Independent Member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, has slammed the current Federal Government for voting down his motion to disallow the regulation made by the former Federal Government to shorten the northern summer live sheep export trade prohibition period.
“In April this year, the Department of Agriculture made the appalling decision to roll back a ban that was in place that prohibited sheep from being exported to areas of the Middle East between 1 and 14 June,” Mr Wilkie said. “This means subjecting sheep to the cruel, scorching summer months of the region where temperatures can reach 50 degrees. My disallowance motion would have reversed this change and it’s to the shame of the new Government that they haven’t supported it.
“Yes, the Government has committed to phasing out the industry, but to continue sailings during these blistering months is a cruel move. The welfare of animals should be of the utmost priority and it’s unfathomable that the industry can still exist when it so obviously jeopardises this.
“We’ve seen from whistleblower footage the impact the heat has on sheep onboard these shipments, with it often leading to mass sheep fatalities. That’s why I’ve previously introduced bills to end it but, unfortunately, none received any support from the Labor or Liberal parties. There is little community support for this vile industry and, ultimately, the live animal export trade must be banned outright because the only way to end the cruelty is to end the trade.”