Animal welfare—Sentient beings
520. Hon Amanda Dornto theMinister for Agriculture and Food:
I refer the minister to the growing body of scientific evidence confirming the sentience of animals.
(1) Does the minister recognise that animals are sentient beings capable of experiencing sensations such as pain, pleasure, fear and joy?
(2) Does the minister believe that recognising animal sentience places a moral responsibility on us to protect their welfare?
Hon Jackie Jarvis replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The report of the independent review of the Animal Welfare Act recommended that the Animal Welfare Act be amended to recognise that animals are living beings, able to perceive, feel and have positive and negative experiences. This recommendation is supported by the government.
