Sheep being loaded onto a vessel. Photo: The Livestock Collective

CATTLE industry groups have raised concern about the precedent set by the Senate last night giving a ban on live sheep exports the green light.

Agricultural industry groups have been virtually united in their opposition to the Federal Government’s plan to ban the export of live sheep by sea by 2028 – calling it a “red line that cannot be crossed.”

However, the red line was officially crossed last night as Labor and the Greens banded together to vote through the legislation, 33 votes to 30. All amendments to the bill were voted down, including The Nationals attempts to have the policy reversed or referred to a senate committee and The Greens attempts to bring the deadline forward to 2026.

Cattle Australia chief executive officer Dr Chris Parker said the passing of the legislation served as a chilling red flag for Australian agriculture.

“This ban is a blatant attack on Australian agriculture and an egregious concession to activist ideology, fuelled by base political reasons,” Dr Parker said.

“The Albanese Government has overlooked sound, evidence-based policy, rushed through a House of Representatives Standing Committee Inquiry, and offered the sheep industry a tokenistic compensation package.

“It is clear there is only one type of science involved in this decision and that is political science.”

Campaign against live cattle exports starts

With the live sheep export industry on the chopping block, the campaign against live cattle exports has well and truly started.

The Greens and the RSPCA both celebrated last night’s decision and have clearly stated their opposition to live cattle exports. “Teal” independent MPs Zali Steggall and Kylea Tink have been vocal in their opposition to live cattle exports in recent months.

Agriculture minister Murray Watt says the Government supports live cattle exports and has defended it when pressured by the above crossbenchers to ban it too.

But Nationals leader David Littleproud is not convinced and said Labor’s willingness to shut down a legitimate industry with a lack of evidence to do so should have the entire agricultural industry worried.

“Farmers now know Labor is willing to sell them out and shut down a successful, world-class trade based on ideology. No amount of reform matters to Labor. It means any future industry, including live cattle, could be next,” Mr Littleproud said.

“What kind of Government turns its back on its own farmers? This decision is simply Labor bowing down to animal activists, even though Australia has the world’s best animal welfare standards.”

Industry questions Government’s “mandate”

Since announcing that it was going to proceed with the phase out of live sheep exports, the Government has consistently stated that it had taken the policy to two elections and had a “mandate” to enact it.

The live sheep ban was a clear Labor policy ahead of 2019, which it lost against the Scott Morrison-led Liberal National Government.

However, the Northern Territory Cattleman’s Association pointed out in its submission to the Parliamentary inquiry held last month that Labor’s position on live sheep exports coming into the 2022 election was not clear.

The submission said the party started the campaign with no position, then there was talk of a private meeting with animal activists about the issue and a re-commitment to the phase out behind closed doors, then a public commitment which was heavily opposed by WA Labor and conflicting reports of whether or not it was proceeding with the phase out late in the campaign.

“For the Government to now claim that it has a mandate on the issue, when it is not clear that it does, is alarming,” NTCA CEO Will Evans said in a video submission to the inquiry.

WA Farmers president and National Farmers’ Federation vice president John Hassell made a similar point in a social media video ahead of the vote last night. He said if the live sheep phase out was an election commitment, it would have been below the 50^th priority.

“He still says we went to the election with it and we have a mandate to do it, which is so far from the truth it is not funny,” Mr Hassell said.

Industry vows to fight on

Mr Hassell was defiant in the video, saying the fight against the phase out was only just beginning – citing the more 60,000 signatures picked up in a petition against the ban.

“We have a damn good war chest, we have 62,000 signatures, we have thousands of volunteers and we have all the electorates we are going to target,” he said.

“We need to keep the sheep and we need to save Australian agriculture, because they are coming after us and they are coming after our property rights.”

Australian Live Exporters Council CEO Mark Harvey Sutton also said the industry was going to fight on after what he described as a “black day for agriculture”. He said the red line had well and truly been crossed.

“We hope governments of all persuasions mark 1 July 2024 as the last day they will make such a mistake again. We have consistently said this policy, if implemented, would be crossing a red line,” he said.

“With the rushed and arrogant manner in which this Bill has been passed, the government has now crossed that line and the agriculture sector is left with little choice, but to fight in a manner that has not been seen before! The sector is mobilised, united and furious.”