David Carter

Wellington, Feb 25 NZPA - Parliament has unanimously supported a bill that significantly increases penalties for cruelty to animals.

The Government's Animal Welfare Amendment Bill passed its first reading today, with MPs praising its provisions and saying they were necessary.

The legislation began as a member's bill drafted by National's Simon Bridges, but the Government took it over and ensured it was high on Parliament's agenda.

It increases the maximum sentence for wilful ill-treatment of an animal from three years to five years. Maximum fines will double to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a company.

Agriculture Minister David Carter, who is in charge of the bill, said it was intended to send a clear message that serious offending against animals was unacceptable.

"It is unacceptable to our society and a priority for this government," he said when the first reading debate began last week.

"People who are capable of cruelty to animals are also capable of violence to their families and others."

The bill will also create a new offence of reckless ill-treatment of an animal.

It will apply where it can be proved that a person knew or appreciated that serious harm to an animal could occur, and unreasonably ran the risk anyway.

The Green Party supported the bill, although it doesn't think it goes far enough.

MP Sue Kedgley said it dealt only with individual acts of cruelty and ignored "the wider institutional abuse of animals".

"Provisions relating to the abuse of farm animals need to be strengthened, and not just those relating to companion animals or pets," she said.

She also said there were too few inspectors to enforce any new laws.

Ms Kedgley said MAF had only five full time animal welfare investigators who currently monitor the welfare of 43 million animals.

"The Government has effectively abdicated their duty to police animal welfare to inspectors from the SPCA -- a charitable organisation which relies on the public for donations," she said.

Ms Kedgley is going to try to amend the bill during its subsequent stages through Parliament.

It has been sent to the primary production select committee for public submissions.