of SACAT and the measures to go in place there. I just want to say that our veterinarians do such great work right across this state. They need their support. Yes, it can be expensive at times and people make some very heartfelt decisions around their animals.

Being a farmer, and I will not go into the detail, I am a bit more blunt. Sometimes you have to put an old mate down—an old sheepdog or something like that—and it is one of the hardest things you have to do on the land. I can recall at times I just have not been able to do it for an old mate. You just ask your neighbour and they oblige.

I do support the bill and hope we can get it through today in the limited time we have. We wish all the veterinarians wealth, health and happiness and, in closing, wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Brown): Very kind of you, member for Hammond. Are there any further contributions on this bill? If the minister speaks he closes the debate.

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION (Taylor—Minister for Trade and Investment, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Planning) (15:43): I will speak very, very briefly. I would like to thank the members for their contributions. The member for Newland and the member for Chaffey made very fine speeches. The member for Hammond made a very fine speech as well, and I have learnt a thing or two from their contributions that I should have known before. With that, I commend the bill and we will go into committee.

Bill read a second time.

Committee Stage

In committee.

Clauses 1 to 78 passed.

Clause 79.

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION: On behalf of the Treasurer, I move:

Amendment No 1 [Treasurer–1]—

Page 46, lines 20 to 29 [clause 79(1) and (2)]—Delete subclauses (1) and (2) and substitute:

(1) For the purposes of section 22 of the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013, there will be—

(a) a panel of assessors consisting of—

(i) veterinarians with primary registration or deemed registration; and

(ii) veterinarians (however described) registered under a corresponding law but who do not provide veterinary services or engage in other conduct as a veterinarian in this State; and

(b) a panel of assessors consisting of persons who have expertise that would be of value to the Tribunal in proceedings under this Act (being persons who are not veterinarians and who do not work in an area relating to, or have a material interest in, veterinary services).

(2) Subject to this Act, in exercising its powers for the purposes of this Act, the Tribunal will, unless the President of the Tribunal determines that the Tribunal is to be constituted by fewer than 3 members, be constituted by 3 members of whom—

(a) 2 will be selected from the panel of assessors referred to in subsection (1)(a); or

(b) —

(i) 1 will be selected from the panel of assessors referred to in subsection (1)(a); and

(ii) 1 will be selected from the panel of assessors referred to in subsection (1)(b).

Mr WHETSTONE: I agree to this amendment.

Amendment carried; clause as amended passed.

Remaining clauses (80 to 99), schedule and title passed.

Bill reported with amendment.

Third Reading

The Hon. N.D. CHAMPION (Taylor—Minister for Trade and Investment, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Planning) (15:47): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Bill read a third time and passed.