Dignity for Disability MP Kelly Vincent calls harsher penalties for hurting police dogs a stunt SA MLC Kelly Vincent with her Dignity for Disability candidates for the 2014 Upper House election - Tiffany Littler, Garry Connor, Esther Simbi and Rick Neagle. DIGNITY for Disability MP Kelly Vincent says the State Government's move to enforce harsher penalties for hurting police or assistance animals is a "gratuitous media stunt" intended to distract from the ongoing school sex abuse scandal. The Government has introduced laws that would jail for a maximum of five years anyone who intentionally kills or injures police or guide dogs and make them pay veterinary and retraining costs. The laws would also make it an offence to harass or interfere with the duties of the animal or the handler. The move followed outrage after a police dog, german shepherd Koda, was stabbed in August while pursuing an alleged thief . However, Ms Vincent will tell Parliament animal welfare laws already offer enough protection and the government's legislation is a "populist" attempt to divert attention from a raft of child sex abuse cases in schools . The Government has been under increasing pressure over its poor handling of sex abuse in schools for more than a year . "While the State Government's Education Department lurches from one child abuse crisis to the next, the Premier wastes everyone's time and taxpayers' money making up new laws that are already covered by existing legislation," Ms Vincent said. Passing a populist law to protect working dogs will offer no additional protection to those animals. We are not here to pass well-meaning but totally unnecessary kneejerk laws, we are not here to pass laws that amount to gratuitous government media stunts. Ms Vincent is the first ­person in a wheelchair elected to State Parliament, and many expected her to support the legislation because it pertains to animals that assist the disabled. Attorney General John Rau said it was "disappointing that Ms Vincent would politicise the serious issue of child sexual abuse." He questioned why she would not support a policy endorsed by Guide Dogs SA and requested by SA Police. In a submission to Mr Rau, then-Law Society of SA president John White argued the existing Animal Welfare Act 1985 contains "severe penalties" of up to four years' jail and fines of up to $40,000 for aggravated offences. "The existing Act is wide enough to cover working animals," he writes. To introduce yet more offences can only complicate the law and its enforcement. One incident (Koda's attack) is not an appropriate basis for rushed legislation. The Government argues the investment in training animals such as police and guide dogs and the special job they do warrants a stronger penalty. The Criminal Law Consolidation (Protection for Working Animals) Amendment Bill 2013 is listed as the Government's fourth priority for debate in the Upper House when Parliament sits on Tuesday.