Time to consider controversial changes to pig welfare rules cut
MPs deliberating controversial changes to pig welfare rules will have less time to scrutinise new rules.
The Animal Welfare Amendment (Regulations of Management of Pigs) Bill proposed to keep farrow crates, but gave pig farmers 10 years to adapt to slightly tougher restrictions.
The bill passed its first reading in the house with the two-week submission process closing at 5pm Thursday.
Farrowing crates -which were used to prevent a sow crushing her piglets, but were so small a sow cannot turn around -were due to be banned from December 18 under changes brought in by the previous Labour government.
The Primary Production Select Committee had originally planned to report back on the bill in February, but had now brought this forward to November 20.
In a statement, the committee said it had decided “by majority” to shorten the process to prevent a “legislative gap” when current regulations expire on December 18.
After this date the pork industry would have been at risk of prosecution if it used farrowing crates.
The Labour Party and Green Party both voted against shortening the time frame.
Greens animal welfare spokesperson Steve Abel, a committee member, said it was likely the bill would have to be passed under urgency.
“This is totally avoidable. This is an example of a minister who has delayed and delayed and delayed, and now is doing the bidding of the pork industry.”
So National have dragged their heels, the period of scrutiny shortened because of that and Pig Farmers won’t have to do anything for 10 years.
Unbelievable.
I’ve never understood why we wouldn’t want strict rules on the Intensive Farming industry in this country. The more extreme levels of intensification of Chickens, Pigs and Cows, the bigger the chance of illness and pandemics running amok through those systems.
The cruelty we are prepared to indulge in to maximise profit margins from other sentient animals is truly sickening and perverse.
If you don’t care about pig welfare, maybe you should care about yourself and the potential of diseases springing from intensive farming.
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Andrew Hoggard is a flagrant bullshitter.
Given his porcine appearance and suitable last name, Hoggard should really be more sympathetic to pigs (which are, incidentally, more intelligent than he’ll ever be.)
While I buy free range pork and eggs they are more expensive. Times are tough and we do not want to make thinks tougher by imposing extra costs on the supplier.
If controls are too tough all it will do is put local suppliers out of business and the pork will come from one of 14 countries that supply our market.
Yes thats why I buy my pork from the other 14 countries because it is cheaper .If all pig farmers in NZ CARED ABOUT THEIR PIGS i WOULD BUY LOCAL .Once again they are shooting them selves in the collective foot for short term gain .Very soon we will see overseas buyers telling us to bugger off your animal welfare sucks and your pollution policy sucks too .They will ask how can your product be safe to eat when you are feeding them polluted water .?
Your local gang might think that you are an unnecessary cost and put you in a crate? Obviously, there is a difference between humans and pigs (not that much in some cases), but the issue here is that some think it’s alright for animals to suffer so that pig farmers can reduce costs. Pork is not an essential food, and there are other cheap second-hand protein sources available if people don’t want to try plant foods.
Maybe Trevor but we should have started now not just left the farmers to decide, tthe female pick not even able to turn around, truly disgusting. I wonder how many baby pigs are crushed in the wild.
The fact that Todd McClay is working to bring in dangerous American food is far more of a risk, to be honest.
Wow you guys really don’t care about the conditions of these poor animals. It always comes down to money. Factory farming of animals should be stopped altogether. People do not and should not need to eat so much meat, and when they do it should be from free range animals and expensive. Better for humans and better for the land and rivers.
Trevor it’s all about maintaining standards we all want to eat good quality food but we all can’t afford to buy free range like yourself. I suggest you stop being selfish and think about others less fortunate than you, do you think you can manage that.
Pigs are a very intelligent sentient animal who feel pain. The ability to feel physical and mental pain is what must be considered. NZ is a wealthy country; there is no excuse for keeping animals in this abhorrent manner. At least sheep and cattle, in NZ at least, are more or less free range.
Pastor Niemoller – quietly setting out of the onward flow of from bad decisions is relevant.
Excerpt : First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist
The porkies don’t care about the vulnerable pigs, their concern was to prevent loss of little piglets that could be crushed by the mother pig, but more comfortable, less confining and for shorter periods would have been a compromise. And think, it is considered that regular bad treatment of animals is an indication of behaviour trends to other people from that person. (Businesses have been given the right to be treated in law as persons remember.)
The same thing happened with our eggs with the lights left on all night and day and hens laying 24 hours in battered cages we have seen the result with poorer quality eggs and eggs with red blood in them, double and triple yolk eggs and generally very poor-quality eggs.
Speaking of pig welfare, whomever the cop was that gave Joolie Krusty access to the Tom Philips case needs to be outed, and NEVER be allowed employment in ANY public service roll in future.
I’d go even further.
I’d make him/her financially responsible for the baby.
How fucking LOW can they go.
Ew fucking ew ew ew