Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Through you, Madam Acting Deputy Chair Walsh, if it's rubbish, why does it keep happening again and again? Why don't you stop the trade?

An honourable senator interjecting—

Yes, exactly. You don't even have any shame. You have no shame. With this bill, you're going ahead and putting more money into marketing a cruel industry, and all that that will end up doing is having more animals suffering, more animals dying and more animals on these ships of misery.

This parliament should not be endorsing any further moves to make the live export industry and the live export lobby better resourced than they already are. I will be moving a second reading amendment to note the inherent cruelty of the live export trade and to call on the government to ensure that all funds raised by the Dairy Cattle Export Charge be allocated directly to transparently undertaking animal health and welfare initiatives. The amendment also calls on the government to bring an end to the live export industry in Australia. It's time, it's way beyond time, that this cruel industry ended. I move:

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) notes with concern:

(i) the inherent cruelty of the live export trade, including the well documented impacts of heat stress on sheep and cattle during voyages departing Australia, and

(ii) that thousands of animals die from heat stress and overcrowding on live export ships; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) bring an end to the live export industry in Australia,

(ii) ensure that all funds raised by the dairy export cattle charge, including co-contributions from the Australian Government, be allocated directly to animal health and welfare initiatives, and

(iii) ensure that all animal health and welfare initiatives, including research, is undertaken transparently with regular public reporting and appropriate oversight."