Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for McEwen for this question on a very serious issue. Of course, the government moved to deal with the cruelty we saw on the Four Corners program a number of weeks ago. Australians were rightly shocked to see Australian cattle treated with that kind of cruelty and Australians rightly wanted action. As I have said before in this parliament, I had the opportunity just before the suspension came into effect to meet with representatives of the live cattle industry. I have since met with them on a number of occasions and every time they have said to me that they do not want to see their animals treated like that. We needed to move to a suspension to address these animal welfare issues.

I am pleased that yesterday we were able to move to resume the trade because several important factors came together which made that possible. Those factors were that we agreed with industry how the international standards would be operationalised and the framework that would give them effect. We also had confidence, having reached that agreement and from information provided to us by some elements of industry, that a number of exporters in Australia were ready or close to ready to meet these standards. Also, we had received advice from Indonesia that they were prepared to issue permits for the importation of live cattle. That meant we were in a position to say that Australian industry could seek export permits under the new standards, that export permits would be granted on the basis that people could track and trace animals, that there would be transparency at every point of the supply chain and that there would be independent auditing including in the abattoirs in Indonesia. We were able to reach that situation through a new regulatory framework agreed with industry. Then we were able to see that a number of producers could meet that regulatory framework and we got advice from Indonesia that they were in a position to issue import permits.

I understand that the days of the suspended trade have been pressurised and anxious for people in the live cattle industry, which is why I am pleased we were able to work to this conclusion and announce it yesterday. I thank in particular the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Joe Ludwig, for his work. During these pressu­rised days, we have continued to work with industry on support measures including the $5 million animal welfare fund and the $30 million assistance package, as well as income subsidy arrangements for those who work in the industry. As the trade resumes, we will continue to work with industry to support cattle growers and to support others who work in this industry. I am glad we have reached a stage where we are able to see a resumption of this trade with appropriate animal welfare standards met and I am glad we are able to reassure Australians that appropriate steps have been taken, so that we do not see the kind of animal cruelty we saw on the Four Corners program.

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