Suffering animals left in limbo after Turnbull pulls live exports bill

Labor politicians have slammed the government after it pulled a bill to bring tougher regulations to the live exports industry at the last minute, amid claims Sussan Ley would back a Labor amendment to ban exports completely.

Liberal backbencher Ley confirmed to Starts at 60 the Export Legislation Amendment (Live-Stock) Bill 2018 had been pulled from the parliamentary schedule, despite it originally being listed first for debate. She said the bill has been adjourned to debate at a later date to make way for other legislation that needed to be addressed before the end of the week.

If the bill had been debated on Thursday as originally planned, the Coalition would have been down a number of key votes with both Barnaby Joyce and Trade Minister Steven Ciobo out of Canberra at present.

“As a back-bench Liberal MP, I have reserved my right to cross the floor if that might be needed, down the track,” Ley said.

“I am advocating my case with colleagues and working towards the Bill receiving cross party support – obviously I would also like to see it become Liberal Party policy.”

The government’s proposed legislation would introduce tougher regulations for livestock carriers, allowing more room for sheep onboard, improved ventilation and increased penalties for directors who ignore the rules.

Ley recently introduced a private member’s bill, calling for a ban on all live sheep exports to the Middle East in the northern hemisphere’s summer months in 2019, before banning them completely in five years.

Fitzgibbon revealed Labor planned to move an amendment to the bill on Thursday to incorporate a mirror copy of Ley’s own bill – essentially meaning it could be debated without having to secure the necessary numbers to move it forward on its own.

A heat wave on one voyage last August resulted in unbearable conditions. Ship records show that on the second day, 880 sheep die. That’s one death every two minutes. On the third day another 517 succumb. The heatwave continued for five days. #60Mins. pic.twitter.com/vsWw3r5bvF

— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) April 8, 2018

“This amendment to the bill would have brought the vote on quicker and given it a better chance of passing the House with a simple majority, reflecting the true will of the Parliament – to phase out cruelty in the live sheep export trade,” Fitzgibbon said in a statement.

However, the government legislation was pulled from the schedule completely, putting a halt to all debate.

“The actions taken today clearly show that Malcolm Turnbull is running scared that he does not have the confidence of his party to stop Labor’s amendment,” Fitzgibbon added. “After all the feigned anger over the Awassi Express incident, the Prime Minister is now putting his own political survival ahead of animal welfare standards.”

According to The Guardian, sources claimed Ley was preparing to vote for the Labor amendment if the bill reached the floor, rather than voting down her own bill.

*Warning – Distressing Content* Footage has emerged of Australian cattle arriving in Israel on board the Bader III – a live export vessel that left Adelaide in early May. #LiveExport #7News pic.twitter.com/LRjYZtq3B2

— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) May 30, 2018

Agriculture minister David Littleproud reportedly responded to Fitzgibbon’s anger, saying: “Labor said it would be bipartisan on live exports, but at the first opportunity it aims to create a pointless war and stop us penalising live exporters who do the wrong thing.”

Read more: PETA calls for live animal exports ban as horrific sheep cruelty exposed

It comes after Channel 9’s 60 Minutes aired “heartbreaking” footage showing sheep packed onboard livestock carriers for three weeks, and dying from heat stress and “terrible” living conditions. Brave young trainee navigator Faisal Ullah blew the whistle on the horrific conditions after recording secret videos onboard the giant livestock carrier, Awassi Express.

Video footage showed the sheep stacked up to 10 storeys high and forced to stay standing, with many not surviving the journey. Once in the Middle East, the heat onboard was staggering – and one voyage recorded 880 sheep dying in just one day from heat stress. Ullah said: “It is the same as putting animals into the oven. I mean, you are just putting live animals into the oven.”

As well as breaking Australian export regulations and animal cruelty laws, the videos have thrown into question the entire industry’s protocols.

Starts at 60 has contacted David Littleproud and Sussan Ley for comment.

Do you think live exports should be banned altogether? Or do you think tougher regulations would be enough?