31st May 2023, 6:15 PM – Representatives Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports Amendment (Animal Welfare) Bill 2023 - Report from Federation Chamber - Live export bans

The majority voted in favour of disagreeing with an amendment introduced by Clark MP Andrew Wilkie (Independent) to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill). The amendment would have added the text below.

Amendment text

That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House

(1) notes that:

(a) Australia continues to be responsible for an animal welfare crisis;

(b) while much of this crisis is historically and constitutionally the responsibility of the state and territory governments, it can be seen in many industries including but not limited to: cattle; sheep; aquaculture; poultry; pigs; the breeding of dogs and cats; and where the gambling industry intersects with thoroughbred horseracing, steeplechasing, harness racing and greyhound racing;

(c) the systemic cruelty in the live animal export trade continues, with the export of sheep to the Middle East and beef cattle worldwide exemplifying the worst of animal abuse; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) establish a genuinely independent office of animal welfare which, by working with state and territory governments and their agencies, will take a policy development and leadership role to ensure that all animals are treated humanely and with dignity;

(b) develop a much-improved legal framework to ensure that beef cattle and sheep are treated ethically during all stages of the live export process, so long as the live export industry exists; and

(c) commit to legislating within six months a ban on all live sheep and beef cattle exports by sea with the ban fully implemented within three years.