LIVE EXPORT — FEDERAL LABOR POLICY
463. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Minister for Agriculture and
Food:
I refer to question without notice
423 asked in this place on 8 May, when the minister indicated her support for a
long and proper transition away from the live export trade.
Given the state government's
support in shutting down a $200 million live export industry, what transitional
arrangements have been made to support our sheep farmers, livestock
transporters, feed producers, exporters and other associated industries in WA?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question,
and he is obviously expecting a Labor victory on the weekend. The member is
absolutely right that there will be a Labor victory and that we will have to
give great thought to this issue.
I point out to the member that, as
he is aware, under the changes that have been made under the current government
to the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock and the shipping
standards, there are grave questions about the long-term capability of this
industry in any event. That is not just me saying that; it certainly has been
said by many producers. If it is the case that there is a Labor victory, we
will have to work over the next five or so years to make sure that there is a proper
transition. In fact, the president of the Pastoralists and Graziers
Association, Tony Seabrook, said that there will be more capability to
negotiate a transition over a reasonable period with the Labor team than what
we are seeing with the current arrangements under which, supposedly, the
industry will go on but without any real consultation, with its economic
fundamentals cut away.