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

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Watt. Minister, heartbreaking footage on ABC 7.30 shows exported sheep collapsed from exhaustion and cowering in pain and fear. The brutality of this trade extends well beyond the suffering of sheep on ships of misery. This was really hard to watch. Australian regulators are failing sheep welfare again and again and it is clear that they haven't ensured compliance in the supply chain. Animal welfare advocates are doing the job of the department to again expose animal cruelty. I understand that the department had received extensive complaints about these incidents. You have now said that there is an investigation into this particular expose. Minister, have you seen the full 7.30 footage? Will you make the results of this investigation public?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Faruqi. I, like I think many Australians, watched that footage with a degree of concern. It was extremely concerning footage that was aired on 7.30 about a week or so ago. In fact, the first time I was personally was shown that footage was while I was doing an interview with 7.30they showed that footage to me—because this is being investigated, appropriately, by the department of agriculture. It conducts independent investigations, which I don't interfere in. So I did not seek to see the footage and I was not provided the footage by the department. It would have been highly inappropriate to do so, given that they're conducting that investigation in an independent way. I obviously did see the footage both when it was shown to me by 7.30 during my interview and when the program aired.

As I said, the department that I'm the minister of did receive allegations of noncompliance with the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System, which is known as ESCAS, for sheep in Oman in late May. The department is now taking those allegations very seriously and actually did take immediate regulatory action while proceeding with its investigation. For instance, additional surveillance and additional reporting requirements were imposed on the exporters as an immediate step while the investigation is underway.

Senator Faruqi I think you asked whether the outcomes of that investigation, once its complete, would be revealed publicly. I can assure you that that investigation will be dealt with in the way they are always dealt with. Actually this is the first time there has been one since I have been the minister, so I'm not sure what the history is. If the history is that those investigations are released, then they will be made public.

As I said, I was concerned about that footage. It is important that Australia has a strong animal welfare record both at home and abroad. That's why we're having that matter investigated at the moment.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Faruqi, first supplementary?

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

Minister, an RSPCA survey shows that 71 per cent of Western Australians—and Western Australia is where the majority of Australian sheep are exported from—support a phase-out. Independent polling commissioned by my office shows that 85 per cent of Australians support a phase-out of live sheep exports. An overwhelming 82 per cent of submissions to the independent panel advising on the phase-out are supportive of it. Minister, can you confirm that Labor intends to keep its promise to phase-out live sheep exports?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Faruqi. Yes, I can confirm—and every time I go to Western Australia I'm asked that question as well, as I was last week when I was over there again. Our government does intend to keep its promises, including this one—that we will phase out the live sheep export trade.

You have cited some statistics. I know the RSPCA survey did indicate that over 70 per cent of Western Australians support the government's policy. In fact, today I understand the RSPCA has tabled a petition from about 40,000 Australians calling for this trade to be phased out. I know that in years gone by there have actually been members of the opposition who have supported the phase-out of live sheep exports. They are people like Ms Ley, the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. Senator Henderson is on the record as having supported in the past the phase-out of live sheep exports. I can only assume Senator Henderson retains that position, given she was on the record saying it should be phased out. We have every intention of carrying out our policy.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Faruqi, a second supplementary?

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

Thank you, Minister. In fact, a member of your own party is tabling that petition signed by more than 43,000 people calling on the government in this term of parliament to legislate the date to end live sheep exports within the shortest possible time frame. Again, independent polling shows that 59 per cent of people want the phase-out within two years. Minister, will you in this term of parliament legislate the date to end live sheep exports within the shortest possible time frame?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Faruqi. I'm on the record many times saying that the government is committed to implementing our election policy to phase out the live sheep export trade by sea, but we also intend to do it in an orderly manner. That's because we understand that this would be a big adjustment, particularly for sheep producers in Western Australia but also for many others in the supply chain. We're not going to do this in a rushed manner that doesn't take into consideration the needs of the people who are involved in that trade. But we are committed to implementing the policy. As you're probably aware, I have appointed a panel to consult on this matter, and I'm expecting their recommendations soon. Their recommendations will include something around the time frame over which this policy should be implemented, but I've made clear that we won't be phasing out the trade in this term of office, because we do think it needs to be done in an orderly manner. But, as I say, I'm waiting for the recommendations of that panel as to the time frame in which we would phase out that trade.