Milking it?
OPINION: A mate of yours truly reckons that ACT agriculture spokesman Mark Cameron may be overdoing his 'I'm a farmer' schtick a little bit too much.
Primary Industries Minister David Carter says the proposals set a strategic direction for animal welfare and improve the way the Animal Welfare Act operates.
"Animal welfare matters. It matters because how we treat animals says something important about us as a society," he says.
"It also matters for New Zealand's reputation because our trading partners and international consumers rightly expect us to maintain high standards of animal welfare.
"I encourage New Zealanders to provide input on this discussion to ensure we get the system right."
Carter says the proposed national strategy, the first of its kind, will canvass the views of stakeholders with animal welfare interests, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and set a vision for New Zealand's animal welfare system into the future.
"The proposed changes to the Animal Welfare Act will clarify the way it operates and make it easier to enforce.
"A key proposal is that codes of welfare, which currently set the standards for animal welfare, are replaced with a combination of regulations and guidelines. Regulations will be directly enforceable in law. Guidelines will provide information and advice but will have no legal effect," Carter says.
The closing date for submissions is September 28 2012.
