April 2022: We officially submitted our Striking at the Source Petition to the NZ Government with 22,150 signatures on it. We formally delivered it to Labour MP Jo Luxton in Timaru on behalf of Hon Meka Whaitiri, Associate Minister of Agriculture (Animal Welfare).

Then our Striking at the Source petition was given to the Primary Production Select Committee to decide on. They will review our petition and give recommendations to the NZ Government.

July 2022: We submitted a written submission to the Primary Production Select Committee. You can read our submission here.  

We then waited for several months to be invited to speak to the committee in person about our petition. The date for this was delayed several times (due to factors out of our control).

In true NZAVS fashion, we made the most of these delays and spend this time building momentum and gathering more evidence. We even collated feedback from the animal science and research industry to highlight just how widespread the desire is for the NZ Government to provide leadership, so that together - we can move towards replacing the use of animals in science wherever possible.

April 2023: We submitted an additional written submission — there are two parts to this. View part one here and part two here.

May 2023: We presented at Parliament and gave our oral submission on the Striking at the Source campaign. Find out more here.

August 2023: Days before the 53^rd Parliament dissolved on 8 September triggering the next election, the Primary Production Select Committee considered our Striking at the Source petition and released their Final Report outlining their recommendations.

NEXT STEPS

With the Select Committee recommending that the NZ Government “take note” and “comprehensively investigate possibilities for progress and fruitful development”, NZAVS is now pursuing those positive recommendations with the new Government and the 54^th Parliament; including those in Opposition.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We will keep you posted if we require any further ‘people power’ to help push these Ministers and MPs over the line.

To hear about new actions and other ways you can help please sign up for our email updates.