Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) | Hansard source

That is a matter for the judiciary. Our job here today is to decide whether this should become the law of the land. This is a growing issue, despite the public expressing its concerns with how Aussie Farms and other extreme militant animal activists are targeting our farmers, their families and their workers. But I have severe concerns about their actual disregard for common decency, their flagrant flick of the hand about the law of the land. It is absolutely abhorrent that they think it's okay to go into a business and steal. You're not freeing the animals; you're stealing stock, someone's livelihood. Mr Delforce, who runs this Aussie Farms, is remaining defiant about the illegal activities underpinning his cause and that of organisations such as his. Again, their end goal is not about animal welfare; it is to end livestock production in this country. He said it was 'no secret' he believes various livestock industries 'don't have a right to exist anymore' because they're 'barbaric, archaic and so unjust'. He believes they're completely 'unnecessary'. Well, I don't. I stand with Australian farmers, their commitment to animal welfare standards and a bill that will ensure they can continue to uphold high animal welfare standards.

This bill in no way reduces the provisions around somebody taking issues of animal welfare to the appropriate authorities, but it does protect families, communities, our national economy—as this is a nearly $60 billion dollar industry—and hundreds of thousands of jobs out in regional communities now and into the future. I hope that answers your question, Senator Patrick. I commend the amendments.