Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McMahon for her question, recognising the longstanding interest that she has had in this particular industry since well before her time in this place. As Senator McMahon rightly notes, the impact on live exporters of the overnight decision by the former Labor government in 2010 to ban live exports had a massive impact on Australia and it particularly had a massive impact on the families and communities right across the nation that were directly involved in this industry.

On 22 July this year the federal government made and announced the decision that it will not be appealing the Federal Court case which ruled in favour of the Brett Cattle Company. Losses and damages will be appropriately determined by the court because we believe that the prolonged pain and hardship that has been caused to this industry has gone on long enough. On this side of the chamber we believe that the industry deserves certainty. We believe it deserves our support going forward and that certainty has been denied this industry for some time now. The livelihoods of producers were basically cut off overnight, and our focus from here on has to be on supporting our farmers, our exporters and the people that support that industry. They are an absolutely integral part of the Australian economy and have never been more important than they are now, along with our resources sector, as key pillars to support Australia through the absolute pain and devastation of this current COVID crisis. It is a $1.7 billion industry that supports our economy. There are over 10,000 jobs within the industry and in associated industry. We as a government are absolutely strongly committed to supporting and growing the value of agriculture, and that includes our live export industry. We have a very strong record of doing it and we will continue to do it.

This was jeopardised. We're going to fix that problem now.