Greens propose five-point plan to phase out live sheep exports   

Canberra Times
Published: April 21 2018

The Greens have proposed a five-point plan to phase out live sheep exports, labelling the government's assurance about animal welfare "worthless" and arguing that Labor's proposal to suspend the trade immediately would create uncertainty for the sector.   

The blueprint, which would offer financial assistance to farmers and seek to grow the trade of boxed and chilled meat, adds to a growing push by MPs across the political spectrum to end live sheep exports following revelations about the cruel and deadly conditions faced by the animals on journeys to the Middle East.

But One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has criticised the move to wind down the trade permanently, warning Australia would lose business to competitors and questioning whether boosted exports of processed meat could replace the lost economic activity.

Under the plan put forward by the Greens, the government would manage a transition to boxed and chilled meat; provide financial assistance to farmers to ease the adjustment; train meat processing workers; lobby internationally against live exports and for processed meats; and create new positions in the public service to support the industry.

“The transition from live sheep exports to local processing for international trade can start now. There is absolutely no need to continue the cruel live sheep export industry,” Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said of the proposal, which is backed by the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union.

“The Turnbull government’s assurances that the welfare of exported animals can be protected are worthless. At every stage they have failed to protect exported sheep from suffering. Labor’s plan for a temporary ban creates more uncertainty."   

Earlier this month, 60 Minutes aired confronting footage of a live export voyage to Qatar on which 2400 sheep died, mainly due to heat stress.   

In response to the footage, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud announced a snap review into the industry that will examine whether live exports should continue in the particularly deadly summer months.

Mr Littleproud has also resisted the calls, including from Coalition MPs, to bring an end to the trade, saying a "knee-jerk ban would punish farmers who have done nothing wrong".

Labor has called for the creation of an inspector general of animal welfare – a proposal that has been picked up the Australian Live Exporters' Council - and said the exports should be suspended immediately pending the findings of the government's review.

Senator Hanson said the former Labor government's live export ban in 2011 "devastated" farmers and said there was demand for live animals in the Middle East because of the way animals were slaughtered and the lack of refrigeration equipment.

"Of course I'd like to see us process it here in Australia and sold overseas but that's not the case. If we put a stop to it, we're going to lose a lot of business. They will get their sheep from New Zealand or America or even China. We can't lose that export because a lot of farmers will go under," she told Fairfax Media.

Senator Hanson said punishment should be targeted at wrongdoers, arguing they should face heavy fines and lose the ability to participate in the trade.

Liberal MP Sussan Ley has announced she will introduce a private member's bill to end the trade, saying she is "disgusted" by the latest revelations.

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Not all cultures are the same.

Some we shouldn't be inviting to come here to join our Australian family.

The welfare of animals will be protected on their journey to involuntary suspension of life........ hmmmm...

Well it should be stopped for another reason than the welfare of animals too. We need that meat in australia to get the prices down. Stupid to be shipping all the best bits overseas and importing ours from elsewhere.

Spot

Let's not muddy the waters, BigO. One issue at a time.

What would be a wonderful solution is to export the almost dead in the water redundant irrelevant Greenies!!!!

Exporting intractable wasters is probably against some UN charter

The live export can be fixed.

Sheep die on farms, sheep die on stations, get over it.

The only reason city people have got their panties in a wad over this is the footage.

Just fix the export

miketrees wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2018 at 6:22pm:


And they should have their panties in a wad. But I agree, fix it. What is overlooked is that someone lost a lot of money due to the incompetence of the shipment organisation.