Elections 2023: where political parties stand on animal welfare issues

We know that animals are important to New Zealanders. We have one of the highest rates of companion animal ownership in the world, many of us are driven to protect our native wildlife, and we know that 90% of the population believe it is important to protect the welfare of farmed animals.

Ahead of the 2023 Election, SPCA has launched a scorecard outlining where parties stand on eight key issues facing animals in our communities. This has been prepared as a tool for animal loving voters to easily identify which parties align with asome of the issues they feel strongly about. SPCA does not promote or oppose political parties or direct people how to vote.

By summarising the position of political parties on the policy issues relevant to SPCA’s charitable purpose and vision, the scorecard serves to both

• Raise awareness of key animal welfare issues facing animals in this country right now, and
• Prevent cruelty to animals by helping New Zealanders consider animal welfare in their vote

Interested individuals can access the scorecard by heading to SPCA's Advocacy Portal to view it and read more about the process of creating it, and the full responses of each party. A detailed background document providing further context to the scorecard is available too, and any New Zealanders interested in taking further action can learn how in the portal.