Josh Wilson (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

People in my community welcome a Labor budget that delivers cost-of-living relief in a responsible way, moderating inflation and investing in a strong and sustainable future. They certainly welcome the assistance package being provided to manage the sensible transition out of the marginal, unnecessary and harmful live sheep export trade. We will legislate the end of a chaotic trade that has already decreased by more than 90 per cent, a trade shot-through with frequent animal welfare disasters and constant animal suffering.

Australians will not accept the chronic suffering of animals, and Australians know there is not a sliding scale on which animal suffering becomes acceptable at a certain price. They know that chilled and frozen sheep meat exports are already worth 58 times the live sheep trade, and that's why we're delivering a clear, decisive, responsible and carefully planned end to an industry that is worth less than 0.1 per cent of Australia's agricultural output. We will support the final part of the transition with $107 million in assistance to further develop processing, cold storage and feedlot infrastructure and to secure further growth in export markets.

Under our government, mutton exports to the Middle East grew last year by 84 per cent and processed lamb exports to India grew 160 per cent. That is Australia's future: a higher value sheep meat industry that's responsible, stable and humane—with more jobs—and that is part of a growing, high-standard Australian agricultural sector delivered as promised by the Albanese Labor government.