By now, you will have heard that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has stepped down, which means there will be new leadership and a new approach. Chris Hipkins will be replacing her.

That creates an opportunity to make the lives of animals better!

You may recall from our past campaigns that we got an Animal Welfare Associate Minister, Meka Whaitiri. But the job isn’t done – she still has to report to the Minister of Primary Industries. That’s the department in charge of farming! 

The animals don’t need their laws being made by farmers. It is time to separate animal welfare from primary industries entirely.

We need you to tell Chris Hipkins you want to see the Minister for Animals separated entirely from Primary Production. You can reach him at c.hipkins@ministers.govt.nz.

The decisions about Ministers will likely be finalized very soon. So, this is an urgent message! If you are available, sending a quick email as soon as possible would be appreciated.

Please keep your emails polite and respectful - remember, we're representing the animals, and they need us to use our power and voice productively!

Just a simple message will do, but here’s some more information if you’d like some more details for your email:

• Labour was the first party to appoint an Associate Minister for Animal Welfare.
• Labour has made some big promises for animals in the past but has failed to deliver.
• This is Mr Hipkin’s chance to shine and show Labour truly can deliver for the animals.
• Aotearoa, New Zealand, has over 100 million animals covered by our animal welfare laws – they are a big deal!

It can also help to talk about yourself and why animals are important to you. Personalized emails always make the biggest difference for the animals. You can also congratulate him on stepping up as Prime Minister if you wish.

Take action

• Send a message to Chris Hipkins at c.hipkins@ministers.govt.nz and tell him you want to see the Minister for Animals separated entirely from Primary Production!