Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to speak on the Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024. There are many issues that the people of Macnamara deeply care about, and this has been one where they have advocated for a long, long time. For multiple elections the Labor Party has committed to ending the export of live sheep because of too many incidents of animal cruelty on the way to a very long and hot journey across the world for our sheep. I've been contacted about this on countless occasions by people in my community, and they have expressed to me their concern of animal welfare standards on those long and hot journeys of our sheep. This has been something that should come as no surprise to those opposite. This should come as no surprise to those interjecting; we have taken this policy to successive elections because, time after time, industry have been given the opportunity to clean up their act and have failed to do so.

When I was first elected in 2019 I started a petition against live sheep exports to take with me to Canberra. It was signed by hundreds of members in my community. Despite numerous reviews and reforms and even private member's bills from those opposite—I remember that the then member for Corangamite, now a senator for Victoria, Senator Henderson, and even the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, the member for Farrer, both had a private member's bill looking to phase out live sheep exports after those countless times sheep were facing the most awful of circumstances on these hot journeys overseas. Even the Liberal Party members themselves were putting forward bills to phase this out. Instead of sticking with their convictions and sticking with those policies, the now senator and the now Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party were both promoted to the cabinet and—very surprisingly!—dropped their own bill. They dropped their own bill because their own promotion was apparently more of a priority for them. There have been numerous reviews and reforms, but my community still holds the same view, that this needs to end and this bill will provide an end date.

I recently met over 30 locals who came and made it clear that they wanted to see us follow through on our commitment. I went outside my office and I spoke to each and every one of them. They were polite, they were passionate, and they were advocating in the way in which politics should be conducted. I was very pleased to go and speak to them. I committed to them on that day outside my office that I would come in here, into this place, and advocate for an end date to be legislated and I would advocate for us to follow through on our commitment that we made at the election. I'm pleased to say that this bill does exactly that. On 1 May 2028, this bill will legislate the end to live sheep exports. It gives people time but also sets a clear date that will bring this practice to an end. For the past two elections, we've committed to this. It matters to not only people in my electorate but people right across the country.

Despite those opposite putting on crocodile tears right now, the decision is based on the best of expert advice. The reality is that, despite reforms and despite small improvements to the treatment of sheep during export, the live sheep export trade is simply not acceptable. An analysis of the trade led by the RSPCA scientists revealed that between 2018 and 2023 activities inconsistent with the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock, which they like to champion, were noted in 70 per cent of all reports. In 70 per cent of all reports, the RSPCA found that we weren't meeting up to the standards of animal welfare that those opposite like to talk about. That simply isn't acceptable. Sheep were loaded with obstruction to access to food and water onto ships. Sheep with wool length greater than 25 millimetres, leading to a higher risk of heat stress, were also loaded on. Over 60 per cent of voyages since 2018 have reported heat stress in the sheep. The RSPCA said this.

The science supporting this position is clear and irrefutable … years of this scientific evidence that prove that sheep undoubtedly suffer in live export, both on the lengthy sea voyages and in the country of destination …

Just earlier this year, more than 14,000 animals were subjected to a 34-day journey from Australia to the Middle East, and this journey was in addition to the prior 38 days at sea these animals were subjected to before being offloaded back in Australia in February to stand waiting for several weeks before departing again in March. That was the single longest journey for animals in our history.

Let's make a few facts clear. Australia is one of the largest exporters of sheep meat and wool, yet live sheep exports are only one per cent of Australia's sheep industry and exports are 0.1 per cent of Australia's agricultural production. The trade itself has declined 90 per cent from 2001-02 all the way to 2022-23. That's a 90 per cent decline. This industry is shrinking, and it is continuing to shrink. Seventy-one per cent of Western Australians support the phase-out, including 69 per cent in rural and regional parts of the state. National polling in 2022 placed support for the phase-out of live sheep exports at 78 per cent. Of the 13,000 submissions and correspondence received by the Standing Committee on Agriculture, over 85 per cent expressed support for the bill.

Our agricultural trade is a vital part of Australian industry. There is no doubt about that. But the reality is that we must do things in the Australian way, in the humane way, and we must exercise our humanity when we are conducting our business. The live sheep export simply cannot provide that and cannot comply with that. That is what we have committed to on successive elections. It should come as no surprise to those opposite. As I said at the start of these remarks, even the Liberal Party themselves, even the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party herself, thought that it was time to phase out live sheep exports. That's why she introduced a private member's bill. But, like what often happens with those opposite, they say a lot and then, when push comes to shove, aren't willing to follow through on what they apparently stand for.

But we will do what's right, while ensuring the jobs and livelihoods that are impacted are supported with that process. We have given time to be able to support those who are no doubt facing a difficult time in this transition. I take no joy in knowing that there will be people impacted by this—we don't shy away from that—but it does mean the end to a practice that, frankly, has been unacceptable for too long. There have been too many awful instances of animal cruelty. That will come to an end. We will transition away from live sheep exports, and there can be other things that are taken advantage of. We will do this through an orderly transition.

The Australian people have made it clear that they expect the government to uphold standards of welfare. We don't need the live sheep export trade. It's been shrinking. It has had too many chances to repair itself and it has not done that. This bill will bring an end to live sheep export. It is an important reform—one that we have committed to for the last two elections—and the Labor government, just as we said we would, is introducing this bill.

When I was first campaigning in 2019 I was proud to be a part of a party that committed to ending live sheep export, and now I'm proud to be part of a government that is doing just that.

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