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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 463 asked in the Legislative Council on 14 May 2019 by Hon Colin De Grussa

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

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.