Linda White (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Labor Party went to the last two elections committing to phase out live sheep exports via sea. I have heard a bit of discussion today in take note that Western Australians didn't know about it, that Western Australians didn't vote for it. In fact ,we had a record number of seats won by the Labor Party with this policy and we won a third unprecedented Senate seat. This policy was out there in front. So there were four extra seats in Western Australia and a 10.5 per cent swing. As a numbers person myself, I look at the numbers; I look at the facts. The reality is that we went to two elections with this as a policy—it was certainly there before, people—and in Western Australia, in unprecedented numbers, they voted for the Labor Party. I know it's a bitter pill to swallow. As I recall, a teal won a blue-ribbon Liberal seat as well, so it was five seats that were lost. The Labor Party went to the election committing to phase out live sheep exports, and people voted for it.

Here's the thing: the government is focused on implementing this commitment to the Australian people in a considered, orderly way. Why? Because industry change is extraordinarily difficult. Having lived through and represented workers during industry change, I understand that totally and completely. It is incredibly important, when industry change is to be implemented, that you take a cautious and proper approach to how it will be implemented. So what is the Labor government doing? We have a four-person independent panel that has been employed to consult with farmers, communities and supply chain participants on when and how to implement this policy. This panel is going to provide its report by 30 September. We don't want to rush this. That's why the phase-out of live sheep exports by sea will not occur during this term of parliament. The Albanese government supports strong animal welfare standards and believes all animals should be treated humanely. We want to partner with industry to shape a strong and sustainable future for the Australian sheep wool and sheepmeat industries.

But let's look at what the sheepmeat industry is. Live sheep exports now contribute 0.7 per cent of agricultural exports from Western Australia and just 0.1 per cent of all agricultural exports from Australia. In Western Australia the current trade in live sheep has reduced to around 13 per cent of the exports at its peak in 2001-02 and 30 per cent of exports prior to the introduction of increased regulation in 2017-18. Live sheep exports as a proportion of Western Australian sheep turn-off—that is, live sheep versus sheep for slaughter—decreased from 49 per cent in 2001-02 to 12 per cent in 2021-22. Those are the facts. The live sheep industry has been decreasing progressively since 2001. In 2021-22 approximately 489,000 live sheep, worth more than $85 million, were exported from Australia, with the majority exported to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Oman. Live sheep exports have declined annually from more than 1.9 million in 2017-18 to around 489,000 in 2021-22. ABARES predicts numbers will increase slightly in 2022-23, but not markedly.

It's really important to look at the facts and also to focus on what Labor are doing about this. We are taking a measured approach. The minister is meeting with farming industry and animal welfare groups regularly, as he said yesterday. Last time, he met with Western Australian farmers. We understand that industry change is difficult. It is significant, and that is why there's this measured approach—to make sure that we consider all options and how to implement this policy that we went to the election with.