WALEA chairman John Cunnington Image – LinkedIn.
WESTERN Australian livestock exporters and Keep the Sheep supporter AgForce this week ramped up their efforts to generate political pressure for a reversal of the proposed ban on live sheep exports by sea in May 2028.
In an open letter today, Western Australian Livestock Exporters Association chairman John Cunnington has urged WA Labor Premier Roger Cook to lobby the Albanese Government to reverse the May 2028 ban on live sheep exports by sea as the WA state election and the next federal election loom.
And AgForce chief executive officer Michael Guerin has expressed the body’s support to the pro-live export lobby group Keep the Sheep and suggesting a reversal of the Federal Government policy to ban the live sheep trade would have wider benefits for the industry-government conversations.
Mr Cunnington said Western Australia will have significant importance in this year’s Federal election.
And he has suggested Premier Cook’s successful advocacy on opposing federal ‘Nature Positive’ legislation could be applied to the live sheep export issue.
“The fact that (Nature Positive) legislation has been withdrawn is a clear indication of your influence and willingness to stand up for Western Australia,” Mr Cunnington said in the letter.
“From our industry’s perspective, we have appreciated your government’s opposition to the live sheep ban.
“This is a policy driven by extreme activists and sadly the Federal Government has become a mouthpiece for them,” he said.
“Premier, we are urging you to stand up once again for WA and demand your federal colleagues to reverse this unjust ban.
“It is clear it will be an election issue in WA as Western Australians support their farmers and do not like them being mistreated,” Mr Cunnington said.
“Please uphold your proud record of standing up for WA.”
Click here to read Mr Cunnington’s full letter.
A win would send a powerful message – AgForce
AgForce CEO Michael Guerin. Source – LinkedIn.
AgForce chief executive officer Michael Guerin has said a successful Keep the Sheep campaign to reverse the Federal Government’s policy on live sheep exports by sea represented an opportunity for a reset “much broader than simply for live export.”
“The (Keep the Sheep) campaign is moving the dial in these marginal seats.
“We can tell because the politicians are clearly feeling it,” Mr Guerin said.
“There is a chance we can turn this one around and in doing so reset the conversations for a generation about our great industry.
“If not now when? The government is hell-bent on destroying an industry that the best and latest science tells us is a powerful contributor to strengthening social, animal welfare and economic outcomes,” Mr Guerin said.
“The opportunity for a reset if this campaign is successful is much broader than simply for live export.
“Just look at the on-again off-again political merry-go-round of the so called ‘Nature Positive’ reforms in federal parliament these last few weeks,” he said.
“Of course, if they had engaged with industry on this issue after the last election as they promised to do, we could well now have progressed fundamental and much needed reform of the EPBC Act.
“Instead, pure bald politics intervened in the same way it did for live sheep – creating a horrifying outcome from the perspective of food security and regional communities,” Mr Guerin said.
“The opportunity now is to have as many conversations with as many politicians as possible on the way into this federal election.
“AgForce also proffers the thought that we should all – no matter our location or commodity – get involved with the Keep The Sheep campaign and support it however we can,” Mr Guerin said.
“A win there would send a powerful message to all sides of politics.”
Click here to read Mr Guerin’s full statement.
Process the stock onshore and freeze.
Keep the Sheep because they mean more then just the live sheep trade.
Come and visit WA farmers and you’ll find that they are decent people.
Sheep use to be grown for their natural fibres and now it seems we are forgetting that.
Sheep used to eat weeds on farms now we use more chemicals to grow food.
Fortunately for animal activists, welfare standards have risen considerably because of their work, but unfortunately for them the world will still eat meat and stopping the trade will not achieve their goals.
Please save the livestock from pain and suffering on long journeys aboard uncomfortable carriage.
Imagine your beloved dog suffering the same terrible fate. This may help you understand.
I have been associated with the meat industry for 50 years in roles such as quality assurance. I am of the opinion that all of the issues associated with the live trade could be rectified if each problem is dissected and corrected similar to a HACCP plan for food safety. I think that the trade is so important to our nation and it has been dismissed far to quickly and easily.
No, we don’t need this type of animal cruelty. There is no reason they can’t be killed humanely in Australian abattoirs and flown in fresh and unbruised. Never put money before animal welfare and that is what’s happening. Travelling in these cramped inhumane conditions is not an option. Never ever bring back live exports, when we have perfectly good abattoirs here. Keep our Australian workers in a job, think Australia first and other countries second. They have no animal welfare in those export countries and don’t care how these poor unfortunate animals are treated. This should be a referendum and I bet it will fail as no one will ever want it back.
Two meatworks have shut and others can’t get enough workers. There is no accommodation for workers. They bought a backpackers in Albany and a motel in Katanning for workers. There are plans for a donga camp. There is a housing shortage if you haven’t noticed. Australians won’t move to the country areas. Workers do not want these jobs. If not for the PALM workers who stayed during COVID, the plants would have shut. In 2017, 3.5 million sheep were trucked to the east because the works couldn’t handle them. They were worried the WA flock would fall below 10 million then. Well it’s heading for 8 million this year.
People were giving away lambs for free last year and some were just shooting them. The kill costs are too expensive and power costs are too high, thanks to Albanese, state daddy (former WA Premier Mark McGowan), chilling, transport and government red tape, and full cost recovery charges. In the long-term the bigger surviving works will be working shorter years and shifts, and may close as well. Congratulations, farmers have said all this was going to happen, but you don’t listen or care like Albanese. Less jobs already and even less going forward. So how do you feel about WA sheep being trucked to Victoria for kills? What a great victory. Next the live shipment of Tasmanian sheep to Victoria will be stopped.
Hello Pat,
The bare facts are that two Saudi Arabian-owned (Minerva Foods) abattoirs in WA have closed in the last 20 months. They were trying to do the air freight job you are claiming works so well.
So your comment lacks truth and reality.
As with many aspects of WA agriculture, the farmers are suffering with a supply chain issue here that has seen the flock reduce by 30 percent in 24 months.
When the processors gouge and oversupplied market with prices for mutton last year at $1/kg the farmers just quietly find something else to do with their land rather than get extorted like this.
Prices don’t go this low while there is a properly functioning and government supported live export trade.
So have a nice day checking a facts about saying the abattoirs are going fine serving our farmers in WA and don’t be surprised when you realise that our sheep and lamb supply chain is severely broken in favour of the processors and to the detriment of our farmers and industry as a whole.
Great point. Not to mention the fact that these animal liberation supporters fail to understand that these destination markets don’t have suitable refrigeration or electricity supply services to accept already processed meat. Australian live export and MLA invest millions every year in developing and ensuring that processing in destination markets meets our animal welfare standards. They really need to do their research.
Our government is controlled by a handful of radical misinformed would-be political activists.
As a conservative and an animal lover I do not agree with keeping live exports alive. It’s a disgusting cruel evil trade that should be banned. They living breathing feeling animals and the live exports sends these beautiful timid animals on a journey to hell. How could anyone support this trade? I know why, the $$$
I was a farmer and retired. I agree with the export of livestock by sea and hope the Liberals get into government and bring it back.
Please listen to our WA farmers. This is a important issue.
Government politicians have made a discussion to stop the sheep. These rulings are made on the fake films made by a couple of needy people who wouldn’t know anything about sheep, how they live, how well they are treated and cared for on ships. When the sheep go, part of the backbone of the country is finished. We will end up with a small amount of sheep so less meat and wool so shearer’s are not needed as before. A lifestyle finished. Beef will be next. I don’t think the city pollies or the Greens know where sheep come from and what’s involved in keeping our sheep. We will be bringing in our sheet from New Zealand on boats.