No say in fate of their animals
LIVE EXPORT ANGER
FOR farmers the live sheep export industry is a catch-22. Once their sheep are sold they have no say in their fate. These same farmers would be fined and vilified were they to treat their animals with the same disregard as the Department of Agriculture. A whistleblower hotline to allow people to expose the awful conditions could as well be used to blow the whistle on the minister allowing this to continue. The stats are deplorable: 2017, 12,377 sheep and 923 cattle died en route; 2016, 14,094 sheep and 1485 cattle and so on, showing how compassionless this industry is.
State and federal laws demand local businesses transport their live cargoes in such a way as to prevent harm, ensure access to food and water and treatment of sick or injured animals. International standards stress space to lie down, adequate ventilation and protection from excessive heat, but since the reality for our animals has been made public another 77,000 sheep have left our shores. These hapless animals are bound for three to four weeks of increasing suffering as they head into the equatorial summer. six months, another revelation, someone with a conscience will put themselves at risk to expose more of the same, at sea, or in oversees abattoirs. If you want to be remembered for just one thing, and improve your polling figures, let it be for the cessation of this barbaric trade.
Unimaginable cruelty
THE live animal export trade continues despite regular exposes of unimaginable cruelty during the lengthy sea journeys and brutal slaughter in overseas abattoirs. I keep checking news reports and reading the Mercury daily hoping there will be an announcement that live export ships have been stopped, for I cannot imagine any decent human being in charge of so much suffering can possibly allow this industry to continue. Please David Littleproud (Federal Minister for Agriculture), make that announcement soon. put money on the fact there were no facilities for newborn lambs so they were probably thrown overboard as well. I would not call a person who lets this cruelty continue a person with Australian values. NZ stopped live export and guess what? Their islands never sank.
Changing my vote
WHEN I heard a high ranking Liberal politician refer to the poor doomed animals involved in the live export trade as “protein units”, I knew beyond any doubt the Liberal Party has no interest or compassion for these creatures beyond a monetary one. These animals are sentient beings that deserve quality of life and a humane death. I will for the first time vote Labor in the next federal election as Labor is promising to end the live export trade. Until this happens I will not purchase or eat any lamb or beef. New Zealand has ended this obscene industry, so why not Australia?
Cursed
FEDERAL Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said it was “bull ...” that sheep continue to die at sea on live export ships. Coincidentally, this same word sprang to mind when I read “I’m not going to try to excuse the inexcusable” at the start of Jan Davis’s predictable offering (Talking Point, April 18). Alas Ms Davis there is no hope for me — I am cursed to have “the expectations of a minority”.
Anything goes
“LIBERAL” Party, literally, perhaps means anything goes? So don’t be too surprised when what was arranged to pop from the cake is a total surprise.
Parachute flop
AVIATION safety authorities could well be monitoring Tasmanian Parliament shuffling activities, there must be some concern that Rene Hidding’s golden parachute failed to deploy.
Honesty appreciated
WHILE shopping at the Shoreline shopping centre on Thursday, April 26, I accidentally left my handbag in the shopping trolley. I am an elderly great grandmother and was quite distraught at the loss. However on returning to the supermarket, it was returned to me by a kind honest lady. I am sorry I didn’t get her name as I am eternally grateful for her kindness and honesty.
Hidden totalitarianism
EVERY report or rumour has some foundation; what are we Australians to think about proposed changes to laws related to surveillance of private citizens? Here perhaps lies hidden, nuanced, totalitarianism. Is this to be the future of Australia?