A group of live sheep export industry stakeholders were invited to parliament on June 21 to convey to newly appointed Western Australian premier Roger Cook they are a small representation of the thousands of families and communities that will be detrimentally affected by the Federal Government's policy.
The Opposition has called upon the WA Labor Government to stand up for Western Australians and defend the live sheep export trade against ideological attacks from the Albanese Government.
Member for Roe Peter Rundle stood with colleagues, producers, businesses, and families set to be impacted by the senseless ban.
"This is yet another in a line of attacks from a Labor Government on regional industries and on hardworking sectors delivering immense benefit for our State," Mr Rundle said.
"We're here today to send a message to the Premier, and his Minister for Agriculture Jackie Jarvis that this industry deserves more than lip service - they deserve a State Government fighting for them in Canberra."
Mr Rundle's repeated calls for the Federal Minister Murray Watt to front communities and explain his attack on their economies are still unanswered.
"Minister Watt owes it to West Australian producers to look them in the eye while he decimates their industry - to hide behind the panel is gutless," Mr Rundle said.
"He may refuse to front up, but the Premier and Minister Jarvis are in a position to force him to the table on the issue.
"What are they doing?
"Where are they?"
During the sitting of the Legislative Assembly Mr Rundle proposed a motion similar to:
The Premier to stand up for Western Australians and outline his plan to defend the live sheep export trade against the Albanese government's ideological attack, which is already crippling regional communities and businesses reliant upon the $130 million live sheep export industry.
After hearing from Mr Rundle, Liberal Party leader Libby Mettam and Nationals WA member for the Central Wheatbelt, Mia Davies, the premier said he supported the live sheep export industry, its stakeholders and above all WA producers.
However, when it came time to vote Mr Cook voted against the motion along with 38 other members.
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A WA led petition from the member for the agricultural region, Steve Martin, and Federal Liberal colleagues, member for O'Connor Rick Wilson, and senator Slade Brockman, calling for the reversal of the damaging policy had about 10,000 signatures and was presented to federal parliament on June 22.
This follows a petition from the Nationals WA that had over 2500 signatures and was already presented to the WA state parliament.
The numbers on both of these petitions highlight the spurious claims from the RSPCA WA that their survey of 800 people proved that 71 per cent of the residents of WA want live export banned, which also falsely claimed that, CSIRO affiliated, Voconiq's survey of more than 4500 people was a push poll - a claim they have since removed but not publicly retracted.
The independent panel appointed to oversee the live sheep export by sea phase-out report was set to garner a large crowd at their final consultation meeting to be held in Perth on June 23, after travelling to Geraldton, Merredin, Kondinin, Lake Grace and Darkan earlier in the week.
Tamara Hooper
Journalist with Farm Weekly newspaper WA.
Journalist with Farm Weekly newspaper WA.
