Mr ELFERINK - 2004-08-18
Minister, when a starving horse was found on your block in Katherine, no action was taken against your tenant for starving the animal. Why did you not pursue that matter as vigorously as the case against Warren Anderson when, by your own media release on 9 November 2003, you find starving animals a matter of personal distress?
ANSWER
And I do. Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Macdonnell. When it came to my notice, I was in Sydney. There was a journalist who had heard about this foal or young horse at the back of my house in Katherine at 18 Dowling Street. I still own that property. It was leased out through LJ Hooker. They had the management rights …
Mr Burke: Sounds like Warren Anderson’s defence to me.
Mr AH KIT: Just hang on. Settle down. LJ Hooker had the management rights, as these companies do. I wrote a letter and reported it to the Animal Welfare Authority and I have …
Mr Baldwin: Did you pursue it in court?
Mr AH KIT: I reported it to the Animal Welfare Authority. I made a phone call …
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Minister, talk to me.
Mr AH KIT: I made a phone call directly to LJ Hooker, to Sandy and Greg in Katherine, and said: ‘What is happening with my property? What is this lady you have in there doing with a horse in the backyard of a residential block?’ The Katherine Town Council was told. They have an inspector who is also an animal welfare authorised person. The neighbour – thank goodness for her keeping an eye on it …
Mr Elferink: Why did you hire a silk from Sydney?
Mr AH KIT: Hang on! You asked the question ...
Mr Elferink: I am not getting an answer; that is the problem.
Mr AH KIT: You should have the decency to shush up a little and listen to the answer. Maggie Smith reported it to the council. I was right on to it; I wrote to the Animal Welfare Authority and reported this incident as a responsible Territorian. I received a letter back. It was investigated. There was no further report to me; there was no need to go any further. The horse is doing well. It was shifted out fairly quickly. The lady …
Mr Elferink: So are the rhinos.
Mr AH KIT: Just hang on a moment. The lady who was renting the property had said, quite clearly, to LJ Hooker that she was told by a Conservation Commission person that she would be right to have the horse in the backyard.
The Conservation Commission person, if that was the case, had no authorisation to allow anyone to have a horse on my property, and nor is it allowed under the lease agreement. Therefore, everything was above board. I still get concerned and distressed about animals that are in distress, and I will continue to do that.
ANSWER
And I do. Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the member for Macdonnell. When it came to my notice, I was in Sydney. There was a journalist who had heard about this foal or young horse at the back of my house in Katherine at 18 Dowling Street. I still own that property. It was leased out through LJ Hooker. They had the management rights …
Mr Burke: Sounds like Warren Anderson’s defence to me.
Mr AH KIT: Just hang on. Settle down. LJ Hooker had the management rights, as these companies do. I wrote a letter and reported it to the Animal Welfare Authority and I have …
Mr Baldwin: Did you pursue it in court?
Mr AH KIT: I reported it to the Animal Welfare Authority. I made a phone call …
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Minister, talk to me.
Mr AH KIT: I made a phone call directly to LJ Hooker, to Sandy and Greg in Katherine, and said: ‘What is happening with my property? What is this lady you have in there doing with a horse in the backyard of a residential block?’ The Katherine Town Council was told. They have an inspector who is also an animal welfare authorised person. The neighbour – thank goodness for her keeping an eye on it …
Mr Elferink: Why did you hire a silk from Sydney?
Mr AH KIT: Hang on! You asked the question ...
Mr Elferink: I am not getting an answer; that is the problem.
Mr AH KIT: You should have the decency to shush up a little and listen to the answer. Maggie Smith reported it to the council. I was right on to it; I wrote to the Animal Welfare Authority and reported this incident as a responsible Territorian. I received a letter back. It was investigated. There was no further report to me; there was no need to go any further. The horse is doing well. It was shifted out fairly quickly. The lady …
Mr Elferink: So are the rhinos.
Mr AH KIT: Just hang on a moment. The lady who was renting the property had said, quite clearly, to LJ Hooker that she was told by a Conservation Commission person that she would be right to have the horse in the backyard.
The Conservation Commission person, if that was the case, had no authorisation to allow anyone to have a horse on my property, and nor is it allowed under the lease agreement. Therefore, everything was above board. I still get concerned and distressed about animals that are in distress, and I will continue to do that.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016