POLITICAL public commentary have been rare leading into and during the Indonesian live cattle ban class action trial starting this week at the Federal Court in Sydney, for politicians who normally like to covet media coverage.
But federal Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce was one of the few who spoke out with a view on the legal matter, where industry is seeking $600 million in damages from the government due to losses inflicted by the sudden trade ban, when he also made an appearance at the NSWFarmers annual conference.
Mr Joyce said at the time, he “fought hard” and even against those within his own party.
“I did fight hard, in fact to be quite frank I was the first person to do a doorstop on the live cattle ban,” he said.
“It was a ridiculous policy and I remember getting calls from my own side at the time saying to ‘shut up’ but I didn't.
“I could just see where this would end.
“You can't stop supplying protein to your major partners and think there's not ramifications for that.
“So much of the northern cattle industry obviously is inextricably linked to live cattle.
“But this is before the courts and where it ends up is a matter for the courts.”
Mr Joyce said the ban’s impact on some people “was devastating”.
“I've said that over and over again,” he said.
“It's like saying to people going across the Sydney Harbour Bridge 'well today we're closing the Harbour Bridge down, because there's a moral imperative to do it’.
“People will just say that's insanity, you can't do that.”
Mr Joyce said whether the suspension decision was good governance or not, would ultimately be discovered by the court and was something the previous Labor government did and the current Coalition government was now trying to “manage their problems”.
Shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon declined to comment with his office saying the matter was currently before the courts and it was inappropriate to comment on this case until it was finalised.
Amid criticism of the government not acting as a model litigant in defending the class action claim that was first filed in court in late 2014 and is being headed up by lead litigants the Brett Cattle Company of the NT, in particular stalling tactics during document discovery processes, Attorney General George Brandis has also declined to comment, referred media inquiry to Mr Joyce.
During proceedings, the court was told about 98 per cent of cattle for live exports originated from Queensland, WA and the NT and those regions offer limited access to other markets due to distance, isolation, transport regulations, climate, and lack of infrastructure such as abattoirs.
The trial was also told that in 2011, over 90pc of the value of farm exports from the NT came from live cattle exports.
The plaintiff’s legal team is seeking to prove malfeasance of public office in then Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig’s signing of the second control order of July 6, 2011, that suspended live cattle trade to the Indonesian market for up to six months to address animal welfare issues highlighted a week before on ABC television.