Alby Schultz (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a person who takes offence to the terminology ‘blind eye’, I would like to address my question to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Would the minister inform the House of the importance of live exports to Australian farmers?

Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Hume for his question and welcome his interest in the subject matter. As a large number of members would be aware, there were disturbances and demonstrations at Devonport over the weekend as a group of extreme animal liberationists attempted to disrupt a lawful and highly regulated trade of livestock. The animal liberationists on the spot would not know, let alone care, about the standards of animal welfare that govern Australia’s livestock export trade. It is governed by much strengthened standards following the Keniry review in 2003. These standards are now much more community focused, with membership comprising representatives from all states and territories, industry and animal welfare groups. Since the Keniry report, the government has committed $4 million to improve the welfare of Australian animals shipped to the Middle East, especially on their arrival in countries that do not have Australia’s high standards of receiving and processing.

The Al Messilah loaded 72,000 sheep in Devonport bound for Kuwait and the UAE over the weekend. The ship had already loaded 900 cattle from Portland. It is reported that the shipment would mean in excess of $2½ million to farmers for stock that domestic processors had rejected late last year. There was no major incident regarding the quality and fitness for transport of the sheep. Of the 72,000 sheep, only 300 were deemed unfit for travel by the AQIS veterinarian and the exporter. This represents less than 0.5 per cent of the total load. The sheep were prepared in a feedlot in accordance with the livestock export standards and closely supervised by AQIS. An experienced shipboard veterinarian and stockman are accompanying the shipment, and daily voyage reports will be sent to AQIS. I congratulate the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association on their support of primary producers and the export industry and I sympathise with the Tasmanian police, who would have picked up a great many bruises and cuts as they tried to maintain the law at that time and at that place.

Australia’s highly regulated and world-class standard exports are at threat from animal liberationists, who are on an ideological bent and have no knowledge, care nor interest in the welfare of animals. If Australia stops supplying the market, other exporters with less concern and less of a proven track record would step in to fill the void. Australian involvement is therefore influencing change and improving animal welfare outcomes.