Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise tonight to speak about the live export issue. It's a slightly different issue to Senator Smith's, but, given Senator Smith's contribution, I cannot but absolutely endorse those words. Senator Smith has an enduring and long-term interest in the interests of, particularly, the cattle industry and pastoralists in the north of Western Australia, and he demonstrates that again here tonight. I congratulate you, Senator Smith.

I also worked for the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of Western Australia in a previous life and met many of those who made their lives in a very harsh and remote environment in the north-west. What they go through to deliver high-quality protein to the world is quite extraordinary. The efforts that they went through to fight this court case and the hard years following that appalling 2011 decision should never be forgotten and should always be recognised by all those in this place.

But I rise to speak on a slightly different live export matter, and that is the current situation of the Al Kuwait in Fremantle Port. It is awaiting a decision on a new request for an exemption from the summer movement ban. I remind all senators and all members of the Australian public that the summer movement ban was something that was put in place voluntarily by the industry to deal with an issue that, obviously, arose largely from being driven by the media and by left-wing activist groups. But it also arose around a particularly bad incident aboard a ship. But, obviously, since that time, the industry has taken extraordinary steps to address some of the animal welfare issues that were present.

One thing we've always got to remember is that, even taking into account the media portrayal of the industry, the industry has been on a path of constant improvement over a long period of time. The industry has improved its mortality rates aboard ships in just over the course of the last five years from around 0.8 per cent to 0.25 per cent—an extraordinary outcome and one that many farmers would be envious of in terms of the actual outcome on their property.

The live export trade has taken steps. It has spent money. It has developed the ESCAS, which has meant that—and I've said this line a number of times, but it's very important to remember—Australia does not merely export animals or protein; it exports animal welfare standards to the rest of the world. That is something every Australian farmer, everyone involved in every part of the supply chain of the live export industry, everyone involved in the shipping process and our trading partners can be very proud of.

We have to remember, at a time when Western Australian farmers are facing a particular challenge in relation to their barley crops, that it is vitally important that those mixed farmers who have both sheep production and grain production—particularly barley production—have an avenue to market for their produce. It's important to remember, as the independent regulator, the agriculture department, is making the decision on this exemption application, that the interests of our trading partners—the interests of the world in having high-quality food delivered on a regular basis—are vitally important to the economic security of Australia and Australian farmers, but they're also vitally important to the economic security of the world. We must always keep that at the forefront of our minds.

Senate adjourned at 21 : 44