Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

This month, the Al Kuwait live export ship arrived in the Middle East. According to the government's own report, a thousand of the sheep aboard were exposed to the highest heat stress level and found to be panting, with open mouths and tongues protruding. This level of heat stress, known as score 4 in the scale created by the department of agriculture, has never before been recorded in one of these reports. That, quite simply, is not only unforgiveable but also clear proof that the Northern Hemisphere summer ban should never have been dumped. Making this episode even worse is the fact that the Al Kuwait was never fit to sail from Fremantle. But, of course, it did, thanks to yet another cruel federal government exemption, because nothing must be allowed to get in the way of making money.

The live animal export trade is systemically cruel. The only way to end the cruelty is to end the trade. Moreover, it's not even in Australia's economic interests, because it has cost thousands of meatworker jobs and profits remarkably few businesses.

Frankly, how anyone can continue to support this vile trade beggars belief. It's another case of the major parties being beholden to vested interests and being entirely out of step with majority public opinion—shame on the lot of you, I say.

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