Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I am again happy to acknowledge the interjections coming from both sides of the chamber. In 2012, I understand, the federal parliamentary Labor Party caucus endorsed the Live Animal Export Working Group of caucus to develop a model for the office of animal welfare. I understand it reported to the Labor agriculture minister in 2013. So they've been working on this for six years, and again I commend them for that. It seemed to be going somewhere, but then things started to slip. What happened was that when the Greens questioned the Labor minister of agriculture about the office, they said:

I recognise that there is work to be done in this area but the primary responsibility for animal welfare issues does remain with the state and territories.

I've got to say that when I heard those words coming from Labor it was a real worry because they're weasel words. That's pollie speak for not wanting to get caught out. But these days people are cluey and they can see what's going on there. Labor were wanting not to say, 'We're not going to deliver on an independent office of animal welfare,' and so they tried to get out of it by passing the buck. I'm not letting the coalition off the hook; we're about to hear from Senator O'Sullivan and he'll give a big blast to this whole idea, going by previous track records. That's deeply appalling, but again it's a reminder that Labor should have some backbone on this and show some leadership. You can't just talk about an office of animal welfare, thinking that'll get you through the next election and you'll have some talking points around it; you have to be serious about it and make it independent.

The bill that we have before us does allow a constitutionally valid federal response to animal cruelty issues that tragically continue to occur at alarming rates in Australia. What it does—this is where the coalition should actually wake up to themselves—is reinstate the coalition government's dissolved Australian Animal Welfare Strategy and its advisory group and begin the long but easily doable task of protecting animals in this country. I think it's worth reminding ourselves why this office is needed. This is where we do actually need to think of the animals involved—the suffering of animals like poultry hens, dairy cows and beef cows. The list goes on and on, sadly, and it doesn't have to be like that.