On the eve of the Agricultural Minister’s Forum (AgMin) on Friday, where the horse racing industry will be discussed, the Greens have said that the Federal Government has no other choice but to establish a Royal Commission into animal cruelty and ‘wastage’ in the horse racing industry and to get the States on board. 

Greens Senator and Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has said that the industry cannot be trusted to clean itself up and their lack of action since the expose on the slaughter of race horses has shown that only a Royal Commission can resolve the issue. 

Greens Senator for NSW and Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has reacted to a shocking ABC 730 exposé into the abuse and cruel slaughter of race horses at knackeries and abattoirs.

Senator Faruqi said the Federal Government needs to urgently establish a national horse traceability scheme so horses leaving the race industry can be tracked for their whole lives.

FARUQI: My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Cash. Minister, I want to ask about the report Economic and social impacts of recreational hunting and shooting, released by the Department of Health in September 2019. How much of the health budget was spent on this report? Which minister commissioned it? Does the minister believe that this is an appropriate use of the public health budget?

I move:

That the Senate calls on the Federal Government to amend the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997, the Export Control Act 1982 and the proposed Export Control Act 2018 to restrict the long haul export of live sheep and lambs during the northern hemisphere summer months of July, August or September in a five year transitional period, or at any time after that period, where the voyage is by ship and of duration exceeding 10 days, and where a place in that voyage is either the Persian Gulf or the Red Sea (regardless of whether it is the final destination).

Greens Spokesperson for Animal Welfare, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has slammed the resumption of the live export of sheep to the Middle East.

Senator Faruqi said:

“The resumption of live exports to the Middle East, especially while temperatures are so hot shows the Government is just paying lip service to animal welfare.

“It is going to be over forty degrees in Kuwait over the next few weeks, which means thousands of sheep will continue to suffer cruel heat stress. We are quite literally putting these poor animals into the furnace of the Middle East heat for profit.

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) dolphins are highly intelligent animals, with complex physical and behavioural needs – in the wild, they live in intricate social networks, are migratory and can travel more than 100 kilometres in a single day,

(ii) captive environments are incapable of meeting the needs of dolphins and can severely impact their health and welfare, and

(iii) the Parliament of Canada has passed legislation banning whales, dolphins and porpoises from being bred or held in captivity in most circumstances; and

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Meat Free Week, organised by Bowel Cancer Australia, runs from 23 to 29 September 2019, and challenges participants to give up meat for seven days,

(ii) intensive animal agriculture is not only cruel to animals, but is a key contributor to the climate crisis, and

(iii) reducing the amount of meat we consume is better for our health, better for animal welfare and better for the environment; and

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) welcomes the Australian Government's commitment to work with states and territories to end the domestic trade of ivory and rhino horn; and

(b) calls on both levels of government to implement the ban as quickly as practicable.

HANSARD LINK

Senator FARUQI: My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator McKenzie. Minister, the Moss review was highly critical of the Department of Agriculture as the regulator of live exports, and there is immense public concern about the cruelty of live animal exports. Despite this, your department has recently refused a freedom-of-information request from RSPCA Australia for footage taken aboard the 2018 voyage of MW Al Shuwaikh on which 609 sheep died, including many from smothering. Does the minister consider it appropriate for this footage to be hidden from the public?

Greens Senators have reacted to the passage of the Government’s anti-protest ag gag legislation which passed the Senate with Labor support.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Animal Welfare Spokesperson, said:

“This bill is an absolute fraud. It’s nothing more than ag gag legislation aimed at protecting big agribusiness from scrutiny at the cost of animal welfare and the community’s right to know and protest.

“The Greens are proud to oppose laws aimed at stamping out protest and jailing activists and whistleblowers.”