The Primary Production Select Committee has just released its Final Report in response to our Striking at the Source petition!
As a reminder, we presented our ‘case for scientific change’ to the MPs in this select committee at the start of May 2023. Here, we made the collective voice of the 22,000 supporters who signed the petition loud and clear…
Together, we asked for proposed policy changes to help replace the use of animals in science.
Our Striking at the Source petition asked the NZ Government to:
- Commit to phasing out the use of animals for science as technology permits.
- Commit to phasing out the requirements in NZ legislation for animal testing.
- Allocate funding for the use and development of non-animal-based research, testing and teaching methods.
Why is this report so important? It's up to the MPs in this select committee to decide what recommendations they will make to the house (Parliament).
You can read the nine-page-long final report here, or you can skip straight to the two most important parts below.
KEY PARTS OF THE FINAL REPORT:
What this means for animals: The select committee recommends that the NZ Government take action, but doesn't specify what or when.
In short, their response could have been better but it also could have been a lot worse.
The good: None of the committee members, across multiple political parties, have rejected our three critical policy asks and, in fact, are recommending the government comprehensively investigate possibilities for progress and fruitful development.
The bad: This was the perfect opportunity for MPs to make bold recommendations that would have long-term benefits for animals, people and science. They could have taken a huge leap but instead, they've taken a cautious step forward…
The timely: The select committee recommends that the NZ Government takes action, but with the General Election coming up it will be up to the new government to decide if they will act and how.
Your power: Your vote in this election will influence what our next government looks like. So you hold the power to ensure that your vote counts for animals and together, we can make this the best one yet for animals trapped in experimentation.
Get ready for action: Soon, we'll be launching our election campaign which will help equip you with the knowledge to be the most powerful voter for animals, you can be!
We will keep you posted on this mahi and call on your fierce support when it’s needed for animals the most, so stay tuned!
