Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Page for putting forward this motion on the meat export industry. The Australian Greens have a long history of campaigning to improve the treatment of animals, particularly those bred or farmed for human consumption. This campaign is obviously a long way from realising its goals and it is one that rarely garners mainstream attention. But as tens of thousands of animals die as a result of the live animal export industry every year, and as hundreds of thousands of animals reared for human consumption are mistreated in this country largely out of sight of the consumer, it is a campaign that is both essential and urgent. We as a society have a long way to go in improving the way we treat animals. It is a basic test of decency to see how many deaths and how much mistreatment we as a society will tolerate in the name of industry and commerce. We firmly believe that so long as we have a live animal export trade in this country we will fail that test.

The Greens are on record, and it is quite clearly stated in our federal policies, that we want to see an immediate end to the export of live animals for consumption. The government knows full well that animals sent overseas in the live export trade suffer during transportation and are mistreated upon arrival. It is presented time and time again with such evidence, yet there so far has been a lack of political will to shine a light on this industry and reject the unethical practices inherent in this trade. This is truly disappointing. And this motion does indeed take a position that supports the economy and jobs. I note that the RSPCA recently reminded members that Australia’s meat trade as a whole internationally is worth seven times more than live exports and that sheep processed domestically contribute 20 per cent more to the Australian economy than those sent overseas in appalling conditions.

Although the Greens primarily approach this issue as an ethical matter, it would seem we would be on solid ground arguing against live animal exports on the basis of local job protection alone, as the member for Page has pointed out. When meat-processing facilities continue to sack staff because of lack of access to stock, and when the international demand for frozen meats continues to improve, live exports should be taking a diminishing share of Australia’s overall meat exports. Nor is this a minority opinion: a recent poll conducted by Galaxy indicates that 79 per cent of Australians would like the live export industry phased out. In the context of this overwhelming support, I believe the member for Page would even have been justified in moving a more ambitious motion. The action called on in this motion in part (3), for renewed consideration of a planned and supported transition in the medium term away from live exports, is a measured step towards an urgent outcome.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

I will be supporting this motion, as it is clearly a step in the right direction. I implore the government not to treat this as another private member’s Main Committee motion that is quietly debated and put aside but rather to give this debate the treatment that it deserves. I look forward to the next step—to a more public debate and an economic plan put forward by the government to scale back and ultimately terminate this unethical practice. The bottom line is that there is no ethically acceptable means of transporting hundreds of thousands of animals thousands of kilometres by ship for slaughter when the journey sees thousands of animals continue to die on route every year and when the destination countries consistently treat livestock with brutality.

It was growing up in the member for Fremantle’s electorate and seeing the sights and smelling lorry loads of sheep as they went past and then sat on the dock in the ships for often several days at a time that prompted me to first inquire about the ethical treatment of animals for export and the economics of exporting live animals. Everything that I have learnt in the meantime, together with the Australian Greens policy, leads me to support this motion and commend the member for Page for bringing it to the attention of the House. I support this measured step towards the end goal of stopping the export of live animals.

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