No place in New Zealand for industrial animal torture

The Green Party policy on Animal Welfare, launched today, calls for an independent Commissioner of Animal Welfare to help end animal suffering in New Zealand.

Today’s launch of their Animal Welfare Policy, coincides with World Animal Week.

“It is crucially important that someone is a voice for animals in Parliament - currently the Green Party is the only party trying to end animal suffering in New Zealand. We are the only party with an Animal Welfare Policy and an Animal Welfare Spokesperson,” Ms Kedgley says.

“Our policy calls for an immediate end to the inhumane practice of battery farming of hens and the use of sow crates,” Ms Kedgley says.

“Most New Zealanders are ashamed of the profit-driven cruelty animals suffer on industrial farms, and want Parliament to end the ethically reprehensible - but commercially acceptable - practices of battery farming and the use of sow crates,” Ms Kedgley says.

“Our policy also supports the widely-held desire to make informed decisions about whether to consume animal-product ingredients, and the ability to exercise production preference through consumer choice.

“Consumers have a right to know if their purchases contain animal products; and how those products were produced. For example, do you want eggs produced from cage-reared chickens fed ground-up animal waste, or from free-range chickens fed plant-based organic feed?

“Our policy calls for clear consumer labelling for the presence of animal products; whether the animals were raised in cages, barns, or free-ranging, and if products and ingredients were tested on animals.

“The Green Party will work towards extending the principle of non-violence to include animals and end unnecessary cruelty and abuse, and support programmes that promote respect towards all animals.

“Improving animal welfare in New Zealand has been a painfully slow parliamentary progress. Our policies are consistently blocked by industry lobbying, aided and abetted by the Agriculture Minister and the National Party. However, our policy lays out a clear plan for moving towards a nation that does not tolerate animal abuse, whether that abuse is justified though profits or not,” Ms Kedgley says.

The full policy is at http://www.greens.org.nz/policy/animalwelfare
The policy summary is at http://www.greens.org.nz/policy/summary/animalwelfare