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

It has been eight years since the Australian public was confronted by footage on Four Corners of the brutal treatment of animals in our live animal exports. Since 2011, there have been far too many incidents of cruelty to Australian animals. In particular, the live sheep export industry has been shown to be rife with animal cruelty time and time again. This industry has repeatedly failed to demonstrate that it is able to meet either community standards or scientific animal welfare standards, and, despite the significant public outcry that follows each and every episode, the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government has consistently refused to take action to end the suffering. But it almost wasn't so. The member for Farrer, on that side of the House, once said it was 'Time to pick a date by which all live sheep exports must end'. She also said:

… the industry's had too many chances to clean up its act …

The member for La Trobe once said:

… it's just cruel and inhumane and it has to stop. It's a simple as that.

A temporary ban on the live sheep trade was lifted just a few weeks ago, and the very same day a ship with 57,000 sheep left our shores for the Middle East.

A petition I started has been signed by over 450,000 constituents in Macnamara, and I want to thank each and every one of them for putting their name to it. The message is clear: the standards for live sheep exports must be upheld, and, since the industry has failed to do so time and time again, it's time to end the cruelty of live sheep exports.