Live Exports Suspension
I spoke in parliament last night on the issue of live animal exports.
Live Animal Exports, 14 June 2011
The image of our stock men and women is deeply etched on the national psyche: the laconic stockmen rocking easily in the saddle, cajoling and guiding the herd; the alert and agile stockman darting through the bush, bringing a bolter back or displaying campdrafting skills at the local rodeo.
The resourcefulness and resilience of Sara Henderson, who successfully ran Bullo River cattle station, inspired us all with her campaign against breast cancer even as she herself was dying from the disease.
The government, those who raise the cattle and those who rely on the cattle care deeply about the welfare of these animals and ensuring they are treated humanely every step of the way.
Following evidence of animal mistreatment, the decision was made to suspend trade to Indonesia. This was not an easy decision, but it was the right decision.
The live export trade will only recommence when we are certain that the industry complies with supply chain assurances. The industry must be based on animal welfare outcomes, transparency and verification. The Australian and Indonesian governments have agreed to work together to establish a transparent, verifiable system that will account for cattle from Australia right through the supply chain.
The humane treatment of animals is a universal value that transcends international boundaries. It is the community standard. It is the government’s standard. It must be the industry’s standard.
Under World Trade Organisation rules, Australia has the right to take actions to ensure that Australian cattle are treated in accordance with international standards of animal welfare. I was horrified, as all Australians were, by the Four Corners footage.
We cannot turn away from this.
That is not the Labor way.
It is not the way of this government.
That is why the government is working with the industry and with animal welfare organisations to make sure that the cattle those in the industry rely on and care for are part of a supply chain that respects the animals’ welfare.
Halal killing should only be done after animals are stunned. This is the best way to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry for those that rely on meat exports for their livelihood and way of life, such as the Indigenous stockmen and their families who work in 82 Indigenous cattle stations across Northern Australia, providing economic and employment opportunities.
We know that in the short term the suspension will have an impact. The government is committed to the long-term future of the industry, an industry that is vital to many Australians and their communities.
We all identify with the spirit of our stock men and women, and the care they have for their cattle. Banjo Paterson wrote of this in his poem With the Cattle:
‘The plains are all awave with grass,
The skies are deepest blue;
And leisurely the cattle pass
And feed the day long through;
But when we sight the station gate,
We make the stockwhips crack,
A welcome sound to those who wait
To greet the cattle back:’
If anyone is left in doubt as to the indelible mark left by those who work the land, look down at your feet or the person’s next to you. There is a good chance they will be wearing a pair of RM Williams shoes, shoes designed by a stockman for stockmen to enable them to apply their trade in caring for their cattle.
The pundits like to find conflict in every story. In the case of live exports, the debate has been portrayed as city versus country, Bondi versus Barcaldine, naive animal lovers versus heartless farmers.
But the debate is more than that.
We are more than that.
Over the past fortnight, I have received more than 500 emails on the issue of live exports and engaged in numerous conversations with constituents here in the bush capital.
Australia is made up of urbanites proud of their cattle industry and people on the land horrified at what they saw on their TV screens.
Ours is not a country divided. Most want a strong cattle industry, but never again do we want to see cattle mistreated. I am confident that we can achieve both outcomes.
Has anyone checked and audited the ABC video / photos of the animal ‘slaughter method’ for the truth and veracity of that being ‘the common practice and not an isolated incident’?
Such hypocracy !!! There is NO HUMANE WAY TO KILL ANYTHING ?
First Cattle? Then what next? Sheep ? Pigs ? Chickens ? Kangaroos and Camels in culling processes ? Crocadiles in farms for industry use?
Your speech is very endearing and ultuistic however it is so much polly waffle and falsity, from someone WHO WILL NOT BE ADVERSLY, FINANCIALLY AFFECTED BY THE ECONOMIC COSTS TO ALL AUSTRALIANS AND INDONESIANS.
To Lucas. So what you are saying is that as long as it makes money, then it is alright to tolerate cruelty. I know what you can do with your polly waffle!
Yes, that’s pretty much what he’s saying, Bernard. Money is all that matters to the live export industry, and that includes the farmers, who know what their animals are forced to endure overseas, but simply care more about profits than their animal’s welfare.
What the heck does Sara Henderson’s breast cancer have to do with the suffering of the exported animals?
If the Aus Government did not know about this treatment of cattle in Indonesia prior to the 4 Corners episode then they, as well as the MLA whom they give millions to, are incompetent. If as seems the case, they both knew then you, your Government and the MLA are all culpable.
There is no humane way to transport animals overseas and no way to guarantee that they are treated with any sort of respect and care after they are landed and handed over.
Stop this trade in cattle, sheep, goats and whichever other species we send off to slaughter and stop it now. It might have been preferable for the farmers to phase it out but it’s too late now that you’ve implemented the suspension so stop it immediately.
BTW – the issue is not whether these animals being mistreated are Australian or not – it is that we, the Australian people through our government and the MLA, are complicit in this by supplying animals to be slaughtered so barbarically.
Ban live export now.
There is no humane way to kill animals but there are huge variations in the degree of inhumanity with which they are killed.These degrees of inhumanity range from, at one extreme, painlessly killing a perfectly healthy dog, using an overdose of anaesthetic, in a shelter where animals are treated as well as they can be, subject to budget, to the other extreme, exemplified by what happens every single day to cattle and sheep(no, there is absolutely no question that this was a “one-off”)in Indonesia and the Middle East.
This obscenity must be stopped and stopped permanently. I know that everyone in Australia who cares about animals, at least everyone who has made it their business to know about this cruelty, has been saying this since the first footage from the sheep ships was made public in the late 1970s. Now these images have finally got out to so many other caring people in the country,surely there must be enough outrage to force a permanent ban.
I feel for those who are losing their jobs but I also feel for the innocent animals who are subjected to such horrors. However I cease to feel for those who profit from suffering. It is time to end such speciesism.
Everyone agrees this cruelty must stop, but the only way to stop it is to end live exports forever. We are being naive if we think our Govt can put in place methods to end the cruelty in another country. It won’t happen. The other country would not allow such interference. End this trade and only send chilled meat.
Bernard, that’s not what he is saying at all. The 4 corners show only selected 1 abattoir and from that have deduced that ALL abattoirs in Indonesia are mistreating the animals. I don’t think anyone condones cruelty to animal, even the Muslim religion condemns such practice. One thing that has been overlooked is what happens to all those cattle that were on the docks waiting to be transported? From what I understand fodder is going to be a major problem, so do they starve to death? Probably not, but it will mean that future increases in cattle will have to be curtailed. This is a business, and as with all business’ a profit is necessary. This Govt. has just killed all these Graziers profits and basically put thousands of workers out of work both here and in Indonesia. Our “hand-out” govt has offered compensation – a measly $5m to those effected in Australia. But what about the Indonesians, they won’t be getting any compensation. I agree, there should be NO live animal export, if they want Halal meat then do it here where we can ensure it is done as humanely as possible and value add to our countries produce. This should apply right across the board to all our resources!
Brian you are misleading regarding your comment about 1 abattoir been shown. There were 5 animals whose torturous experiences were displayed for all to see and they were not all from one abattoir. Animals Australia viewed 50 slaughters at 10 abattoirs and they found mistreatment to be a common theme. Google Dr Bidda Jones’ Observational Study and you can read the facts yourself. Also read MLA’s report. However, I am happy that you said all live exports should be banned!
There are two problems with banning all live animal exports from northern Australia: the six-month wet season means that abattoirs would not be economically viable (operating for only half the year) and there is a lack of reliable refrigeration facilities and electricity supply in many areas of Indonesia. With tagging of all animals, proper inspection at all points along the way (including here in Australia – some years ago I saw acts of cruelty to sheep at the port of Fremantle), and the provision of proper equipment in foreign abattoirs, it should be possible to ensure that the animals are humanely treated. I would also like to see humane treatment of people, even asylum seekers who arrive by boat. They are animals too.