Bills

Animal Welfare Bill

Final Stages

The Legislative Council agreed to the bill with the amendments indicated by the following schedule, to which amendments the Legislative Council desires the concurrence of the House of Assembly:

No. 1. Clause 15, page 16, after line 17 [clause 15(9)]—After paragraph (a) insert:

(aa) to provide advice to the Minister in relation to the disbursement of the Animal Welfare Fund;

No. 2. Clause 51, page 37, after line 16—After subclause (1) insert:

(1a) A court must, at the request of the prosecution, on finding a person guilty of an offence against section 7(1) or (2), make an order forbidding the person to acquire, or have custody of, any other animal or any other animal of a specified class, either until further order or for the period specified in the order.

No. 3. Clause 51, page 37, line 17 [clause 51(2)]—Delete 'subsection (1)' and substitute 'this section'

No. 4. New clause, page 47, after line 34—After clause 76 insert:

76A—Obstruction of report of alleged contraventions

A person must not, without reasonable excuse—

(a) prevent another person from reporting to an authorised officer an alleged contravention of this Act; or

(b) hinder or obstruct another person in making such a report.

Maximum penalty:

(a) in the case of a body corporate—$250,000;

(b) in the case of an individual—$50,000.

Consideration in committee.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

The CHAIR: Would you like to speak to the amendments, minister?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: No, sir, other than to commend them to the house. They are amendments that arose through discussions with members of the upper house. They were government amendments, they have been supported by the Legislative Council and I think we should now proceed to support all of them.

The CHAIR: Does the member for Finniss wish to speak?

Mr BASHAM: The only thing I would like to say is thank you, minister, for bringing these amendments forward from the other place. I just want to clarify again amendment No. 4 and that it is not allowing a criminal act to occur and then be protected by this portion—so someone entering a property illegally, in relation to that property, they are not protected by the fact that they are then going to make a report about animal welfare, having committed a crime in actually getting that information.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: I believe your analysis of that amendment is correct.

Motion carried.