Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Animal cruelty as a result of our live export trade was the subject of a shocking report on 7.30 last night. The program highlighted how poorly the live export market has been monitored since the Turnbull-Abbott government was elected. The programrevealed that since the Export Supply Chain Assurance Scheme, or ECAS, was implemented, we have had an increase in violations of Australia's live export rules which are designed to prevent such crimes. The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Joyce, seems to think that behind-the-scenes chats with people that do the wrong thing is better than publicly shaming them or following legislation that requires that they be acted against. He said as much on TV last night. He is wrong.

The agriculture minister has form on this subject. He scrapped Labor's policy to set up an independent office of animal welfare, saying:

This is one bit of red tape that we can do without.

As I said in this chamber not so long ago, animal welfare is more than just red tape. The treatment of animals demands more than just fleeting consideration as food production. Most sensible farmers and farming organisations think this too. Programs like 7.30 last night do great damage to Australia's reputation as a great agriculture exporting country, even apart from the issue of cruelty itself. Proper animal welfare should be a standard to which any self-respecting government should strive. Indeed, it is in the enlightened self-interest of the industry that adequate regulations be enforced. That is why Labor has policies to not just legislate against animal cruelty, but force openness in what the agriculture minister wants to remain a closed-door affair.

Labor will continue to fight any plans to wind back the animal welfare protections that were put in place while we were in government. Labor has called for the appointment of an inspector-general of animal welfare. Further, the member for Hunter, my colleague and shadow minister for agriculture, introduced a motion into this House calling on the minister and the government to provide quarterly reports to parliament on any new markets, the number of head exported, any allegations of animal welfare breaches, investigations undertaken and any actions taken against those who have breached, or should have prevented breaches, of Australian standards.

As the member for Hunter said, the minister's report will place on the public record an easy-to-access and understandable account of the state of the sector, any animal welfare incidents, such as the ones documented by 7.30 last night, and how they have been dealt with—or not dealt with, as on this occasion. This report and the appointment of an inspector-general will be critical to the rebuilding and maintaining of public trust. The ball is now in the government's court.

We just had the show in Melbourne, which tens of thousands—probably hundreds of thousands—of Melburnians went to. It seems that the new Prime Minister, the member for Wentworth, is a new show bag but with the same contents as the previous Prime Minister.