FORMER federal cabinet minister and NSW rural Liberal MP Sussan Ley has backed Green’s policy in demanding an end to live sheep exports.
Ms Ley took to Twitter to make a ground breaking public statement contradicting Coalition policy on live exports, amid the current controversy involving sheep shipments to the Middle East, exposed by 60 Minutes at the weekend with video footage supplied to a whistle-blower via Animals Australia of animals suffering extreme heat stress on multiple voyages.
“Enough is enough with these ships of shame,” she said.
“Saying other countries would be worse is a lazy non argument.
“Time for these monsters to face prosecution.
“Time to pick a date by which all live sheep exports must end.
“We can work with industry and farmers to make this happen.”
It’s understood Ms Ley has also made similar comments reflecting her views in other media today.
Agriculture and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud has been contacted for comment.
Ahead of the 60 Minutes broadcast, the rookie minister promised there would be no ‘knee-jerk’ response to the latest live exports controversy but has ordered a new investigation into a 2017 voyage involving Emanuel Exports where 2400 sheep died, due to the broadcast of the video footage and pledged to take stronger action including imposing tougher sanctions on exporters found to be in breach of regulations.
Today, Greens leader Richard Di Natale said Mr Littleproud’s proposed review in response to fresh revelations of the “horrific conditions” within the live export industry was “just more smoke and mirrors”.
He said only an immediate transition away from live exports would “stop the needless suffering experienced by thousands of innocent animals”.
“We’ve had enough reviews into this horrific industry,” he said.
“We don't need more reviews, we need an immediate transition away from live exports.
“We can't trust this industry to police itself and we can't trust this government to do it for them.
“This footage and reports of the mass death of over two thousand sheep on a live export ship in August are just the latest examples to become public of the cruelty, suffering and death this industry inflicts on animals each year.
“When you see the footage of these poor creatures being tortured for profit, it is clear that there is simply no justification for allowing this to continue.”
Ms Ley told Fairfax Media her views were sparked by frustrations with exporters involving live sheep shipments to the Middle East which dated back to an incident in 2003 during former John Howard and then Agriculture Minister Warren Truss’ era, involving the Cormo Express.
That shipment was rejected by its intended markets and stranded at sea for an extended period resulting in thousands of sheep deaths and triggering a parliamentary inquiry that led to implementation of some reforms.
“We have been promised since then – so the entire time I’ve been a member of parliament I’ve been listening to these promises and I’ve heard enough and I actually don’t trust the exporters,” she said.
“It seems the supply chain will always produce these types of events because the industry’s had too many chances to clean up its act and I don’t even know if it’s possible to clean up their act.
“Australia won’t be able to hold its ‘head high’ in the international community on a range of rural issues if we continue our live sheep export trade to the Middle East, for a variety of reasons.
“I’m pleased with the steps that the Agriculture Minister has taken and they’re good sensible steps (in response to 60 Minutes broadcast) but I would go further by setting date by which we announce, with industry, with farmers, not cutting anyone off at the knees in terms of their business enterprise and their investments - doing it properly - that we will actually be a country that doesn’t have live exports anymore.”
In 2017, Australia’s live sheep exports, of close to 2 million head, reached $249 million but that only represents about 10pc of total sheep and sheepmeat exports value in aggregate.
However, WA is the nation’s largest exporter of live sheep accounting for more than 85pc of the total volume.
WA rural Liberal MP and Katanning farmer Rick Wilson said he was open to looking at tougher shipping time-frames, rather than backing Ms Ley’s view.
“I think perhaps we could look at restricting shipments in the July through September period for vessels that don't have the most up to date ventilation systems,” he said.
“Incidents like this put the entire trade at risk - we need to act expeditiously to ensure that it doesn't happen again.”
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