Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, Bindi Murray. The member for Forrest knows her. She is a lovely woman who has live sheep cropping. They have a challenging environment, and it becomes very seasonal. Bindi highlighted the importance of completing these live sheep exports ethically and to do it well. Bindi spoke about the transparency of the live sheep export process and how she has become more engaged with the process to have the best outcomes for the sheep. The sheep manure on the journey becomes quite dry and compacted and turns into a powder consistency. That also makes it easier for the sheep when they're laying down or standing on their hooves—for the sheep to stand on—until the area is hosed down at certain intervals. I saw all of that firsthand. I asked how Australian standards are regarded as the best in the world when it comes to live sheep exporting. Bindi said that it's quite extraordinary that Australia can go in country—to these properties overseas, the destinations where the sheep are going—and make changes the whole way along the supply chain to benefit the animal.

What we are basically saying—as the member for Forrest, the member for O'Connor and others speaking on this bill have said and as I heard firsthand from Bindi and Holly, the vet—is that having Australia in the live sheep export business improves the animal welfare of every sheep in the world. What more can someone who loves animals ask for? What more can you ask for? Those opposite, I don't know if you've visited these places in Western Australia or had a look, but that is important. Don't just blindly get up here and do some sort of little speech supporting your agriculture minister because you made a promise to win the Dunkley by-election or whatever it may be. The reality is that our involvement in the Western Australian industry improves sheep lives all around the world. And, when we exit in the not-too-distant future, as the Leader of the Nationals said in his speech as well, what's that going to do? Who's going to be there to uphold the highest standards in the industry?

See this speech in context