Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I present a petition of 145 signatures from Hilltop Road Public School. A number of weeks ago four extraordinary young students from the Hilltop Road Public School came to see me in my office and asked me to raise the issue of caged chickens in this House. I do so today in their words in a letter to me of 23 July. They said:

Dear Ms Owens

My name is Rakaya Ghamrawi and along with Ariona Haxhijaj and Eli Dean we are known as the CC Chickens. We go to Hilltop Road Public School and are in the 6th grade and we are doing a PBL project (Project Base Learning) on 'Is The Law Fair'. The topic we thought of doing is caged chickens because the information we found on caged chickens and the effects that happen are very traumatising and hurtful, mainly because of the space they have (which is the space of an original Ipad as the floor space …

They went on:

We thought that if-this-beeame-a law that all caged chickens must be free range in a non-polluted environment because, not only would it effect the chickens but if we eat the chickens that carry diseases that are stuck in cages, we may also get sick.

We would also like them to be free range because over 90% of the eggs sold in Australia are from caged chickens, which is a very big concern to us.

The reason why I am contacting you is because my group and I would really appreciate it if you take this idea to parliament and present this matter of concern on our behalf.

Thank you, Hilltop Road Public School.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The document will be forwarded to the Standing Committee on Petitions for its consideration. It will be accepted subject to confirmation by the committee that it conforms to the standing orders.