Mr ADAMSON - 1995-11-28
Will the minister outline the legislation due to be passed by the House relating to dog control in urban areas throughout the Northern Territory?
Mr EDE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I would have thought that you would have ruled that question out of order. Notice has only just been given of the legislation.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no problem in asking a question about legislation in that regard. A question from a member cannot be rejected simply because there happens to be something on the Notice Paper.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I will be brief. This is a matter about which the community has some concerns. It is something that the government needs to enunciate very clearly. There has been trouble with the ability of councils to control dogs in municipalities. Children have been injured very seriously by dogs ...
Mr Bailey: Are you trying to rationalise why you have been so lazy and incompetent and have not brought it on to the Notice Paper?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: A lazy minister.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: I thank the member for Wanguri for his contribution. Obviously, he was not aware that we tabled a draft bill at the last sittings in order to generate ...
Mr Bailey: Not the last sittings, the sittings before.
Mr MANZIE: ... discussion and activity. It attracted considerable interest. A workshop was held which interested people attended. I note that the member for Wanguri did not attend, obviously because he had no interest. His interest is in interjecting and making a nuisance of himself.
Mr Bailey: The normal procedure is to introduce a bill and allow it to lie on the Table.
Mr MANZIE: People with an interest in this matter contributed to a workshop that enabled us to put together legislation to strengthen the powers for making by-laws and provide authorised officers with a specific power of entry to private property under certain
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circumstances. I will be introducing a bill and seeking urgency for its passage through all stages at these sittings. It will provide quite strong powers of entry. I also foreshadow that the Attorney-General will be introducing an amendment to the Summary Offences Act to provide the police with entry powers and powers of destruction. I shall be seeking urgency because the school holidays are imminent and we have a period of time where ...
Mr Bailey: Why didn't you do this at the last sittings?
Mr MANZIE: The member for Wanguri is very tiresome in this regard. He has been a member of this House for many years, but we have not heard much by way of contribution from him on this matter. I ask that he indulge us for a short time because people in the community are concerned about young children being injured, and about the ability of councils and authorised officers to take action against dangerous dogs. He may wish to belittle the matter and continue to make jokes about it, but I do not consider it to be a joking matter. The parents of children who have been seriously injured and have had to have plastic surgery ...
Mr Bailey: You have been in government for 20 years.
Mr MANZIE: He does not care. However, government members do care, and we will be taking action. I assure the community that we will give an authorised person the power to enter immediately on to private property to seize and, if necessary, destroy the dog that has caused serious injury. Before entering, that authorised person must have reasonable grounds for believing that an attack has occurred, that it happened in the previous 24 hours and that the injury suffered by the victim was serious. Under those circumstances, nobody would oppose such an amendment. I certainly will be seeking the support of the opposition. If it does not wish to support the bill, the government will still pass it for the protection of children and others.
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Mr EDE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! I would have thought that you would have ruled that question out of order. Notice has only just been given of the legislation.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no problem in asking a question about legislation in that regard. A question from a member cannot be rejected simply because there happens to be something on the Notice Paper.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I will be brief. This is a matter about which the community has some concerns. It is something that the government needs to enunciate very clearly. There has been trouble with the ability of councils to control dogs in municipalities. Children have been injured very seriously by dogs ...
Mr Bailey: Are you trying to rationalise why you have been so lazy and incompetent and have not brought it on to the Notice Paper?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bailey: A lazy minister.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr MANZIE: I thank the member for Wanguri for his contribution. Obviously, he was not aware that we tabled a draft bill at the last sittings in order to generate ...
Mr Bailey: Not the last sittings, the sittings before.
Mr MANZIE: ... discussion and activity. It attracted considerable interest. A workshop was held which interested people attended. I note that the member for Wanguri did not attend, obviously because he had no interest. His interest is in interjecting and making a nuisance of himself.
Mr Bailey: The normal procedure is to introduce a bill and allow it to lie on the Table.
Mr MANZIE: People with an interest in this matter contributed to a workshop that enabled us to put together legislation to strengthen the powers for making by-laws and provide authorised officers with a specific power of entry to private property under certain
Page 1059
circumstances. I will be introducing a bill and seeking urgency for its passage through all stages at these sittings. It will provide quite strong powers of entry. I also foreshadow that the Attorney-General will be introducing an amendment to the Summary Offences Act to provide the police with entry powers and powers of destruction. I shall be seeking urgency because the school holidays are imminent and we have a period of time where ...
Mr Bailey: Why didn't you do this at the last sittings?
Mr MANZIE: The member for Wanguri is very tiresome in this regard. He has been a member of this House for many years, but we have not heard much by way of contribution from him on this matter. I ask that he indulge us for a short time because people in the community are concerned about young children being injured, and about the ability of councils and authorised officers to take action against dangerous dogs. He may wish to belittle the matter and continue to make jokes about it, but I do not consider it to be a joking matter. The parents of children who have been seriously injured and have had to have plastic surgery ...
Mr Bailey: You have been in government for 20 years.
Mr MANZIE: He does not care. However, government members do care, and we will be taking action. I assure the community that we will give an authorised person the power to enter immediately on to private property to seize and, if necessary, destroy the dog that has caused serious injury. Before entering, that authorised person must have reasonable grounds for believing that an attack has occurred, that it happened in the previous 24 hours and that the injury suffered by the victim was serious. Under those circumstances, nobody would oppose such an amendment. I certainly will be seeking the support of the opposition. If it does not wish to support the bill, the government will still pass it for the protection of children and others.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016