“It was disappointing that the Federal Government continued to refuse to provide a timeline for the phase out of live sheep exports to the Middle East when I put the question to the Minister in Question Time today. It’s been nearly four months since the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator the Hon Murray Watt, was provided advice on how and when the phase out will happen, but there has been no date legislated.
“Rather than action, all we get is more talk and no concrete date, all while thousands of animals continue to suffer. The longer that no timeline is provided, the more likely we’ll have more incidents similar to the MV Bahijah fiasco where about 15,000 sheep and cattle were stuck on board a vessel for weeks on end in sweltering temperatures. The Government must commit to a timeline for the phase out of live sheep exports and legislate an end date immediately, because the only way to end the cruelty is to end the trade.”