ALEC CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton speaks at a recent Keep The Sheep rally.

A PEAK sheep meat body’s response to a claim the Federal Government’s transition advocate role for the live sheep sea trade phaseout was a poisoned chalice has highlighted differing industry approaches to the issue.

The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council said this week said the government’s call for someone to fill the transition advocate role to phase out the export of live sheep by sea was a poisoned chalice and would result in no good outcomes for exporters, farmers or the wider supply chain.

ALEC chief executive officer Mark Harvey-Sutton said the government had been seeking to fill the role for some time, given it was part of the legislation that was passed earlier this year, but had been unsuccessful, given the difficulties inherent in the role; selling poor policy to farmers and advising government of the devastating outcomes of its policies.

“Quite simply, no one wants to be a mouthpiece for the government’s sheep ban policy,” he said.

Mr Harvey-Sutton said people in the industry are very wary that the advice they give the minister may be disregarded in favour of political expediency.

No comment on ‘poisoned chalice’ claim

In response to ALEC’s ‘poisoned chalice’ claim SPA chief executive officer Bonnie Skinner said the well-being of the people in the industry and their families is the body’s top priority, “and should be for governments too.”

Ms Skinner did not directly address whether she believed that the transition advocate role is a ‘poisoned chalice’ nor did she state whether SPA believed that the industry should support the government in finding a transition advocate or forming an advisory group or support its scrapping.

However, Sheep Producers Australia has previously proposed that the government form a transition advocacy taskforce as a substitute for the one-person transition advocate the Federal Government had sought to appoint.

Ms Skinner said the government is obligated to incorporate community perspectives and consider the long-term impacts of the implementation of its policies.

“The focus of the government and its so-called transition must be on directly supporting farmers and facilitating two-way engagement as part of fulfilling these obligations.

“A transition advocate role should provide independent advice to the government on policy matters relating to the implementation to ensure producers and supply chains are no worse off or are not left behind as a result of the phase out,” Ms Skinner said.

“Sheep Producers Australia has already made this clear to the Federal Government.

“The government should promptly consider whether or not the expression of interest for a ‘transition advocate’ and its scope actually achieve this.”

Transition advocate will have an impossible task – ALEC

Speaking from a tour of importing countries in the Middle East, Mr Harvey-Sutton said it was clear the markets wish to continue their trading relationships with Australia and that diplomatic relations will depend on the food security they derive. ALEC said WA crisis talks for the wool industry have warned of a further slide in sentiment among wool growers.

“It’s clear that the transition advocate will have an impossible task.”

Mr Harvey-Sutton said the transition advocate role was generously remunerated at up to $1600 a day, but it had little to offer farmers, truckies, shearers and small businesses in the way of practical assistance.

“There is nothing in this role that will assist people who are already experiencing a downturn as a result of the loss of confidence this ban has created.

“It ought to be scrapped and whoever takes it should understand that it is a poisoned chalice.”