Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Assistant Minister for Children and Families) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to stand up and defend the interests of this nation and the people who put the food on our tables and the wealth in our economy. Mark my words, this bill, the Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports Bill 2018, is not just about sheep exports during certain months; it goes to the very core of the difference between the two sides of our parliament. On one side we have the coalition government wanting to improve the lives of people across the country by helping them engage in the economy to their capacity. We back our farmers and we back our rural communities. On the other side we have the entirely trade-union owned Labor and Greens parties wanting to erode and degrade our economic strengths and at every turn demonise and deride our farmers and fail our rural communities. It is a sad indictment on the intelligence and capacity of every single Australian that we would even entertain the member for Hunter's motion for the second reading of this bill, a bill that would place every grazing operation in this country in a perilous state and weaken our economy as a result.

What we have seen in recent footage of sheep on boats has been shocking and an absolute disgrace. This footage is certainly not representative of normal transport conditions. In 2017, some 1.7 million sheep were exported by sea; of those, some 99.29 per cent were delivered in good health. That is the real story of live export. The people I have met with who were most upset by that footage are graziers and transporters in my local electorate, people who know a thing or two about animal welfare and who care a great deal about the shape animals are in when they arrive at their destination. What these people do take to heart, though, is the response from Minister Littleproud and this government. We haven't just thrown our hands in the air and said, 'Well, this is just too hard.' We haven't done that, because this is too important. The value of live export is absolutely integral to small rural economies right across the country. Even if those opposite don't realise it, our live export markets are just like any other market for export; they are part of the tapestry of opportunities that make up the whole export picture. Having access to live export markets helps drive the prices for our sheep and cattle. Because of that positive effect, we're currently seeing livestock prices as high as they've ever been in living memory, and that's great news for primary producers, especially during times of drought.

That's why Minister Littleproud has acted swiftly in enacting the McCarthy review, headed by veterinarian Dr Michael McCarthy. All of Dr McCarthy's 23 recommendations were accepted, subject to further testing and consultation on the heat stress risk assessment recommendations. Adopting outcome measures that focus on welfare rather than mortality is perhaps the most significant suggested solution, and by adopting the recommendations we are delivering both a better outcome for the welfare of livestock and the opportunity to keep trade open.

The only option those opposite are content with, though, is to shut down the whole trade. We saw how well this went when they were last in power. Labor shut down the live cattle trade to Indonesia for a matter of weeks, and many graziers are only just recovering from the effects of that decision. Those opposite may wish to suggest a five-year phase-out, but the result will be the same. Our rural communities will suffer. Other countries who care far less about animal welfare will supply the sheep. One does not require a degree in economics to work out what will result from this. We will have secured ourselves a weaker-economy country, especially in our rural areas, and we will achieve nothing for animal welfare. So I urge those opposite to stop trying to fight a trade that delivers over $1.4 billion to the nation's economy and get on board with the government's efforts to reform and improve it. Every farmer and grazier across this wide brown land is counting on you to do so.

Debate adjourned.

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