WESTERN Australia’s pro-live sheep exports movement Keep the Sheep appears unfazed by the launch of an opposing national animal activist campaign called ‘Keep The Sheep Here’.

A coalition of leading animal protection bodies has launched its campaign to counter the Keep the Sheep plan to lobby for retention of live sheep exports by sea, in the next federal election expected early this year.

The coalition led by WA-based not-for-profit Stop Live Exports has declared the federal election will be a referendum on animal cruelty and has taken aim at the Nationals commitment to reverse the Albanese Government plan to ban live sheep exports by sea by 1 May 2028.

Stop Live Exports is a Western Australian-based, community-led, non-profit organisation that advocates for the end of live animal exports from Australia. The other coalition members are Animals Australia and the Alliance for Animals.

The Nationals’ pledge to overturn legislation phasing out the trade in their first 100 days of government placed animal suffering squarely on the ballot paper, the coalition said.

The coalition has said it will undertake a digital advertising and billboard blitz, and has released an election discussion paper, “to highlight the ongoing suffering of Australian sheep in the live export trade.”

Stop Live Exports WA spokesperson Ruth Gourley said the Nationals’ position on live sheep exports defied common sense and common decency.

“The live sheep export trade is cruel, outdated and unnecessary, and it’s not supported by the overwhelming majority of fair-minded Australians, and that includes Western Australians,” Ms Gourley said.

“A reversal of the phase out would cause outrage within the community and we’re going to make sure people across the country are fully aware of where all parties and candidates stand on this brutal and unnecessary trade.”

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery

A Keep the Sheep spokesperson said imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

“It’s clear these groups based outside of WA are looking on with envy at the success of the Keep the Sheep campaign and are worried about the real impact it is having on voters in WA.

“Their media release is being issued by a PR firm with offices in Surry Hills, Collins St in Melbourne and Canberra,” the spokesperson said.

“This is a lazy east coast PR hatchet job looking to get a free ride out of a genuine WA grassroots campaign.”

The Keep the Sheep spokesperson said it is clear the animal protection bodies are worried there is a very real prospect that the ban on live sheep exports by May 2028 will be overturned.”

“There is no doubt their intent is to confuse people which shows that at their core these groups are dishonest.

“This is evident in their inaccurate representation of the live sheep export trade on their campaign website.”

The Keep the Sheep spokesperson said the authoriser of the campaign website is Angela Martin, a former South Australian Animal Justice Party candidate and vegan activist. Ms Martin was also an executive producer of the Dominion documentary that used drones and hidden cameras to gain footage in abattoirs on farms.

“This is a movement backed by the Farm Transparency Project that supported illegally invading farms and abattoirs all across Australia.

“Yet we are to believe that this group is supportive of creating jobs locally in the meat processing industry?” the Keep the Sheep Spokesperson said.

“Fortunately, we know that WA voters are wise to these tactics and know Keep the Sheep is backed by WA farmers and their families, sheep breeders, truckies, shearers, local governments, and their communities.

“We can agree with their campaign on one front – this will be an issue for WA during the Federal election.

WA seats to be targeted by both groups

The coalition’s national advertising campaign is targeting the electorates of Hasluck, Bullwinkel and Tangney in Western Australia, Sturt in South Australia, Menzies and Casey in Victoria, Wentworth in New South Wales and Ryan in Queensland, with plans to expand to other key locations as the election draws nearer. Keep the Sheep has previously confirmed it will target WA seats initially, including Hasluck, Bullwinkel, Tangney and Swan.

The coalition’s campaign advertisements and material feature shocking and distressing images of Australian sheep suffering from heat stress as well as cruel handling and slaughter practices in importing countries, and supports the Federal Government’s stance on the economic advantages in developing domestic sheep meat processing.

Stop Live Exports has also released an election discussion paper aimed at “dismantling myths that lobby groups are spreading to incite fear and resistance to the inevitable transition to sheep meat exports – a more ethical and sustainable alternative.”

Alliance for Animals policy director Dr Jed Goodfellow said the live sheep trade phaseout made sense for animal welfare and economic reasons, and resonated with most Australians.

“The trade is already on the way out, with or without the phase out legislation, having shrunk by over 90 percent in the past 20 years and hitting a record low of just 419,000 sheep in 2024 – that’s a 34pc drop from the previous year,” he said.

He said it is time to focus on the significant value-adding opportunities that come with keeping the sheep here, processing them in Australian supply chains, by Australian workers, to Australian standards.

“This is the future and there’s a $139.7 million transition package on the table to help the industry secure it.

“Reversing the phase out legislation won’t bring the trade back, but it will take this assistance off the table, depriving sheep producers of the opportunity to invest in a more sustainable future as the trade continues its inevitable decline,” he said.

“It’s disappointing the Nationals are backing this cruel and dying trade, but we know there are many within the Liberal Party who support animal welfare and will be happy to see it end.