David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hunter for his speech. I too feel the anger and pain that each one of us had when we saw that vision. There's no sane person that wouldn't have had the same emotive response. But this is a time for calm decisions that are predicated on science, not emotion. That's the path that I'm going to take this government down to protect those farmers and the animals, which have done no wrong in this, and to get it right. I can't change the past, but I intend to influence the future to have a sustainable and viable industry and to do that in a sensible, methodical way. It's been that way from the very moment that this incident came to light. I instigated a number of decisive measures to ensure that we put a pathway in place to support those farmers, particularly in WA, whose livelihoods will be ripped out from under them like they were in northern Australia in 2011. We can't revisit the ills of the past on emotive decisions. It has to be predicated on science.

I'm proud to say that, the moment we saw that horrible vision, I made sure that the independent regulator reopened the investigation and looked at that footage, frame by frame by frame, to make sure that natural justice can take its course. It's important that we allow that to take place. It's important that we're calm around that process so that, if there are prosecutions to be made, they are able to be made and carried through to penalty. It is important that I implement a whistleblower hotline and create an environment where those that see the wrongs of animal welfare can feel comfortable to come forward, because the standard we walk past is the standard we accept. And it's not just government's responsibility to call out poor behaviour. It's the responsibility of each and every one of us to create an environment where those in the industry feel comfortable to come forward and call out poor behaviour. That's the responsibility of each and every one of us, no matter our nationality; it's just being a plain human being. It's important that we do that in a systematic way, and I'm prepared to work with those opposite and those in the animal rights industry to make a robust whistleblower program where people do feel that comfort. It's important to me.

I've also made it abundantly clear that no-one is beyond reproach in this. I received a report into that shipment just before Easter. It raised enough concerns with me that I asked for my own 'please explain' of the department. Four days later, I received that footage, and I was shocked. I was horrified that that could happen when I had just received a report from the independent regulator to say that there was no standard breach. And I'm on the record—if no standard has been breached in this, from the footage I've seen, the standards quite clearly aren't good enough, and I intend to fix it; I intend to change it. I make that commitment, and I made that commitment from the get-go. But that's about being calm and decisive about our actions to support those livelihoods. I've reached out to Mr Philip Moss, who is an eminent Australian with significant experience in terms of creating an environment for investigations and prosecutions, to look at the department and the independent regulator and to make sure that they have the tools, the capabilities and the culture. It's important that we set that environment, because the regulators themselves are the ones that will create the culture in the industry. They are the ones that will set the culture of how that industry treats animals and what people think they can and can't get away with.

We've got to be clear: we have one allegation against one exporter at the moment. Let's put it in perspective. That's why I'm saying we need to be calm and decisive about our decisions, to let the facts talk for themselves. But it's important that I set the environment with the independent regulator to get it right. No matter the persuasion of government and no matter who comes after me, it's my responsibility to leave a legacy whereby animal welfare is held in the highest regard. Those opposite want to talk about the former agricultural minister. Well, there have been wrongs in the past by both sides. The Beale review, in 2008, gave a clear indication of separating the independent regulator away from the department. The Labor Party, while in government at that point, did not take up that recommendation. So, ills have been done on both sides. As I said, we can't change the past, but we can definitely change the future.

To suggest that we're going to sit here and predicate our decisions on industry—I won't be. The industry has let those farmers down and let those animals down. I don't intend to take directions from the industry. I intend to be giving them the directions. That's the course of action I set from the very moment this incident came to light. But it's important to understand that there are a number of different elements to this issue. We talk about the McCarthy review—another review I created—and the time it's taken. Let me say that it is a five-week review. I would challenge anyone out there to tell me how many government reviews have been done in that short period; to give us the scientific evidence that will be peer reviewed and make sure that we have the best conditions for sending sheep out into the northern summer; to stand here and say, 'We did have bipartisanship, but we're not going to do it because industry came out and they didn't give us confidence.' Well, from the start they've never given me confidence. But I'm going to take the evidence that's in front of me and let the scientists, the eminent professionals, come with me on that journey and guide me. We talk about the consultation. I've sat with those farmers in Western Australia, with the tears in their eyes because they can see what happened in 2011. They can see what happened to people up in northern Australia when their trade was ripped out from under them—the loss of income and the mental health issues that came from that. Those are real people.

When you're in government, you sometimes have to make tough decisions. You've got to have the ticker not to run off with emotion but to wait for the facts—to do it properly, swiftly and decisively. We did have bipartisanship. I was proud to say that as soon as this incident happened I reached across the aisle, because I wanted to leave that legacy for those farmers who have done no wrong, and for those animals. It was great, because on 19 April the Leader of the Opposition said, with regard to the McCarthy review: 'We will honour our commitment and await its findings.' That was great, but, unfortunately, the member for Hunter backed it up on 23 April. Just banning the trade is not the answer, not the solution. We have to be far more sensible about it than that.

Mr Fitzgibbon interjecting—

A phase-out is a ban, I'm sorry. The reality is that on 3 May Labor panicked. You can't lead a nation through tough times if you don't have the ticker, if you don't have the temperament to lead your nation and to wait for the facts, to wait for the science. Two weeks is all they had to wait. Instead, they put uncertainty on the livelihoods of people in Western Australia who have done no wrong. They put them on the chopping block without any consideration, and, I dare say, without any consultation. They didn't sit out there and look those farmers in the eye and explain to them why they made this decision.

Something that we as a government are proud of is that we're going to continue to stick to the pathway. My hand is still out—it will always be out. This is more important than politics or pointscoring. This is about the livelihoods and future of so many Australians who have done no wrong. It is important to think and understand that if it's not our sheep it will be another nation's sheep. There is world demand for this, and let me tell you: there are nations out there that don't have the same standards and the same values that we do. If we think we can close our eyes and say that because we banned it in Australia we can blindly feel happy, put our head on the pillow and it's all gone away, we're wrong. We've got a responsibility to stay and get it right. I'm determined to stay and get it right. My hand is across the aisle to stay and get it right. This is a time for leadership, not politics. We can prove to this nation that we can do the right thing, not only by the farmers but also by the animals.

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