Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 342 standing in my name.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) recognises that:

  (i) on 24 March 2017, following trade talks between the Prime Minister and the Chinese Premier, the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, the Honourable Barnaby Joyce, MP was widely reported as stating that if people want edible donkey skins, Australia is going to provide them,

  (ii) the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources ("the Department") confirmed in hearings of the Budget estimates held in May 2017 it is working on Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) arrangements for horses, ponies and donkeys for the purposes of slaughter in the event an application for live export is lodged,

  (iii) the Department has provided animal welfare groups with an exposure draft of the Export Control (Animals) Amendment (Equine Animals) Order 2017 for comment, and

  (iv) the Australian Livestock Exporters Council, the peak body of Australia's current livestock export industry, has stated that it and its members do not support the commencement of any trade in the live export of horses and donkeys from Australia for slaughter; and

(b) calls on the Government to heed community expectations and definitively ban the export of live horses, ponies and donkeys for slaughter.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition government is a supporter of the live export trade and agriculture exports overall and maintains international animal welfare for horse exports. The government notes that the Australian Livestock Exporters Council does not support commencement in export of live horses and donkeys for slaughter.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion, as amended, be agreed to.