Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

The government will continue to work to ensure that US consumers can continue to buy Australia's high-quality, responsibly sourced kangaroo products. Upon hearing about the bill's introduction to the US in the House of Representatives, the government spoke to the Australian Ambassador to the US, former senator Arthur Sinodinos, and emphasised the importance of this trade, the value of this industry across the whole of Australia and making sure we understood this was actually a humane management of kangaroo populations. Australian diplomats have initiated contact with congressmen and plan to meet with them to outline Australia's significant concerns around this bill. There is a myth that persists that commercial kangaroo harvesting is a threat to the species. This is not true. The staff at our Washington embassy are working to advocate for our kangaroo industry's potential in sustainability and animal welfare areas and are setting the story straight.