Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to welcome a delegation from rural WA, who are with us here in the chamber, representing sheep producers and associated industries already being impacted by this government's commitment to the phase-out of the live sheep export industry. I give a big shout-out to producers like Bindi Murray, Steven Bolt, Steven McGuire and Geoff Pearson, all of whom should be back home doing lamb marking, shearing and ram sales; shearing contractor Darren Spencer, representing the WA Shearing Industry Association; Ben Sutherland from the Livestock and Rural Transport Association of WA; WAFarmers president John Hassell; and Sarah Brown, representing the Association for Sheep Husbandry Excellence, Evaluation and Production.

Yesterday the delegation joined Sheep Producers Australia in hosting an information session here in Parliament House. It was open to all politicians, and, sadly, not one Labor member or senator took the opportunity to meet with those whose livelihoods will be decimated by this phase-out. Thankfully, Minister Watt did make the time to listen and, although determined to proceed with this misinformed policy, acknowledged that the independent panel on the phase-out of live sheep exports had raised many important implications that the Labor Party had not considered when they made their ill-conceived election commitment.

I take this opportunity to implore Minister Watt to heed the example set by newly minted WA Labor Premier Roger Cook, who recognised bad policy in the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act and dumped it. If Minister Watt ignores this plea, it shows that this government does not support agriculture, nor people from the bush.