Live Animal Export Prohibition Bill to be tabled again today
Independent Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, will this morning introduce another Private Members Bill to wind down the live export trade. This is the fourth time Mr Wilkie has attempted to introduce the Live Animal Export Prohibition (Ending Cruelty) Act 2019, which prohibits the export of live animals for slaughter from 1 July 2022 and in the interim puts in place additional animal welfare safeguards.
“Live export is systemically cruel, not in Australia’s economic self-interest and lacks popular support,” Mr Wilkie said. “No wonder so many Australians want to see this vile trade shut down.
“In recent years my office has been inundated with communications from tens of thousands of people from around the country who are concerned about the live export trade. I’ve heard loud and clear that the community wants a complete ban on this vile industry.
“The bill today does exactly that, by winding down the live export trade in Australia with a permanent ban in place from 1 July 2022. In the interim the bill imposes additional animal welfare safeguards on exporters to ensure that Australian livestock is treated humanely until the ban takes place.
“This is the fourth time I have tabled this bill and it has never gained the support of the Government or the Opposition. Yet Australians simply don’t support this cruel industry. It’s high time both sides of the Parliament took notice, started representing their constituents and supported this bill to ban live export.”