Once again the Australian public has been bombarded with footage and stories of the “in humane” treatment of Australian livestock overseas. And once again we have all those self-proclaimed animal protection groups calling for an end to the live export trade. This time around it is due to the barbaric slaughter of Australian exported sheep in Pakistan.
After last years Indonesian saga, legislation was drafted, and all sorts of checks and balances were put in place. This alphabet group was started, to ensure compliance with that alphabet code, and all the exporters had to comply with the mis-mash of letters to get an export permit to send animals overseas.
Except something happened, and that something is what no one talked about when the legislation and alphabet soups were being drafted.
Regardless of what Code of Practice, legislation, supply chain guarantees, and rules and regulations are put in place, local laws will still trump them, with Australian law being unenforceable..
And this is exactly what happened in Pakistan.
There is very little that any complaint exporter can do when the destination county’s police or government officials force company representatives to leave.
Those companies who have been granted and export license complied with, and jumped throug every hoop that they had to. The company that exported the sheep to Pakistan, even self-reported a breach in the supply chain integrity when the incident occurred.
Now, we are faced with the conundrum of what to do about the foreign practices for Australian exported animals.
All sorts of groups are now jumping up and down, demanding an end to Australia’s live export program. There are even a few more ALP politicians claiming that they support an end to live export, and they are even threatening to bring it up at their next pow wow. One in particular has even gone on national radio saying that her constituents have been contacting her demanding that it end. If this is the case, which I have no doubt it is, it will be interesting to see how this politician votes, should any bills be read in the House of Representatives.
Sadly, I have a feeling that she will ignore the people who voted her into office, and vote along party lines. Which is exactly what happened when the last bill was read in the House Of Representatives.
Thankfully, those of us concerned about the way that animals are treated when heading overseas have our ever vigilant saviours, the Australian Greens to swoop in and save the day.
We can all breathe that collective sigh of relief knowing that Lee Rhianon is out there fighting the good fight for us, saying things like this in the Senate. “The live exports business is a cruel, inhumane and immoral trade in living beings. It has brought tremendous shame on Australia. The majority of Australians want it shut down.”
Just remember to ignore the rest of what she says.
To this end, the Greens call for an end to the live export trade and a move to grow our meat export trade. Such a move addresses our responsibility to end animal cruelty inherent in the live export trade and provides opportunities to create more local jobs, support communities and maintain economic viability for producers.
And that’s what we have to realise that the Ban Live Export campaign is all about, increasing domestic slaughter rates, creating jobs, and mainlining the cruel, in humane and immoral trade in living beings, as Senator Rhianon so succinctly stated above.
The Greens, ALP, RSPCA, AMIEU and whoever else is waving the Ban Live Export banner are more concerned with these animals being killed here instead of overseas, than they are with them not being killed at all.
Once again, money triumphs over a sentient beings life.
Wouldn’t life be simpler if everyone went vegan?
This article was written by the founder of VeganPolice.com.au, Cameron Blewett.
Cameron is a long term vegan (30+yrs), and is passionate about veganism, and helping people to understand more about it and giving other animals equal consideration.
You can find Cameron’s other rants on his website, CameronBlewett.blog
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