ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY SURVEY 2008

What are the political parties views towards animal welfare. SAFE invited all parties standing in this year's election to complete a survey about their policy or stance on a wide variety of animal welfare issues.

SAFE reminded each party that over half of the population share their lives with animal companions, and noted that the vast majority of New Zealanders abhor animal suffering. Whilst New Zealanders are increasingly showing that they care about how animals are treated, successive governments have failed to reflect this in their policies or actions.

SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek, who organised the survey, said the results are disappointing. "The two main parties were simply not interested. Neither Labour or National completed the survey but National did send a brief position statement," says Hans.

"Of the smaller parties, the Green Party was a shining light having by far the best and most comprehensive animal welfare policy of any party in New Zealand. In contrast, the position statement from Jim Anderton's Progressive Party was the most naïve and ignorant of all responses received."

Working through the results, Hans rates each party based on what they supplied.

Labour

Labour did not respond to the survey. This seems in line with their stubborn refusal to seriously address animal welfare issues during their last nine years in office. Under Labour, animals have continued to needlessly suffer and their plight has been routinely ignored. Even when practices were found to be in breach of current animal welfare legislation (as is the case with battery hen and intensive pig farming), Labour has not used its position of power to ban these practices.

Despite having a number of animal-friendly MPs in their midst, Labour has failed the animals.
Rated: 0 out of 10
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National

The National Party historically has not been a friend of animals. With its strong pro-farming, pro-industry stance the animals rarely get a look in. National considers intensive farming methods a reality of modern-day food production and believes that banning them is not realistic. National believes that genetic engineering of animals should be assessed on its particular merits by ERMA, and that humane animal research is an essential part of New Zealand's research & development efforts.

National believes that the Labour Government has underfunded animal welfare enforcement and promises their party will work hard to ensure that this sector will receive the resources and funding required to carry out proper enforcement.
Rated: 1 out of 10
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Greens

The Green Party was the only party to answer all the survey questions. The Green Party was also the only political party with a comprehensive animal welfare policy. The Greens would support the appointment of a Commissioner for Animals; implement labelling of animal-based products; and ban dolphins in captivity, intensive farming practices, the live-export trade, genetic modification of animals, and animal research that results in severe or very severe suffering. The Greens also support the inclusion of hunting practices in the Animal Welfare Act 1999. With such a laudable animal welfare policy, the Green Party is streets ahead of any other party. The Greens play an important role of being able to table key animal welfare issues as points of negotiations during post-election discussions, giving them a further advantage.
Rated: 9 out of 10
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Progressive

The Progressive Party's response to SAFE's survey is perhaps an explanation as to why so little progress has been made for animals during Jim Anderton's reign as Minister of Agriculture. Comments like "When it comes to battery farming of hens, we can't just open the cages and let the hens out. That would be extremely cruel as they would mostly be dead within a week as a result" must rate as the dumbest and most naïve response received. Anderton's statements are full of inaccuracies and show a complete lack of understanding of the issues. This is especially worrying given the position held by Anderton over the last few years.
Rated: 0 out of 10
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United Future

United Future seems a party confused about where it stands on animal welfare. On the one hand United Future wants to increase penalties for animal cruelty, supports a Commissioner for Animals, the phasing out of intensive farming practices, labelling of animal-based products and a ban on the use of exotic animals in circuses. On the other hand, the party supports the live export trade, dolphins in captivity and keeping hunting exempt from the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Some of United Future's comments indicate a lack of understanding of the issues. Calling the live export trade to the Middle East "crucial to New Zealand's primary export sector" is bizarre as this trade has not taken place since 2003.
Rated: 5 out of 10
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Act

Act does not have an animal welfare policy and does not support a Commissioner for Animals. They considered it too difficult to answer the other questions in the survey.
Rated: 0 out of 10
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Maori Party

The Maori Party's opposition to intensive farming practices is welcomed, but the party does not seem to have a position on the many other cruelty issues facing animals. The Maori Party would do well to develop a more comprehensive policy so that their potentially positive views on animal issues reach a wider audience.
Rated: 3 out of 10
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New Zealand First