Green MP angry over lack of conscience vote

Green MP Sue Kedgley says it's unfair that her Animal Welfare (Treatment of Animals) amendment bill, scheduled to be debated in Parliament tonight, won't be subject to a conscience vote.

Ms Kedgley requested the bill, which focuses on tightening the Animal Welfare Act and eliminating loopholes that allow practices such as housing sows and hens in crates and cages, be subject to a conscience vote, but said that had been denied by Speaker Lockwood Smith.

Dr Smith has meanwhile agreed to allow a bill from Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell, aimed at reducing social harm caused by pokie machines, to be subject to a conscience vote.

That bill was unlikely to be debated until later in the month.

Ms Kedgley said she was pleased Mr Flavell's Gambling Harm Reduction Bill would be subject to a conscience vote, but frustrated her one had been denied the same privilege on the grounds that it was primarily an economic issue.

"Animal welfare is above all a moral and ethical issue, not an economic issue," she said.

"Animal welfare deals with ethical issues such as whether it is acceptable to allow highly intelligent animals, such as pigs, to live miserable lives of suffering just to satisfy our desire for cheap meat."

National and ACT have already indicated they won't support the bill and Ms Kedgley said she believed there had been pressure from Government members of the business committee to veto the conscience vote request.

She said there seemed to be a lack of consistency in how standing orders were applied when it came to conscience votes and she had requested a review.

The Green Party has organised a demonstration outside Parliament this afternoon to draw attention to the fact that National and ACT were opposing the bill.