Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024. Succulent, juicy, tender, delicious, scrumptious—these are all words that I and many other meat lovers associate with the wonderful meat called lamb. But now there is a new word to add to this list: jobs—and there will be thousands of them.

You can't beat Australian lamb. We have the best in the world. We've known this for a long time, and now the rest of the world is catching up as well. But sometimes we can improve the way we do things, and sometimes making these improvements will benefit the entire industry. The live export of sheep is one area of industry that can be improved.

In April 2018, media outlets aired footage showing approximately 2,400 sheep dying from heat stress and overcrowded conditions on board the vessel Awassi Express. This made it clear that something needed to be done. That's just too much—and what a waste of great-tasting meat that is as well. Instead of these sheep dying humanely and being sold for consumption, they had to suffer in horrible conditions and became inconsumable. I wouldn't wish that sort of suffering or pain on anyone or anything, not even one of my favourite sources of meat.

I may be able to eat a fair sized meal, as you can tell by the size of me, but I'm happy to admit that I'm not able to eat $4.5 billion worth of lamb, which is the value of our lamb and mutton exports. That's a lot of roast dinners. Combine that with our $3.5 billion domestic retail market—some of which I may be responsible for consuming—and it's clear that this industry is extremely valuable to our economy. We would never do anything that puts this industry at risk. We are about creating jobs, not taking them away. Just because there is a better way that things can be done doesn't mean it has to be done at the expense of jobs and at the expense of the thriving lamb industry that we have here in Australia.

Changing the way we export our lamb does not have to change the fact that we reap huge economic rewards from this industry. In fact, it can bring opportunities for even more jobs to be created right here in Australia, which means the industry will grow to be even bigger than it already is today. So don't believe all the doomsday cries from those opposite. I think everyone will believe me when I say I love lamb as much as any of those opposite me right now. I appreciate and understand the importance of our lamb industry just as much as those opposite, but the difference is that I want to see it exported in a way which avoids sheep suffering, and I truly believe that this can be done and achieved in ways which bring even more benefits for the industry right here in Australia.

As a government we know that there needs to be a transition and it needs to be done in a way which does not come at the expense of the industry. We are committed to making sure that this transition is managed as smoothly as possible. We also want to make sure that we make the most of every opportunity for jobs that will arise because of this change. We expect that sector to adapt, which will see more sheepmeat processing in Australia. Value-adding can also increase farmgate returns. It keeps jobs right here in Australia, not overseas. It boosts regional development right here in Australia, not overseas. It's good for jobs, it's good for farmers and it's good for the industry. It's also good for the delicious-tasting sheep. I know this issue has two very passionate but different arguments, both in favour of and against banning live exports. Some want to stop it straightaway and others want it to continue. I understand both sides of this argument. I've met with many people and spoke about both sides of the argument with them.

The live sheep trade today is not what it once was. Live sheep exports by sea have already declined to just 10 per cent of what they were a couple of decades ago. It is currently a market returning $77 million a year. A $77 million a year market is still extremely valuable, but this just allows us to make those changes more smoothly without devastating this industry. The numbers show that the industry is booming. There is no need to worry about or fear for its future, but there are plenty of reasons to feel optimistic about growth that will continue to be created.

This decision hasn't been made lightly. The bill aligns with recommendations of an independent panel appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to consult with the stakeholders. The independent panel undertook extensive public consultation on how and when the phase-out could occur, including engaging with more than 2,000 people in person and considering 4,100 submissions and survey responses.

It's in the best interests of sheep and the industry to legislate a firm end date. We think this is best for producers, businesses and markets as it allows all stakeholders to make business decisions with a level of certainty and to work within clearly defined timeframes of the closure of this trade. If they know how and when this is going to happen, they can be prepared for changes and be in a strong position to make the most of new opportunities that will come in the preparation of the meat here on our shores—and these opportunities will come, there's no doubt about that. It's also important to remember that this ban isn't happening overnight. This bill will instate an absolute prohibition on the export of sheep by sea, but not until 1 May 2028. It should also be remembered that the bill only applies to export of live sheep by sea. It will not restrict live export of sheep by air or the live export of cattle.

We are not leaving those impacted in the dark. We aren't introducing this legislation and then walking away from the issue. The bill helps us to deliver a $107 million transition support package to help those affected by the phase out to be well-positioned, resilient and ready for when the trade ends in 2028. This support package will do this by assisting sheep producers and supply chains, increasing processing capability, enhancing demand for sheep products in Australia and overseas, and diversifying agrifood markets in the Middle East.

This transition away from live sheep exports will lead to an increase in domestic processing. This means one thing: jobs, and thousands of them. By processing our meat here, we will need more people on hand in businesses like abattoirs and businesses that deal in the transportation and packaging of lamb and meat. By not exporting live sheep, those jobs would have been done by someone overseas after receiving our shipment of sheep. We'll now be doing it right here in Australia, keeping more jobs on our shores right here in our country.

By phasing out live sheep exports our already glowing reputation about our lamb industry will only get better. The sheep being consumed by international customers will be of higher quality because the sheep will be in better condition, having avoided the crammed, hot and stressful environment of being exported on the ship alive. A happy sheep equals a great-tasting meat! We will stand with the industry and we'll be here to offer support to anyone who is impacted every step of the way, making sure there are no losers as we move towards a better way to export our sheep. There is a lot of time between now and 2028, when the ban comes into full effect, and we'll make sure that we work with everyone who we need to in making sure this transition is as seamless as possible.

Our agriculture trade is a vital part of the Australian industry, there is no doubt about that. But the reality is that we must do more things in the Australian way—in the humane way—and we must exercise our humanity when conducting our business. Live sheep exports simply cannot provide that and cannot comply with that. That's what we have committed to at successive elections, so it should come as no surprise of those opposite that this was always going to happen once Labor were in government. We said it and it has been an election commitment, so this is definitely no surprise. As I said at the start of these remarks, even members of the Liberal Party themselves—even the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party—have thought it was time to phase out live sheep exports. That's why she introduced a private member's bill on it. But it's like what often happens from those opposite: they say a lot, but then when push comes to shove, they're not willing to follow through on what they apparently stand for.

We will do what's right, while ensuring that the jobs and livelihoods that are impacted are supported within this process. We've allowed time to be able support those who are no doubt facing a difficult time in this transition. I take no joy in knowing that there will be people affected by this; we don't shy away from that. But it does mean an end to a practice that, frankly, has been unacceptable for far too long. There have been too many awful instances of animal cruelty and they'll all come to an end. We will transition away from live sheep exports and there are better ways that can be taken advantage of.

We will do this through an orderly transition process. The Australian people have made clear that they expect their government to uphold the standards of animal welfare. We don't need the live sheep export trade; it has been shrinking, it has had too many chances to repair itself and it hasn't done that. This bill will bring an end to live sheep export. It's an important reform, and one that we committed to for the last two elections, just as we said we would. So the Labor government are introducing this bill. There's a lot to gain for the whole industry if we do this properly. This bill gives every opportunity to get this right for jobs, for farmers and for Australians.

Everyone has heard the phrase 'Get some pork on your fork', but I say, 'Feed the fam some lamb', because this industry isn't going anywhere and I reckon that the jobs are about to boom. This bill is good for industry, good for jobs and good for the delicious-tasting sheep. I commend this bill to the House.

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