NZAVS thanks members who acted on our appeal for a Question in the House. These include Josette Bishop (Auckland), Carey Conn (Kawerau), Brian Jones (Wgton), Joyce Light (Gisborne) and Betty Rowe (Picton).

Hon. J.H. Falloon (Minister of Agriculture) made two replies:

1. "The booklet was published by WHAM (Walton Horticultural and Agricultural Media) Group Ltd, jointly funded by Agricultural Chemical and Animal Remedies Manufacturers Association of NZ (AGCARM), the NZ Heart Foundation, the Medical Research Council of NZ and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. I am unable to provide the proportionate cost made by my Ministry. Contribution made by MAF to the publication of the booklet is $5000.00, the total contribution being $8130.35 (which included distribution costs of $3130.35)."



2. "The contribution was made as a direct result of a formal recommendation by my ministerial National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee. Contribution by MAF to production and printing costs: $5000; distribution costs (to 25000 people/organisations): $3130.35; total: $8130.35."

NZAVS questions the hidden and unspecified cost to the taxpayer of ARSL. The cost of the research and correlation of the information, the consultancy fees and the cost of MAF's commitments to future mailings.

Thanks to the generous response of members every college in the country has been mailed a copy of NZAVS Submission in Support of its Petition. Encouraged, we are now attempting to get the Submission, with a copy of Hans Ruesch's CIVIS Bullet-in Nr 2 (Infiltration in Animal Welfare) into all the public city and suburban libraries and the rest of this year's donations will be spent to that end. When this is accomplished the Society will concentrate on producing a comprehensive rebuttal to ARSL entitled:
Animal Research Takes Lives - Humans and Animals Both Suffer.