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| Labor refuses to support live trade animal welfare bill | Labor refuses to support live trade animal welfare bill |
| (4 months later) | |
| Labor is set to renege on its promise to introduce monitoring of the controversial live animal trade after rejecting a private member’s bill that would have created an independent office of animal welfare. | Labor is set to renege on its promise to introduce monitoring of the controversial live animal trade after rejecting a private member’s bill that would have created an independent office of animal welfare. |
| Greens MP Adam Bandt tabled a bill to create the body, which would have been overseen by an advisory committee and given the task of ensuring animal welfare standards were maintained throughout the process of transporting cattle overseas. | Greens MP Adam Bandt tabled a bill to create the body, which would have been overseen by an advisory committee and given the task of ensuring animal welfare standards were maintained throughout the process of transporting cattle overseas. |
| However, the government said it would not support the bill, despite Labor pledging to create an office of animal welfare to “monitor, investigate and be able to make recommendations to government” in its 2011 party platform. | However, the government said it would not support the bill, despite Labor pledging to create an office of animal welfare to “monitor, investigate and be able to make recommendations to government” in its 2011 party platform. |
| Labor promised to set up the office in the wake of public revulsion at footage taken inside an Indonesian slaughterhouse, where Australian cattle were tied up, whipped and beaten. | Labor promised to set up the office in the wake of public revulsion at footage taken inside an Indonesian slaughterhouse, where Australian cattle were tied up, whipped and beaten. |
| In May, further evidence of harrowing cruelty emerged, this time from an Egyptian abattoir, despite assurances from the livestock industry that the live animal trade had effective welfare protections in place. | In May, further evidence of harrowing cruelty emerged, this time from an Egyptian abattoir, despite assurances from the livestock industry that the live animal trade had effective welfare protections in place. |
| The government insists it is still committed to setting up a monitoring body, with the Labor caucus supporting a parliamentary motion that endorses its creation. A working group within the party produced a report on the topic in March, which the government is still assessing. | The government insists it is still committed to setting up a monitoring body, with the Labor caucus supporting a parliamentary motion that endorses its creation. A working group within the party produced a report on the topic in March, which the government is still assessing. |
| However, the time to enshrine the policy in legislation is running out. With the current parliament in session for little more than three weeks before the election, the government has not pencilled in any plans to bring forward its own bill. | However, the time to enshrine the policy in legislation is running out. With the current parliament in session for little more than three weeks before the election, the government has not pencilled in any plans to bring forward its own bill. |
| The agriculture minister, Joe Ludwig, told Guardian Australia: “The government has done more to improve animal welfare than any other Australian government, including forming the high-level Animal Welfare Committee. | The agriculture minister, Joe Ludwig, told Guardian Australia: “The government has done more to improve animal welfare than any other Australian government, including forming the high-level Animal Welfare Committee. |
| “The Labor party has been making progress on the development of an office of animal welfare. We will continue our work on an appropriate and effective model. The opposition’s only policy for animal welfare is to make apologies for animal cruelty.” | “The Labor party has been making progress on the development of an office of animal welfare. We will continue our work on an appropriate and effective model. The opposition’s only policy for animal welfare is to make apologies for animal cruelty.” |
| Bandt told Guardian Australia that the government was “dragging its feet” on its own pledge. | Bandt told Guardian Australia that the government was “dragging its feet” on its own pledge. |
| “We are at five minutes to midnight in this parliament and the government still hasn’t got a bill to create this office,” he said. | “We are at five minutes to midnight in this parliament and the government still hasn’t got a bill to create this office,” he said. |
| “I think the government’s concerns are overblown. If the government can put in place a supply chain system for live exports, it can also have a body to monitor it. It beggars belief for Labor to say it will regulate live exports but have no body to monitor it. | “I think the government’s concerns are overblown. If the government can put in place a supply chain system for live exports, it can also have a body to monitor it. It beggars belief for Labor to say it will regulate live exports but have no body to monitor it. |
| “If Labor has better version of this bill, then they should bring it forward. I would prefer not to do this for them. It’s all well and good to chime in from the sidelines say there are technical issues with the bill, but where is their bill?” | “If Labor has better version of this bill, then they should bring it forward. I would prefer not to do this for them. It’s all well and good to chime in from the sidelines say there are technical issues with the bill, but where is their bill?” |
| Bandt reiterated that the Greens wanted to see the live export trade abolished, with processing centres set up in Australia in its stead. | Bandt reiterated that the Greens wanted to see the live export trade abolished, with processing centres set up in Australia in its stead. |
| “The footage we’ve seen of how animals are treated when they leave these shores has shocked people across the political spectrum and across Australia,” he said. | “The footage we’ve seen of how animals are treated when they leave these shores has shocked people across the political spectrum and across Australia,” he said. |
| “We believe that the end of the live export trade should go hand in hand with a boost to the domestic meat processing capacity, in order to deliver more jobs and a better economic return.” | “We believe that the end of the live export trade should go hand in hand with a boost to the domestic meat processing capacity, in order to deliver more jobs and a better economic return.” |
| Sid Sidebottom, parliamentary secretary for agriculture, told parliament on Monday that Bandt’s bill had “numerous issues” that prevented it from garnering government support, such as the need to strike agreement with the states and a lack of clarity as to the office’s powers and responsibilities. | Sid Sidebottom, parliamentary secretary for agriculture, told parliament on Monday that Bandt’s bill had “numerous issues” that prevented it from garnering government support, such as the need to strike agreement with the states and a lack of clarity as to the office’s powers and responsibilities. |
| “The establishment of an independent office of animal welfare involves consideration of complex legal, constitutional and policy issues,” he said, “and we make no apologies for taking the time to get our model right.” | “The establishment of an independent office of animal welfare involves consideration of complex legal, constitutional and policy issues,” he said, “and we make no apologies for taking the time to get our model right.” |
| The Coalition also condemned Bandt’s bill, with Liberal MP Barry Haase telling parliament it was “fanciful” to propose slaughtering animals in Australia for export, due to a lack of refrigeration in Middle East countries. | The Coalition also condemned Bandt’s bill, with Liberal MP Barry Haase telling parliament it was “fanciful” to propose slaughtering animals in Australia for export, due to a lack of refrigeration in Middle East countries. |
| He said: “Anyone who has seen frozen beef thawed out in a tropical situation without refrigeration would realise that the product becomes almost inedible in a very short period of time and that wet markets and local slaughter is the only solution.” | He said: “Anyone who has seen frozen beef thawed out in a tropical situation without refrigeration would realise that the product becomes almost inedible in a very short period of time and that wet markets and local slaughter is the only solution.” |
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