Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024. I approach this debate tonight with real regret and dismay. There have been a number of issues throughout this term of government that have caused great concern, but there have only been a couple of times where we've stood in here and debated an issue that has particularly affected the people in Western Australia. This is one of those moments.

The other moment that I can think of was the first bill, if my recollection serves me right, that the Albanese government brought into this place: the bill for the abolition of the cashless debit card. That was brought in due to an ideology and to appeal to votes in parts of the country other than those parts where the cashless debit card was in operation. Of course, I'm talking about the electorates of Durack and O'Connor, Grey in South Australia and Hinkler in Queensland. These are all seats that the coalition won, of course, but, due to votes in the inner-city parts of New South Wales and Victoria, in particular, the then opposition were committed to see the repeal of the cashless debit card. I've been to the Goldfields and the Kimberley, and I've seen firsthand the result of the abolition of the CDC. We've seen that these communities are now torn apart.

I raise that to suggest that, right here, where we're debating the removal of the ability for farmers to export their product—the sheep that they have raised—Labor are being led by that same ideology and, indeed, by that same inner-city short-sighted mindset that is all about votes in inner-city seats here on the east coast. Between 80 per cent and 90 per cent, and sometimes close to 100 per cent, of live sheep exports come out of Western Australia, and here we have a situation where this government has, because of interests in other parts of the country, given in and made decisions without any science or knowledge.

We hear the minister say, 'This was an election commitment.' Explain to me why Rick Wilson, the member for O'Connor, won his seat. Why did the member for Durack, Melissa Price, win her seat? Those are two key electorates in Western Australia where the vast majority of these sheep farms are in operation. Why did they win their seats? We know that due to the interests of animal activist parties—like we saw in the Dunkley by-election, where just a couple of per cent was traded off, and sometimes even less than that, to get some preference deals—the Labor Party and Mr Albanese chose to go with those preference deals and those interests rather than engaging with the farmers in Western Australia, where this is going to have the biggest impact. It is a great shame that that is occurring.

Like I said, when we saw the abolition of the cashless debit card, we had the debate here—I've got that same feeling right now: a really empty feeling. It's a real feeling of despair. I feel that as a Western Australian. Imagine how farmers are feeling right now. A few of them have come over here today as a last-ditch effort to try to implore this government to pump the brakes, to stop and to listen, but the government are not doing so. We've seen a guillotine in this debate. For those following along at home, it means that the government has decided that there is not going to be a proper debate in this place. They're going to cut it off in just two hours and say, 'This debate will end, and we'll have a vote.'

I say to the crossbench: this is an opportunity for you to pause and not allow this government to abuse the conventions of this place. Normally, a guillotine is reserved for non-controversial legislation or bills that are absolutely essential to get through in a timely way. Well, this is not one of those. Clearly, it's not. They just want to get this off the books, dealt with and done. They know that in Western Australia this stinks. They know that in Western Australia this issue matters to people, whether they're in the country areas or, indeed, in the city. Western Australians know this trade is vital to the livelihood and the future of farming in Western Australia.

Those who were listening earlier would have heard Senator Brockman deliver his speech. I commend his speech, and I'm pleased to be joined by Senator Brockman, who is right next to me now. Senator Brockman very clearly and articulately laid out the reason why this trade must continue and why it is unique to Western Australia. We hear contributions by those opposite and by those down there among the unicorn farmers, the Greens, who talk about how the rest of the country has moved on from this trade, so let's just bring it on. We heard a contribution earlier from Senator Shoebridge. He said, 'We could see the abolition of this, and one day we'll look back on this as we did the whaling industry and thank God that that's gone.' Senator Brockman outlined how the climate in Western Australia is unique and different to that of the east coast and how that trade enables a quick shrinking of the flock to deal with the pressures that might be on a particular farm or, indeed, across a whole region due to the vagaries of the climate. It enables those producers to sustain their farms and their industry. But they won't be able to do that under this government.

When I first came into this place, my family was a farming family. When I heard about the live sheep exports, there was the Awassi Express incident and there was great concern in the community. So I took it upon myself to see for myself exactly what happens in this industry. I arranged to go to the feedlot in Mundijong, just south of where I live. I met the vet and the people working there. I saw the sheep there. They would go there for a period of time. I think it was about a week. They would get accustomed to the food they were going to have on board the ship. Every animal was checked by a vet. Any animal that had too much wool on it was sheared. It was to make sure that they were suitable and ready to go on that voyage. Then I went to the port at Fremantle, and I went on board one of the ships and saw the ventilation that had been installed. They had gone to great lengths because the government had asked them to. They did everything the government asked to ensure those welfare standards were in place.

We have a situation where these companies, these exporters, have done everything that the government has asked them to do, yet it's not good enough for Mr Albanese. He wants to appeal to inner-city interests, particularly over here on the east coast. Western Australians see straight through this, because they remember the campaign before the last election. They remember the billboards. They remember the corflutes that were up at every polling booth. The Prime Minister, the then opposition leader, Mr Albanese, said, 'Put WA first: vote Labor.' It was on every polling booth. We saw ads on television, saying, 'Put WA first: vote Labor.' They even had the campaign office for the country there in Western Australia. They even held their national campaign launch in Western Australia. Of course, Western Australians did. They voted for them overwhelmingly, particularly in the city. There was no mention of a live sheep export ban. That certainly wasn't mentioned in any of their campaign launches. It wasn't on any of the billboards or on any corflutes plastered around polling booths. But they did say, 'Put WA first: vote Labor.' They are making an absolute mockery of that campaign with this legislation and by guillotining this debate here tonight.

What does it mean to guillotine? It means we're not able to have a committee stage. What is that? That's an important time for this Senate as the house of review to be able to question the minister about the elements and clauses of a bill, and, indeed, we would be able to ask about this support package that is coming. There are lots of questions to be asked. We are hearing from farmers and producers that it's a pittance, that it's not going to meet the need, that it's insufficient to support them in the way they need. They're going to guillotine the debate and at 10 o'clock tonight we're voting. We are not going to have any committee stage on this bill.

Like I said, there have been many moments when I have been disappointed in this government, but there have been a few moments when I have actually had this sick feeling and this sense of exasperation, and that includes right now. That's because this government has turned its back on Western Australia. They are not listening to the people of Western Australia. They're not listening to the farmers, the producers or the families. We are talking about generational farmers. We are talking about producers that have been producing sheep for generations. I was at the Wagin Woolorama, and we saw people come up and sign the petition. There were generations of people that came through. We saw elderly, parents and young people coming and signing this petition not just for themselves but for future generations as well. They know that their livelihood is going to be stolen and taken away by this bill and this government.

There is no-one more responsible for that than the Prime Minister himself. Mr Albanese is responsible for this. He says he's a great friend of Western Australia. All he does, frankly, is land his jet, his Airbus, on the deck in WA, refuel his plane and then jet off again overseas. He counts that as a visit to Western Australia. He counts that as a visit and getting to understand Western Australia. The truth is that he doesn't understand it. Labor are going to pay at the next election. In the new seat of Bullwinkel, guess what's going to happen there? They are going to get slaughtered there and in Tangney. Mr Lim, I hope you're listening. Why don't you stand up for Western Australia and stand up for the people? There are a lot of retirees and a lot of people who own farms that live in that part of the electorate. There is residual support for farmers. It doesn't matter if they're young or old, people love farmers. Guess what? Labor are going to pay for it in all those seats—Pearce, Swan and Hasluck. They have turned their backs on Western Australia.

Kate Chaney, the member for Curtin, was for this bill, but because of the feedback she got out on the ground and no doubt in the polls that she's seen, like I have seen, she knows that this stinks and is going to impact her. So, all of a sudden, she changed her mind and voted against this bill in the House. Why don't Labor senators here in this place do the right thing or, at the very least, support the second reading amendment that's been foreshadowed by Senator Brockman to refer this to a committee? Government, get feedback from farmers, at the very least, about the legitimacy and the efficiency of your support package, because it's not enough. You are going to pay because of your approach.