David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for that detailed contribution, Minister, and partial explanation. I'm familiar with the findings of the report, but one of the key things that I think many Australians would be surprised to know is that, as a result of this bill, and if the government doesn't go outside the conclusions of that report, a series of incredibly valued organisations that do animal welfare work will continue to be excluded from DGR status.

One of those organisations that I had the pleasure of working with closely when I was a member of the state parliament was Animals Australia. Animals Australia does extraordinary campaigns to address some systemic issues of animal welfare—for me, some of the most fundamental issues of animal welfare—and I think our society tries to pretend they don't happen. There are cruelties that happen in much of industrial agriculture, and Animals Australia have been extraordinary in exposing those cruelties, such as chickens in battery cages. This cruelty is inflicted on millions of these quite remarkable little creatures every day across this country.

I don't know if any of you have had the pleasure of having backyard chooks, but they have amazing little personalities. They're little, distinct creatures who can be extremely affectionate and have their own distinct personalities if they're given the chance. But, as Animals Australia has pointed out so often and so compellingly, they are put in these cruel cages, unable to express any of their natural attributes and unable to do any of their social activities, all so there can be marginally cheaper eggs produced with marginally lower input costs—as you've reduced their energy output because they can't move. The cruelty that Animals Australia have exposed through their campaigning in this regard has been quite extraordinary, and I'm incredibly grateful for the work they do. But they can't get DGR status; they're excluded because they do advocacy.

There's the work they do pointing out the cruelty in the industrial raising of pigs, with sows kept in narrow cages where they can't roll and can't move—and the wounds they have and the appalling life they have. Pigs are incredibly intelligent and incredibly communal creatures, and Animals Australia has done some incredibly brave work pointing out the cruelty that happens to pigs in those industrial intensive piggeries.

There's the work that they're doing right now in urging the ACT government not to grant permits to kill wombats. I said earlier that there were two beautiful little boy wombats out there in the Matilda truck, but, unless something changes, the ACT government will continue to issue permits to kill wombats. Animals Australia have been doing the advocacy, making the case that wombats in this country should not be subject to killing and trying to get the ACT government to change their plans.

Minister, are you familiar with the work of Animals Australia? I genuinely accept your belief in a post-politics career in caring for animals or in career volunteer work; I genuinely accept it. Sometimes I wonder why the politics divide us in some of these actions of trying to come up with a system that cares for animals and treats them as sentient creatures that we have the enormous benefit of sharing the planet with. And Animals Australia are trying to do that work. They're trying to make our nation, our food production systems and our landscape management actually treat animals as sentient creatures. So, Minister, why won't your government amend the DGR so that Animals Australia and other advocacy groups like them get that DGR status?