Live export penalties must increase

Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud has called on Labor to drop its games on the Bill to double penalties for live exporters doing the wrong thing.

 

Both the RSPCA and the NFF have previously called for Labor to stop playing political games and pass Minister Littleproud’s Bill to increase penalties for wrongdoing in live export.

 

“Labor’s live export games must end,” Minister Littleproud said.

 

“With companies aiming to take shipments of live sheep across to the Middle East in the near future, any wrongdoing will be on Labor’s head.

 

“If Labor do not support my Bill to increase penalties for those live exporters who do wrong, then Labor does not care about animal welfare – it’s just using animal welfare as a smokescreen for a media stunt.

 

“If Labor really supports animal welfare, it will promise to pass my Bill unamended through both houses of Parliament.

 

“Labor lost a vote today on the Bill to ban live export in the House of Representatives. It should accept that result and get out of our way as we increase penalties for live exporters doing the wrong thing.

 

“Labor needs to tell us why it thinks live exporters who break the rules on animal welfare don’t deserve big penalties.”