Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Animal welfare is an issue of great significance and importance to most Australians. This is most certainly the case for the people of Newcastle. The former Liberal government failed to regulate the live animal export industry, and we saw the result play out in horrific scenes on board ships leaving Australia. Back then I promised my constituents that I would hold the Liberal government to account—and I did, rising in this House on multiple occasions to speak against animal cruelty and to call for increased oversight and accountability. I remember when, in 2020, the Liberal government backflipped on its own live export summer moratorium and allowed the Al Kuwait live export ship, a last-minute exemption, to set sail. That decision meant that 33,000 sheep took the very dangerous journey from Western Australia to Kuwait at the height of that Middle Eastern summer. That was against the strong advice from the RSPCA and the Australian Veterinary Association, and, indeed, the department's own initial decision.

It was right to instigate the summertime moratorium, to stop sheep overheating and dying on board ships during the Middle Eastern summer. But the backflip from the former Liberal government was the latest in a long string of catastrophic failures by the then federal government, and Novocastrians were not happy. I received hundreds of calls, emails and letters from my constituents, utterly dismayed, despairing and outraged at this gross act of animal cruelty. So I am very pleased to stand in the Chamber today to reassure my constituents that Australia now has a government which supports strong animal welfare standards and believes that all animals should be treated humanely. We want Australia to lead the world in animal welfare practices. The Albanese Labor government does not tolerate cruelty towards animals and will not compromise on animal welfare standards.

In the October budget just last year we committed $4 million over four years to establish the independent Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports. That funding was just the first step in delivering on our commitment to the Australian people at the 2022 federal election. Today, this legislation is the next step. The Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports Amendment (Animal Welfare) Bill 2023 expands the role of the existing inspector-general to include additional animal welfare related objectives. Those additional functions will help increase oversight, accountability and, importantly, transparency for animal welfare in exported livestock. I know this is welcome news for Novocastrians. For too long there has been an absence of leadership on animal welfare at the federal level, and the Australian community expects robust oversight, accountability and transparency of animal welfare in livestock exports. That message has been heard loud and clear by this government, and this bill is a very sensible step in ensuring that Australia meets these expectations.

There are some who will be critical of the scope of the role and will call for it to be broadened beyond live export, but this could impinge on the powers of states and territories. Let me be clear: Australia's state and territory governments have primary responsibility for animal welfare and laws to prevent cruelty. The Commonwealth is constitutionally empowered to regulate animal welfare as it relates to exports, and that is why there is a very specific focus in this bill today.

Public consultation on this issue was open on the department's website between 2 February and 9 March this year. Feedback was sought on additional animal welfare related objectives, functions and expertise that could form the new expanded role. A total of 24 submissions were received from industry groups, animal welfare organisations and other interested parties via the website as well as by direct mail.

During the public consultation, stakeholders were most interested in the scope of the inspector general, the nature and the level of animal welfare reporting requirements, the need for relevant expertise and qualifications in the role and the need for independence. The current act says that the inspector-general must consider the welfare of animals in Australia's livestock exports. The proposed amendments to the Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports Act expand the role of the existing Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports to include these additional animal welfare issues.

The additional objectives allow for that independent inspector-general to monitor, investigate and report on the implementation of animal welfare and live animal export legislation and standards as well as the outcomes of such implementation. The functions of the inspector-general will also be expanded to include conducting reviews into the effectiveness of the Commonwealth systems for the administration of livestock exports, including reviewing the effectiveness of the Australian standards for the export of livestock. During the public consultation, stakeholders were consistent in their call for the importance of independence and transparency. They could not have been clearer in their expectations for both of those measures to be satisfied.

This bill provides for independence of the inspector-general and provides a legislative basis for the inspector-general to operate independently, impartially and transparently. On top of the $4 million in the October budget last year, the Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports will be complemented by $5 million in funding from the 2023-24 budget to renew the Australian animal welfare strategy. A renewed strategy will cement a national approach to animal welfare, providing a vision for the welfare of all animals in Australia, and together this will increase accountability for and transparency of the development and implementation of relevant legislation and standards.

This legislation signals the Albanese Labor government's commitment to a modern, sustainable and science based approach to animal welfare, and it forms part of a suite of measures our government is implementing to prioritise animal welfare. The Albanese Labor government is committed to phasing out live sheep exports by sea, and we are getting on with it in a very smart and orderly manner.

In March this year, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Murray Watt, announced consultation to inform how and when to phase out the live sheep exports. An independent panel is leading the consultation process, chaired by the former chief executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and a very senior public servant, Phillip Glyde. The panel also includes Western Australian agriculture expert Ms Sue Middleton, former federal minister and member for Lingiari the Hon. Warren Snowdon and former RSPCA CEO Ms Heather Neil. This strong and diverse mix of skills, expertise and experiences will help facilitate meaningful consultation with all of the interested stakeholders. It will allow the phase-out to happen in an orderly way with proper planning.

I commend my colleague Senator Watt for his approach to this complex issue. It shows that along with the new Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports, just how serious the Albanese Labor government is in delivering on our election commitment to strengthen animal welfare in Australia. Taking proactive steps to prioritise animal welfare just makes sense. Industry acknowledged it, the community knows it and the trading partners expect it. I am proud to be part of a government that takes animal welfare seriously, and I am very proud to support this bill today.

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