Veterinary Services Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 6 July 2023.)

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (15:31): I am extremely pleased to see this bill enter the chamber. Under the former Liberal government, targeted stakeholder engagement and the public consultation process was held between 2020 and 2021 as part of a review of the Veterinary Practice Act 2003 and the Veterinary Practice Regulations 2017.

The review of the legislation was designed to examine the relevance of the existing legislation and identify opportunities for modernisation, simplification or, when necessary, expansion. The December 2022 draft bill was prepared following stakeholder feedback and, again, feedback of the review informed the resulting 2023 advanced bill we see before us today. This review was initiated because a substantial group of private veterinarians from across the state came to us when we were in government, vocalising their frustration at the composition and format of various aspects of the Veterinary Practice Act, and we listened.

It is well known in this chamber that I practised as a country veterinarian for 15 years prior to entering politics. I loved my career. It was rewarding professionally and personally, working with some of the most dedicated, passionate and hands-on practitioners imaginable. As a newly sworn in member of the parliament in this place, it was an absolute privilege to be involved in those initial important discussions around the review process, and it was a very proud moment for me as the shadow minister responsible for the veterinary industry to be seeing this piece of legislation enter the chamber.

Mr President, you can imagine that when it comes to reviewing, renewing and futureproofing related legislation and regulation, it is a hefty task. I extend my gratitude to parliamentary counsel and PIRSA staff who drafted this bill before us. It is pleasing to see several changes that the industry was championing for included in the tabled bill, in particular having a veterinarian as the presiding member of the board and ensuring greater transparency and accountability within the board structure for both veterinarians as well as the general public utilising veterinary services.

Although we will have some clarifications and questions as well as several amendments at the committee stage, I would like to place on the record that we the opposition are extremely supportive of this bill and its direction. Our amendments have been sourced directly from industry and stakeholders, in particular the South Australian division of the Australian Veterinary Association. I must report that every individual and group I have spoken with has been honest, open and forthright in their want to protect hardworking vets, their clients and patients, and to safeguard the industry.

I am humbled to have received a letter of support from the South Australian division of the Australian Veterinary Association regarding our amendments that have been developed, and I hope to receive support for them from across the chamber. These amendments are tabled to improve the good work already done.

Of particular importance is an amendment regarding the constitution of the tribunal to ensure it is in line with other professions that are subject to review by the tribunal. We acknowledge that the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 stipulates that the tribunal should be constituted by no more than three assessors and agree that, for consistency, this should remain the case for veterinarians. However, the current bill also stipulates that the tribunal in proceedings under this act is to be constituted by three members, of which only one is to be a registered veterinarian.

Under the new proposed changes, this puts the percentage of practical veterinary experience on the panel to just one-third. This is inconsistent with the make-up of other SACAT panels of assessors for other professions. For example, in the Architectural Practice Act 2009 it stipulates:

For the purposes of section 22 of the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013, there will be a panel of assessors consisting of persons who are registered architects.

The argument should be made that to assess whether a vet has displayed behaviours such that it constitutes grounds for disciplinary action there should be significant professional knowledge on that panel that understands the standards expected of the profession. One in three members of the panel being a veterinarian does not provide significant professional knowledge, therefore an amendment has been suggested to increase this to two members of the panel of assessors being veterinarians.

We also must ensure we futureproof this bill. Currently, this bill does little in the way of mobile veterinarian hospitals. Animal health, like many other sectors, has had its own industry disruption. Vans and trucks offering veterinary services remotely are on the rise across the globe, and have been introduced in other states around the nation. They can respond swiftly and take an entire mobile hospital to the site of an emergency such as bushfires or a flood, and treat injured animals close to their homes and habitats.

These mobile veterinary hospitals are also on the rise in other countries for general treatment and for surgery. There are 26-foot mobile vet clinics, which include a separate surgery suite, that are available for purchase, and are advertised as, and I quote:

State-of-the-art mobile vet clinics for all the comforts and technology of a brick-and-mortar veterinary clinic with the advantage and convenience that we come to you!

The current bill does not contain stipulations for these types of functional mobile veterinary hospitals, only bricks-and-mortar venues. We must ensure that veterinarians who practice from mobile veterinary hospitals in the future are held to the same standards as those operating from a traditional bricks-and-mortar clinic. Also, we must ensure those vets operating in these environments are offered the same professional protections as their peers.

Whilst I appreciate these types of clinics are currently few and far between in our state, they will inevitably become more popular into the future. Therefore, it is necessary to safeguard the profession with appropriate legislation for this likely reality.

Veterinarians, and the veterinary profession, play a large and important role in our society. Veterinarians are the only doctors trained to protect the health of both animals and people. They are leaders in food safety, epidemiology and public health. Both large and small animal vets become skilled at diagnosing and treating acute and chronic diseases of animals that may affect the owners, their families and the surrounding communities.

Specific examples of these public health activities include performing routine health examinations, maintaining vaccination regimens, implementing parasitic control programs, advising on the risk of animal contact for immunocompromised individuals, facilitating the use of guide and service dogs for people with disabilities, and promoting the benefits of the human-animal bond.

Veterinarians also play a critical, frontline role in preventing, responding to, and reporting animal diseases and pests, protecting our state and our nation's biosecurity status. They are key in emergency animal disease preparedness and also in any related response.

Veterinarians also have a leading role in animal welfare. Veterinarians are ideally situated to act as animal welfare experts by virtue of their core work with animals and potential influence over owners, their roles in policy development, compliance and monitoring, and as educators of future veterinarians.

I am not exaggerating when I say some vets do it all. The simple explanation is they are professionals who provide medical care and treatment to animals and, whilst that is true, it only scratches the surface of a veterinarian's role. A veterinarian's responsibilities can vary depending on their area of specialisation, the type of animals they work with and whether they are in private practice, research, government agencies or other sectors.

Common tasks for veterinarians include, but are not limited to, medical examinations and diagnoses, surgery, vaccinations and preventative care, dental care, prescribing medications and treatments, emergency care, laboratory and diagnostic testing, radiology and imaging, anaesthesia and pain management, nutritional counselling, behavioural consultations, farm animal care and emergency animal disease monitoring, zoo and wildlife medicine, research and public health, teaching and education, administration and management, and legal and forensic work. These tasks represent a broad overview of the responsibilities of veterinarians, and it does not stop there.

Vets and veterinary staff are critically important in our day-to-day lives and we need to support them. We know of and indeed I have spoken in this place about the high rate of suicide in the veterinary industry. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the late Dr Sophie Putland, a fellow South Australian vet who tragically took her own life after being subjected to ongoing abuse from clients. Her parents, Garry and Kate Putland, have been working hard every single day to raise awareness of the mental health challenges facing the veterinary industry, and are encouraging pet owners to be kind to their veterinary professionals.

They and I would like to see quantitative reporting on the number of veterinary deaths by suicide to ensure that we can measure the success or otherwise of any future programs to improve mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary industry. Whilst I acknowledge that this request falls outside the scope of this bill, I would like to place on the record that I will be working in future to bring about an amendment bill to the Suicide Prevention Act to allow these figures to be reported on in parliament, because it is important that we address the crisis that the veterinary industry is facing—fatigue, burnout and isolation also play a part.

I think that as a society we need to be open to having a conversation around whether it is a privilege or whether it is a right to own an animal. Certainly in the past it has been a privilege. However, if sentiment in society is shifting, then a discussion around how that affects veterinary care and the veterinary industry more broadly needs to be had. For today, though, I am grateful to be standing here as someone who has been through the journey with the profession that has led to the tabling of this bill.

I would like to acknowledge the group of veterinarians with whom I and my colleagues met with who had the courage to stand up and seek change. Thank you to the industry, to my industry, for your collaboration and for envisaging a strong future for the veterinary profession. I look forward to the committee stage and to working with the chamber and the government to ensure the best piece of legislation possible passes this house.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:42): I rise on behalf of the Greens today to speak briefly in support of the Veterinary Services Bill. Veterinarians are an integral part of our community. Indeed, they are an integral part of this council at the moment. Not only do they care for our companion animals but they also do crucial work in managing public health and quarantine systems.

As the minister has explained, the bill before us seeks to address needed changes in our veterinary practice legislation, addressing significant changes to the industry, including practice models, employment and specialties offered. It is therefore necessary that we update this legislation to better support the health, safety and welfare of our animals, along with helping address the shortage of veterinarians currently faced by our state of South Australia.

One of the major benefits of this bill is the inclusion of a transition program for returning veterinarians. Getting back to work after a break or keeping up to date with modern practices is important for building self-confidence, increasing social connections and recovering from an illness or injury. Providing a clear and transparent pathway for returning veterinarians is an example of good employment practices and will accommodate those who have had a career break, no matter what the reason.

The bill also enables the entry of graduates to the profession upon completion of their degrees to be fast-tracked. The Greens look forward to seeing the transition from study to practice improve. It is in the interests of all veterinarians that the profession be regulated. It ensures that the public can have confidence when they receive services from registered veterinary professionals. Additionally, this bill introduces requirements for skills-based appointments on the veterinary services regulatory board without compromising on the composition of the board having a focus on professional veterinarians.

Additionally, introducing the publication of appointments will also contribute to improved transparency and credibility of the complaints process in preventing conflicts of interest. The Greens welcome in particular the modification of the complaints process, removing SACAT as a possible avenue through which the public might directly seek recourse. It is important that the lower tier of unsatisfactory professional conduct should focus on correcting the conduct. This is better done through the board rather than taking up the resources of the tribunal.

This bill is strongly supported by the Australian Veterinary Association, and we acknowledge the commitment of the government and the opposition to both stakeholder and public consultation through this long legislative process. I note that there will be amendments that have already been foreshadowed by the Liberal opposition. Certainly, the Greens will take them under due consideration and are favourable towards them on first blush and look forward to the opinion of stakeholders such as the AVA on those matters as we progress this bill.

The Hon. S.L. GAME (15:45): I rise briefly to support the Veterinary Services Bill 2023 and also the opposition amendments on this bill. The bill was introduced to update/modernise veterinary practice regulations in South Australia, recognising veterinarians' pivotal role in animal health, safety and economic contribution. The bill aims to align with the evolving nature of the profession and heightened standards.

Feedback from a 2020 review highlighted support for legislative reform. Notable changes include redefining veterinary treatment, transforming the Veterinary Surgeons Board to become the Veterinary Services Regulatory Board of South Australia and adjusting board composition, where the number of members will increase from eight to nine, with the addition of one veterinarian member.

I understand that, unless another member is considered more appropriate, the chair will be a veterinarian with management or governance skills, knowledge and experience. The shift in emphasis is on clearer communication and expanded regulatory responsibilities, including additional responsibility relating to communication, information and advice. The minister will have the jurisdiction to provide directions to the board to ensure that public interest matters are dealt with appropriately, and there will be transparency with details of the direction given and action taken by the board in response, to be included in the board's annual report and laid before parliament.

The bill also introduces new provisions for vet premises and offers enhanced transparency in handling veterinarian complaints, emphasising education and conciliation over punitive measures. I add briefly that the bill will do little to address the main issues facing the veterinary industry at the moment, which are overwork, high stress and poor pay.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. R.B. Martin.