Live exports cause MPs to rebel

8 July 2011

Less than twenty-four hours after Agriculture Minister, Joe Ludwig resumed live cattle exports to Indonesia, nine Labor backbenchers have taken a stand for animals and rejected the deal, challenging the government’s willingness to accept slaughter without stunning.

In a joint statement, the MP’s have questioned the ‘international standards’ that the Gillard Government will require as part of their ‘supply chain assurance’. The failure to mandate stunning will permit cattle to have their throats cut while fully conscious, something that is unacceptable to the RSPCA and the Australian community.

The nine backbenchers have said:

There are some serious questions concerning this matter that we will aim to resolve within the government. The first concerns the issue of stunning… In our view it is essential that stunning be part of the supply chain assurance that is a condition for the issuance of an export licence… Until we get to this point the issue will not go away, the Australian people expect cattle to be stunned before they are killed.

The courageous break by the MPs reflects the growing frustration not only within the community, but within the government’s own ranks about the systemic cruelty in the live export trade.

“The strength of public opposition to live exports has empowered these politicians to speak out. They have shown that they are serious about animal welfare by speaking out for these animals,” said RSPCA Australia CEO Heather Neil.

Please take a moment to write a short thank you email to these for speaking out for the animals.

Mr Kelvin Thomson MP: Kelvin.Thomson.MP@aph.gov.au
Ms Anna Burke MP: Anna.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au
Ms Laura Smyth MP: Laura.Smyth.MP@aph.gov.au
Mr Darren Cheeseman MP: Darren.Cheeseman.mp@aph.gov.au
Mr Steve Gibbons MP: Steve.Gibbons.MP@aph.gov.au
Mr Mike Symon MP: Mike.Symon.MP@aph.gov.au
Mr Tony Zappia MP: Tony.Zappia.MP@aph.gov.au
Mr Steve Georganas MP: Steve.Georganas.MP@aph.gov.au
Ms Melissa Parke MP: melissa.parke.mp@aph.gov.au

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Live exports cause MPs to rebel

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