House debates

Wednesday, 3 July 2024

Statements by Members

Live Animal Exports

1:38 pm

Photo of Bob KatterBob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Australia, really, has only three exports: iron ore, coal and gas. They account for nearly $400,000 million of our $500,000 million. But on the next line are aluminium, beef and gold. If this parliament fools around with the live cattle trade and cuts off the source of food to Indonesia—our biggest neighbour, with 260 million people—and if a tiny bunch of Europeans living in Asia tell them they can't have food, the ramifications will be very serious indeed. Whilst there may be some wokies in here who indulge their weird ideologies, this is an issue of food for people in a place where a lot of people go to bed hungry every night. All I can say is that, when we cut off the live cattle exports to Indonesia, they could not afford to buy processed meat. They have to process it themselves. When that trade was cut off by Julia Gillard, within two months she was gone. She was gone as a result of that decision, and Indonesia cut off all trade with Australia. This is very serious indeed. They will justify it in their aggression towards Australia—

Photo of Sharon ClaydonSharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Bean has the call.