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

I, for one, am looking forward to joining the sheep book club by the member for Parkes. I think that sounds like a fantastic idea. It was a little bit of a tangential speech but an enjoyable one, nonetheless.

Those opposite are quite angry. They're angry today, and that's fair enough. But I thought that instead of directing their anger over here, maybe there is somewhere else they could be directing their anger. There has actually been someone who has had quite a bit to say about the live sheep export industry, and they said something along these lines:

I think this trade in sheep is a shame and a stain on our international reputation.

Goodness me, that's a very strong statement. That one had a bit of muscle. This person went on, and they said:

This has been a trade marked by disaster—

goodness me, this person doesn't like the live sheep export industry—

following debacle and that's gone on for 33 years, it's had a very sad history, a very dismal history.

They're not my words. I wouldn't be using those words. That's the member for Farrer, the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. She absolutely came out swinging in 2018. In fact, she was so angry that she wrote an opinion piece about it. You'd think that maybe she'd take that opinion piece down from her website. No, she is that angry, it's still up there. It's still up there for all to see the member for Farrer's very strong views about live sheep exports. The member for Farrer went on in this op-ed and made some very interesting points. She said:

The Middle East is transitioning away from live sheep—

which is true. She said that the dynamic has changed, and live sheep export is a significantly small percentage of our total sheep export. That's not me speaking; that's the member for Farrer on her website, and the op-ed that she wrote. She went on to acknowledge:

Moving away from the live trade is not straightforward for West Australian farmers.

She said herself:

Hence, my call for a transition of five years.

This bill gives time, and it also gives a comprehensive transition package. As the Prime Minister outlined today, there have been conversations going on, and those conversations will continue.

The member for Farrer had much more to say. She said that there is a market opportunity for Australian grown meat in the Middle East and around the world. She acknowledged that our quality and standards are trusted, so why would we put that at risk? That was the member for Farrer, not me. The member for Farrer concluded—this really had some muscle to it:

Producing food and fibre in the 21st century requires ethics and sustainability. The live sheep trade to the Middle East has neither.

Goodness me, she really wanted to make some points in her op-ed. She was very unhappy.

Those opposite like to come into this place and say, 'Labor, Labor, Labor,' but actually—

A government member: And the teals.

teals, and all the rest of it, yes—but those opposite, amongst their ranks, have many people who know that the bill to end the cruelty of the long, hot journeys for sheep going to the Middle East is the right thing to do. Those opposite should also know that we came into the election with a commitment to end live sheep exports. Through that process, we have acted like a responsible government and engaged with industry and put a timeline in. It is not tomorrow; there is time. There are years. It will be beyond the next election—probably beyond the next two elections. But that bill has been passed into law, and it should come as no surprise to those opposite.

There was another bill, actually. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition put in her own private member's bill to end live sheep exports. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition really didn't want live sheep exports. She really didn't want them, but something changed. Something changed for the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and it miraculously made her bill disappear. Who can guess what that is?

A government member: She lost her timber.

She was promoted back into the cabinet—a bit of a promotion and all of a sudden it's 'What bill?' It disappeared more quickly than the night sky after the sun rises in the morning. It just went away. But it wasn't just her. It was also a senator in the other place. Senator Sarah Henderson co-sponsored the live sheep export private member's bill. So there are many people among those opposite who are being quiet right now. While those opposite like to come up and rant and rave and stamp their feet, the bill that we passed through the parliament was the right thing to do; the cruelty needed to end. Those opposite should speak to each other before criticising those on this side of the House.

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