Boss Hogg up to his old tricks again…
Minister Andrew Hoggard assures PM he’s following Cabinet rules after complaint
A decision to allow the continued use of farrowing crates and mating stalls is the straw that broke the camel’s back for animals rights activsts.
In the past few months, associate agriculture minister Andrew Hoggard, responsible for animal welfare, has drawn intense criticism from animal welfare organisations, particularly for new pig welfare regulations.
The minister’s work to extend the use of sow farrowing crates and mating stalls was agreed to by select committee last week, giving farmers a decade before they need to comply with larger stalls pigs will spend less time in.
Now, animals rights organisation SAFE has asked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to take the portfolio away from Hoggard, due to what it called a lack of impartiality and conflicts of interest.
“Hoggard’s persistent efforts to undermine and weaken [the Animal Welfare Act 1999] demonstrates clear and significant conflicts with this mandate,” it said in the complaint signed by chief executive Debra Ashton.
“During his tenure as the minister responsible for animal welfare, Minister Hoggard has gained a reputation for ignoring independent animal welfare science, disregarding the advice of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), sidestepping equitable consultation, and contravening High Court rulings.”
But Hoggard said his farming background and CV showed he was qualified for the role.
“Well, I think SAFE wouldn’t be happy unless there was a vegan in the role who was totally opposed to farming effectively,” he said.
“They want an end to people owning pets, people being able to use animals for agriculture, and all the rest of it.”
…listen to all those punch backs there by Hoggard, he’s like a human Christmas cracker from the Platform Christmas Party with anti-woke jokes guaranteed to get you banned from the family dinner.
The issue at hand is not SAFE’s activism, the question is why an associate agriculture Minister, who is a former Federated Farmers President, is in a far right Political Party weakening animal welfare rules without even bothering to discuss the changes outside the Pork Industry.
That’s the issue, and by his own admission that he only met with the Pork Industry, to develop legislation that directly benefits them, is clearly a breach of the Cabinet Manuel!
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I choose to see something good about this picture: these guys are arranged in baldness order.
Although this is sad, I did have to laugh at SAFE asking PM Luxon to take the portfolio away from Hoggard! Luxon will never have the b&lls to do anything like this. We have seen so many of his MP’s run amok and he weakly turns away or makes some bland statement that it’s okay or none of his business – DER. The cruelty to pigs is abominable but with a fool like Hoggard, supposedly in control, what would you expect – nothing – that’s what you’re getting – nothing! Again, no consultation with the people who really know and care about what’s going on, or transparency. Just his same cruel, barbaric “yes” bunch backing him. How, why, can’t NZ voters see what is glaringly obvious? Are they that close-minded, or just plain stupid – I’m picking the latter here?
You don’t understand – that is the way of politics now we have signed away our sovereignty to trade for a bucket of beans. The idea is that government just floats on top of the nation’s water and if necessary controls the environment. It doesn’t do any work for the nation until forced to, or unable to put it off with promises to after the next election, and doesn’t interfere with the doings of business especially overseas interests except to act as a shoe-horn to ease their burdens of annoying rules. No-one is interested in what Kiwis want, even need. So we can all fo if we want – it’s a free country and all that.
Animal cruelty is never under any circumstances acceptable.
We agree Bob1st and that is why we are so accommodating to you. Pat, pat, good boy, down with your muddy paws etc.
I wouldn’t decribe Hoggard as a little piggy more like a big fat hogg with his snout in the trough
put the four of them in a crate for a week and see if the three weak pricks still think its ok