Media have big buts

I am not sure why our fearless media have to qualify any statement, the least bit provocative, with a prefix such as “Nobody condones violence against women…” or “Few would argue that porn is a menace to the community…”.

When a story starts that way, it is usually followed by a but—a big but. It is like the writer finds the need to recuse himself from the story before he writes it. Or, even more common, the interviewer who distances himself from the question he is about to ask by starting with “What do you say to people who say…” I say, just ask the damn question!

That said, I am going to plead guilty to doing the same with the following…

Nobody condones violence against animals, BUT isn’t the call by animal rights groups (NZ Herald today) to have CCTV in milking sheds over the top?

Yes, there is one person charged with maltreating cows while milking and, yes, the evidence is supplied by CCTV footage of his actions. But, do we really need CCTV in every cowshed because of the actions of this one man?

Federated Farmers dairy chairman Chris Lewis said in the same Herald story that a lot of work with animals happened outside the milking shed and it would be impossible to have cameras over the whole farm to keep an eye on staff. CCTV would be snooping on staff and would create paranoia he said.

Ministry for Primary Industries acting director of compliance services Gary Orr said MPI had no legal authority to put cameras on farms for breaches of the Animal Welfare Act.

Associate Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri said yesterday more animal welfare inspectors was a priority. Then went on to say: “"Any ill-treatment of animals, regardless of whether they are companion animals, farm animals or animals for entertainment, is not acceptable." There we have her making the qualifying statement—the “out”—after the primary statement. And all she succeeds in doing is state the obvious.

The point is, though, this call by animal rights groups is, in my view, just plain silly at best and a cheap, opportunist attempt to get some free publicity—some fake news—at worst.

Of course, I am not saying that animal rights groups don’t have a role, but…

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