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Will Animal Liberation The Organisation Bring About Animal Liberation?

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If you believe the propaganda, there are three organisations at the fore front of Australia’s animal advocacy movement, Animals Australia, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Animal Liberation franchise.

As we know, the RSPCA through it’s national governing body is more interested in ensuring that animal agribusiness complies with the respective State/Territory based animal welfare legislation. They also occasionally make media statements to highlight what they see are shortfalls in the current Model Codes of Practice.

Animals Australia, whilst people seem to think that they are there ‘for the animals’, their track record seems to indicate that they aren’t there so much ‘for the animals’, as they are for increasing awareness of their brand. I am still baffled that all of Australia’s alleged vegan organisations are still supporting Animals Australia, despite them virtually condemning veganism and acknowledging that they are not about telling people what to eat or wear.

This leaves the various branches Animal Liberation franchise to be the champions for the plight of other animals.

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Does Consumer Protection Equal Animal Protection

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There seems to be a change of focus in Australia’s ‘animal protection’ groups lately.

In days gone by, the old animal rights movement was focused was on ‘liberating’ animals from oppression at the hands of animal agri-business. Whereas today their focus seems to be on getting certain people mentioned in the media as much as possible, and ensuring that the animal (by)products are labelled correctly to ensure that the consumer isn’t hoodwinked.

And two of the worst offenders of this are Voiceless, and Animal Liberation (NSW).

According to their website, Voiceless is an independent, non-profit think tank focused on raising awareness of animals suffering in factory farming and the kangaroo industry in Australia.

Whilst Animal Liberation (NSW) believes all animals (yes humans are animals too) have a right to live how they would normally choose without other species intervention. Just like slaves, women and other minorities in society have been able to challenge views on how they should be treated and what their rights should be, Animal Liberation wants to challenge society on its views of all non-human animals. The way we do this is through educational campaigns, public events and using the media to get our message across.

Unless I have missed something, I cannot see anything in the two descriptions above, or on their websites where they mention anything about consumer protection.

Yet this is exactly where they are heading.

Whilst the new direction was originally started by Voiceless in July of this year with Emmanuel Giuffre’s piece on
The Baiada Poultry Pty Ltd, Bartter Enterprises Pty Limited, and Australian Chicken and Meat Federation Inc. v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission case,(Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Turi Foods Pty Ltd (No 4) [2013] FCA 665), the baton has been picked up recently by Animal Liberation (NSW).

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Kickstarting A Stalled Movement

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As passionate as I am about the social justice issue that is animal rights, and veganism, I am starting to believe that the ‘movement’ as such has lost it’s momentum having been bogged down by egos and the perception that doing ‘something’ is all it takes.

Following on from an article in July 2013, here are some more disturbing things that have caught my attention.

In the past few months we have seen activists claiming to be from “Gateway To Hell” storm the Brisbane office of China Southern Airlines, to protest the transportation of primates from China to the U.S.A, without being able to say if it was successful or not.

Deceptive Organisations

Animal Liberation NSW’s Executive Director, Mark Pearson, added to his 15 minutes of fame by using an ABC Landline segment on incorrectly labelled eggs to promote his bid for a Senate seat as a candidate for the Animal Justice Party. He has even gone so far as to lodge a complaint with the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission over the final product being incorrectly labelled as ‘free range’.

A few days later Mr Pearson was in the press again, this time claiming that live export “will be all over by morning tea,” once they start putting pressure on will wholesalers, and build more slaughterhouses in Australia.

Why ANY animal advocate would be wanting to build more slaughterhouses is beyond me. Mind you, Voiceless, the Australian “think-tank” dedicated to animal protection issues also seems to think that consumer protection equates to animal protection, with regards to the Federal Court of Australia case, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Turi Foods Pty Ltd (No 4) [2013] FCA 665.

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