LATEST LABOR BACKFLIP WELCOME NEWS FOR LOCAL GRAZIERS
15-June-2011
Labor’s latest back-flip over the export of live cattle to Indonesia is good news for graziers in the North East, says Sophie Mirabella MP, Federal Member for Indi.
The Labor caucus this week passed a motion for the immediate cessation of live cattle exports to Indonesian abattoirs that don’t comply with the International OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) standards. This is a back down from the original motion, which called for the banning of live cattle exports to all Indonesia abattoirs that didn’t comply with Australian standards.
“This is welcome news for local graziers,” said Mrs Mirabella.
“The blanket ban on exports to all Indonesian slaughterhouses has already sent shockwaves through the local cattle market and beef prices have already dropped 10% in anticipation of a local glut.
“There is widespread, bipartisan support for a trade ban on facilities that fail to comply with acceptable animal welfare practices, but the total ban was ill-conceived and poorly devised.There was no consideration of consequences to industry, the impact on agricultural communities or improving animal welfare standards in Indonesia.
Mrs Mirabella’s comments follow a speech that she delivered to Parliament on Tuesday night where she slammed Labor for failing to understand the importance of agriculture and criticised Julia Gillard for ignoring farmers because she doesn’t believe they would vote for her.
“Unfortunately, neither the Government, nor the Prime Minister has any understanding of agriculture.
“The longer this blanket ban is in place, the further prices will fall and the more local farmers will suffer.
“Tony Abbott has offered to meet with the Prime Minister in order to find an immediate solution to this impasse, but Ms Gillard declined this offer because she is more interested in politics than the concerns of ordinary Australians,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.