In another sign of ‘government by inertia’ it’s been revealed the Palaszczuk Labor Government has been sitting on a major review of laws regulating veterinary surgeons for nearly 12 months.
Shadow Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Deb Frecklington said the review of the Veterinary Surgeons Act (1936) was completed in 2014, but under Labor’s former Minister Bill Byrne and now Leanne Donaldson, it had been left to gather dust.
“It’s another sure sign of a do-nothing government with no plan,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Thousands of hours of work have gone into the review.
“It’s way past time its recommendations were released publicly in the next step to updating regulations that go back 80 years.”
Ms Frecklington said the review, undertaken by a high-level team led by Associate Professor Robert Hedlefs of James Cook University, examined issues including:
restrictions on non-veterinarians practising veterinary science for fee or rewardVeterinary Surgeons Act's relationship with animal welfare legislationwhether the Act should acknowledge role of veterinary technologists and nursesregulation of allied and complementary animal health service providers (eg animal physiotherapists and chiropractors)specific acts of animal husbandry and dentistry.
Ms Frecklington said Minister Donaldson needed to release the report and its recommendations to progress any necessary updating of the Act.
“Any changes will require new legislation to be introduced and passed in Parliament, but nothing will happen until the review is released by the Minister.”
Ms Frecklington said veterinary surgeons and other stakeholders wanted to see positive action and outcomes, not long delays and excuses that had filtered through from bureaucrats about why progress had stalled.
