Post by NFA on Jul 5, 2024 18:41:34 GMT 8
Parliament votes to kill off an industry
For what could be the first time in Australian history, Parliament this week voted to destroy an industry that has served the country for almost 180 years.
Live sheep exports from Australia – worth an average of almost $200 million a year over the past decade, supporting hundreds of farmers and thousands of jobs (primarily in Western Australia) – will end in 2028.
One Nation voted against Labor’s legislation, but the usual suspects – the Greens, David Pocock, Jacqui Lambie and Tammie Tyrrell – supported it and signed the death notice for live sheep exports.
Australia used to ride the sheep’s back. Wool was the nation’s first major export commodity, and the first shipment of live sheep left Western Australia all the way back in 1845. It’s part of our history and our heritage.
For what could be the first time in Australian history, Parliament this week voted to destroy an industry that has served the country for almost 180 years.
Live sheep exports from Australia – worth an average of almost $200 million a year over the past decade, supporting hundreds of farmers and thousands of jobs (primarily in Western Australia) – will end in 2028.
One Nation voted against Labor’s legislation, but the usual suspects – the Greens, David Pocock, Jacqui Lambie and Tammie Tyrrell – supported it and signed the death notice for live sheep exports.
Australia used to ride the sheep’s back. Wool was the nation’s first major export commodity, and the first shipment of live sheep left Western Australia all the way back in 1845. It’s part of our history and our heritage.
In modern times, about 100 countries are involved in the live sheep export trade. Australia is the gold standard for animal welfare in the trade – sheep are much more likely to die in an Australian paddock than on a live export ship. The ban won’t stop the global industry, but it will inevitably lead to reduced animal welfare outcomes.
It’s just one of several attacks on Australian farmers since Labor came to power. Others include taking more water from Murray Darling Basin irrigators and the communities they support, industrial relations changes that make it much harder for farmers to source labour and credit, and climate change policy driving up farmers’ energy costs and covering their land in transmission lines. And let’s not forget the attempt to inject waste carbon dioxide into the Great Artesian Basin.
The ultimate outcome could be the slow demise of Australian agriculture, huge rises in grocery prices, and more lower quality food imports. Australia – which can produce enough to feed 75 million people – is already a net importer of fresh food, seafood, and dairy. The deficit grows every year.
One Nation stands firmly in support of our world-class farming sector and is working to stop these attacks and reverse the damage before it’s too late.
The ultimate outcome could be the slow demise of Australian agriculture, huge rises in grocery prices, and more lower quality food imports. Australia – which can produce enough to feed 75 million people – is already a net importer of fresh food, seafood, and dairy. The deficit grows every year.
One Nation stands firmly in support of our world-class farming sector and is working to stop these attacks and reverse the damage before it’s too late.