The Greens would support increased sentences for animal cruelty, but say the Government should also make cruel practices like keeping pigs in crates and chickens in battery cages illegal.
Prime Minister John Key said caucus would tomorrow consider adopting National MP Simon Bridges' member's Bill to increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty from three to five years. Members' bills make slow progress and seldom progress without government support.
Green MP Sue Kedgley said any increase in penalties should not be limited to offences against pets.
"We need to make certain that any legislation covers all forms of animal abuse, including institutional abuse such as keeping pigs and hens in cages for the duration of their lives."
Those practices are legal.
Farmers also should be punished for individual cases of cruelty, she said. There had been several cases of farmers starving cattle but escaping with fines or community sentences.
Ms Kedgley said more needed to be done to change the way people thought about animals.
"The Green Party wants to see sentences for animal cruelty include rehabilitation and education, so that underlying attitudes to animals are changed.
"We also need to teach respect for animals as part of the school curriculum, if we are serious about reducing incidences of animal cruelty."
Mr Key told Breakfast on TV One that if sentences were increased it would send a strong message to society and to judges.
"You've seen some horrible cases, disgusting cases in the media, you know people ripping heads off kittens and just barbaric behaviour like that," he said.
"Only 1 percent of people who have undertaken cruel acts against an animal have been prosecuted and only 3 percent [of them] have been sent to prison. What we would be doing [if the Bill was passed] is Government and Parliament would be sending a message to the judiciary that we take this seriously."
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is investigating the slaughter of 33 dogs near Wellsford, north of Auckland, last week, with charges possible against two men.
Other parties are supportive of the bill and Labour leader Phil Goff said yesterday the party would support it to the committee stage. There was a confirmed link between animal cruelty and violence against people, he said.
