WITH many sheep producers in Western Australia contemplating their future decisions in the lead up to ram selling season, the public meeting in Katanning on Monday, co-ordinated by WAFarmers, showed they were not willing to just roll over and accept the Federal government's policy to phase-out live sheep exports by sea.
In a show of solidarity and strength, it was fitting that about 650 producers, industry stakeholders, peak body representatives, community members and politicians gathered at the home of the Katanning sheep show and sale, where as WA Merino week concludes, the ram selling season begins.
An address from Federal National Party leader David Littleproud preceded an interactive panel session with WAFarmers livestock section president Geoff Pearson facilitating discussions with Mr Littleproud, Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC) chief executive officer Mark Harvey-Sutton, live exporter and transport company owner Tamara Michalek and WA Liberal senator Slade Brockman.
Mr Littleproud discussed his disappointment with the new WA Premier Roger Cook and his refusal to meet to discuss a bipartisan approach to educate the politicians in the Eastern States about the importance of the live sheep export industry and the facts surrounding its world-leading animal welfare standards.
Acknowledging his role as the former Agriculture Minister in the previous government, Mr Littleproud said in implementing changes that challenged the industry, it was the tough but it has made the industry the gold standard in live export and proved the Albanese government's policy was ideological and based on an activist/extremist agenda not factual evidence.
"We worked methodically through the science and that science stands today," Mr Littleproud said.
"We moved from a mortality methodology of how we graded those shipments going to the Middle East.
"And we are the first country in the world to move to one that is predicated on animal welfare.
"We're the only country in the world that can measure the pants per minute of a sheep on those boats, on those shipments going to the Middle East, the airflow going through those boats and the score, individual scores of those boats that take them, giving the stocking density of those boats in being able to take your sheep to the Middle East.
"But we measure to the kilogram and we measure to the millimetre of not only their weight, but also the wool on their back because science, science took us there and science will continue to take us there."
He said there was still a chance to stop the policy becoming legislation, but it required the support of more senators, an option that was looking positive.
"I've had constructive conversations with those crossbench senators that can determine whether this gets through the Senate or not," Mr Littleproud said.
"The crossbench senators will be pivotal in this."
With more than 3400 people employed by the trade nationwide, Mr Littleproud said Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese both rejected an offer to attend the Katanning meeting and tell farmers how they were going to take away their livelihoods.
He said his party fully supported the WA live sheep export trade to the point that it would not be part of a future coalition government with the Nationals if they were not onboard.
He said it was a line in the sand that will never be allowed to be crossed.
"Peter Dutton (Federal Liberal Party leader) did not flinch in any way shape or form, it is locked in stone, no matter what happens - this industry - is one the coalition will continue to support," WA Liberal senator Slade Brockman said.
"If the legislation does get passed and we get into government, we will reverse it."
ALEC chief executive officer Mark Harvey-Sutton, was asked what the importers were saying about the trade being banned.
He said it was important to realise that Australia exported 70 per cent of all its produce, whether that be grain, meat, live animals or fruit.
"Putting that in context, if you want to have an export market you have to acknowledge your customer (importers) and their preferences - as the customer is always right," Mr Harvey-Sutton said.
"Who are we to dictate what their preferences are?
"It is extremely arrogant, it sends an extremely poor message of Australia's status as a global trading partner."
He said importers were feeling quite offended.
"They want to buy our sheep, they think we have the best sheep in the world, the quality is testament to you the producers, and our disease free status," Mr Harvey-Sutton said.
"We are a reliable trading partner across every agricultural production industry and right now our reputation is being trampled on and those countries are very concerned, it also creates food security issues for them."
When asked of the interest from other States, Mr Littleproud said it was in the minds of agriculture across the country, but politicians needed to be educated.
"Queenslanders are scared stiff," he said.
"We had the same thing happen in 2011 when the Labor government panicked and shutdown the live cattle trade.
"The Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association is also extremely worried as their production systems are similar to WA in terms of finishing off.
"This is an affront on peoples livelihoods, without understanding, without appreciation of production systems and stewardship these producers have in terms of animal welfare and landcare."
Mr Littleproud said it was widely viewed by farming organisations around the country as an ideological and political policy and it is frightening to them all.
Social license comes down to trust and Mr Harvey-Sutton referenced the Voconiq survey, with the backing of the CSIRO - the most respected scientific research organisation in the country, and this survey showed public confidence in the live export industry was increasing.
