MP Kelvin Thomson puts pressure on Government to suspend licences of two live animal exporters

You may have heard the upsetting news that two live animal exporters were recently found to breach 37 animal welfare rules. The exporters; North Australian Cattle Company Pty Ltd and International Livestock Export Pty Ltd were using approved supply chains, however, an investigation into their Indonesian abattoirs found that they were not meeting the set regulations. This highlights that the current system in place is not effective and not enough is being done by the Government to stop animal cruelty.

We are therefore very glad to see that Victorian MP, Kelvin Thomson is putting pressure on the Government to suspend or cancel the licences of these two exporters. His statement (below) illustrates that MPs can get behind this issue and support domestic processing rather than cruel live animal exports. With your support, we can encourage more MPs to take Kelvin’s viewpoint.

Friday 18th May 2012

Kelvin Thomson MP
Federal Labor Member for WillsBREACHES OF ANIMAL WELFARE EXPORT STANDARDS

In my view 37 breaches is way too many and the two exporters should have their licences suspended or even cancelled.

The Department Deputy Secretary said if further animal welfare breaches occur they would face the possible loss of their export licence, but you have to wonder how many chances they get. When the trade was resumed last year after being suspended, the Government said the industry was on notice, so I think the public would expect that any exporters now found to be treating animals inhumanely would be run out of the industry.

Even more worrying for me than the question of penalty is the fact that it wasn’t industry self-regulation that brought these breaches to light, it was Animals Australia- Lyn White and her little video camera. You have to wonder whether we are really seeing the tip of the iceberg.

I think the only way we are going to ensure our animals are not being mistreated is to insist on mandatory stunning- that all animals are stunned before being killed. I further think we should be supporting proposals for the establishment of abattoirs in northern Australia, such as the Australian Agricultural Company proposal for Livingstone Valley south of Darwin, and transitioning away from live exports and into domestic processing, which is better for both animal welfare and for Australian jobs.

Kelvin Thomson MP

Thanks to all Humane Chain volunteers

In celebration of National Volunteers week we thought we would highlight some of the work done on our Humane Chain campaign, by our extraordinary volunteers over the last several years.

One way volunteers have made a difference is by putting themselves out on the front lines at market stalls, collecting petition signatures and putting a face to the campaign. Volunteers help us as advocates talking with the public, dispelling myths and providing resources, and demonstrating how many Australians are against live exports.

Though it’s not always the most exciting work, volunteers help us a lot behind the scenes as well by doing data entry and helping with other administrative tasks. In fact, WSPA Australia’s longest-running volunteer Flo has been assisting us in the office on a regular basis since 2003!

Now that’s commitment to animals!

And in our biggest volunteer effort yet, the Move Forward campaign in late 2011 saw over 90 volunteer Captains working on everything from petition collecting, to holding events, to meeting with local MPs and reporters, all in the name of ending live exports.

Many of our Captains have continued their volunteer efforts in 2012 – we recently profiled one of them, April, here on our blog. We’ll have more information soon on how you can lend your time as well to helping animals, so watch this space!

Lastly, today we’re saying goodbye to Katie, who’s been working hard as a volunteer intern in the WSPA office for the past 3 months. We’ll miss you, Katie!

In order to make progress in animal welfare we rely on these dedicated volunteers for their support and couldn’t do it without them, so this week we’re extending a big THANK YOU!

The Very Important Next Step

If you are one of the many people who have contacted your Federal Member of Parliament about cruel live animal exports, then you most likely have (well you should have!) received a letter in response.  These letters can take many different forms depending on the MP, which party they belong to and whether they are using standard responses.

The next important step is to respond to this letter to keep this issue on the Government’s radar. We already know live animal exports are one of the top issues MPs receive correspondence about and we must maintain the momentum.  Here is a helpful checklist to help you respond:

• Did you actually receive a letter in response? If not, follow up and ask for a response
• Does your letter contain myths such as “there is no refrigeration in the Middle East” or “Middle Eastern countries won’t accept chilled meat”?   Write back and let them know this is simply incorrect. You can bust the myths here.
• Did you know asking a couple of specific questions in your letter will help you avoid the dreaded “standard response”?  You could ask about animal welfare or about the jobs that are being lost in Australia.  
• Always ask for a response to your letter
• Keep your correspondence concise and polite
• Send via the mail if you can, rather than email

Happy writing and thanks for all you do for the animals!

WSPA Volunteer Spotlight: April Meddick

WSPA’s Animal Task Force is a group of volunteers, currently made up of the Captains from our "Move Forward" campaign. They have been hard at work campaigning against live export over the last several months. One such volunteer is April Meddick, Captain for the Corangamite electorate.

April has been focusing on Government Relations tasks, engaging in correspondence with her MP, Darren Cheeseman, and asking him pressing questions and educating him on the facts of the trade.

April and her family reside in Torquay, Victoria, and she is working hard to let her MP know that, as a constituent, this issue matters to her.  Having a career in Administration, two teenage children, and several pets, April is busy, but she makes time to volunteer as a Captain because she firmly believes the trade must end.

After seeing a 60 Minutes programme regarding live sheep exports, April was horrified to see what was happening in Australia. Inspired to take action, she wrote a letter to then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to register her opposition to the trade. As time passed, she didn’t hear from him and it slipped from her mind. More recently, another live export broadcast caught her eye and reignited her passion. April says:

“I vowed this time I wouldn’t let it go, but would be more active in the fight to get this cruel trade brought to an end.When I received an email from WSPA stating that they were getting involved in the fight to bring the live export trade to an end, I jumped at the opportunity to get more actively involved  with the support of this great organisation behind me.”

However, you don’t need to be a WSPA Captain to lobby the government, as April has done. Reaching out to your elected officials is a powerful action that anyone can take.

“People can help to bring an end to the trade by regularly letting their politicians know that they do not support the trade and will not vote for a party that supports this trade”, April says.

In regards to the difficulties of the campaign, she says “I think one of the biggest challenges is apathy-that people will forget about the footage they saw, just like I did. We need to keep this subject in the public eye until the trade is brought to an end. We need to keep the pressure up to our politicians.”

Determined to succeed, April’s message to her MP is clear:

“I want them to know that no amount of tracking systems are going to change the suffering and awful conditions the animals endure on the journey over. It is not going to stop the cruel way an animal is treated at their destination. I want my Member of Parliament to know that cruelty is not OK for any amount of money. I want the message to be loud and clear that Australians do not accept cruelty under any banner.”



Look for more information soon on how you can join April in WSPA's Animal Task Force!

Introducing WSPA Live Export Campaign Coordinator Graham Nicholls

With over 113,000 Australians now having joined the Humane Chain, we thought we’d take the opportunity to give you a look at some of the hard working people behind the scenes.  Meet Graham Nicholls, WSPA’s Campaign Coordinator.

Graham is responsible for working with Government and stakeholders to showcase the alternatives to live exports, and joined our team in December 2011, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role. 

While working in Tonga in 2011 Graham was shocked by Animals Australia’s footage of the maltreatment of Australian cattle in Indonesia.  This motivated him to offer his strategy development and influencing skills to WSPA’s efforts to bring about the end of Australia’s live animal trade.

Graham says, “My mission is to secure the best possible outcome for animals as well as support farmers, while benefitting the Australian economy, using WSPA funded research as our base”.  I have welcomed the contribution, feedback and insight from our stakeholders on the front line of this debate”.

Graham has had a wide ranging and progressive career over the years.

Most recently his experience centres on international development, a field in which he has worked for 14 years. Graham worked as an adviser to the governments of Solomon Islands and Tonga and held management positions with AusAID, where at different times he led the development and management of aid programs to Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and regional Pacific organisations.

He also managed AusAID’s relations with UN and Commonwealth development agencies, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

Graham is married with two teenage children and has a menagerie of companion animals living with them at his home in Queensland.



Read more about WSPA’s approach to live animal export, and how we work with government and other stakeholders.

WSPA applauds WA Labor Party on backing chilled meat exports

The World Society for the Protection of Animals commends the Western Australian Labor Party on its move to improve animal welfare, following the launch of a discussion paper by leader Mark McGowan.

In the paper, Strengthening Animal Welfare in Western Australia (link opens a PDF), a key recommendation is to work with overseas trade offices to promote chilled meat products and create a commercial alternative to live exports.


This is a positive development in placing animal welfare on the political agenda. It also supports WSPA’s objective to phase out the live export of animals for slaughter by providing viable alternative solutions.

Jodie Jankevics, Campaign Manager, WSPA Australia, said: “Committing to finding alternatives to live exports is a fantastic step forward for the WA Labor Party. By promoting a chilled meat industry, they are supporting local jobs and encouraging farmers to diversify.

“A complete reliance on the live animal trade is risky business. WA Labor’s approach of working to remove trade barriers - that stop meat processors from being competitive in overseas markets - is a step in the right direction. As a result, hopefully the West Australian meat manufacturing sector can look forward to long-term business stability.”

Research, funded by WSPA and undertaken by economic analysts, ACIL Tasman, has shown the economic benefit of having a single sheep processed in Australia is worth 20% more to the WA economy than one sent live.

MP Steve Georganas to Parliament: End Live Exports

The following is a speech made by Mr Steve Georganas, Member for Hindmarsh, South Australia to Parliament yesterday, Wednesday, 14 March 2012


On behalf of many constituents in my electorate I rise to convey to the House their overwhelming desire for an immediate end to live animal exports.

Many constituents have contacted me in the last few weeks since the dreadful scenes we saw on the ABC.

I have received hundreds of emails from people across my electorate who are angry and upset at seeing more footage emerge of animal cruelty overseas.

They have written to me to express their frustration at seeing cattle in abattoirs overseas not only failing to be stunned but actually being cut up while still alive.

This was horrendous vision for any Australian viewing it.

It was terrible to watch and we can only imagine the pain and suffering those animals endured.

Whilst we have not yet confirmed the origin of those animals, the message was clear—you just cannot guarantee Australian welfare standards in a country that is not Australia.

I think anyone who saw the footage would be horrified.

There is absolutely no excuse for that kind of cruelty.

I am glad that the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry reacted swiftly by launching an investigation.

We spoke with the minister's office, who confirmed that they had launched an investigation.

The frustrating thing is that, if we did not have live exports, there would be no need for such an investigation.

Last year when the issue first arose I was one of the first to call for a ban, as was the member for Wills, who is here in the chamber.

We did succeed in having a temporary ban imposed, but of course live exports soon resumed despite a lot of lobbying from me, the member for Wills and many other members of the Labor caucus.

We now find ourselves in a distressing groundhog day situation.

There have been some improvements, and I am pleased that there have been and I am glad the minister has put them in place.

Before, we did not have a way of tracking where cattle had come from and now, with new supply chain standards, we do.

But this is no excuse for the way animals are being treated, based on the footage we saw on the ABC a couple of weeks ago.

There have been improvements in aspects of the animals' welfare, but the fact remains that the only way to guarantee the welfare of Australian animals is to keep them in Australia.

It is time to bring our meat processing fully onshore.

Let us turn a bad thing into a good thing.

Let us stop exporting cattle and start processing them here in Australia and value adding.

Let us turn a basic product into a premium, value added one.

Let us do that not only because it makes absolute economic sense but because it is the right thing to do.

I do not agree with those assessments that say a ban on live exports will put cattle producers out of business.

I do not believe that for one moment.

Just think about the opportunities that fully onshore meat processing presents for jobs—it means more jobs in regional communities and regional areas.

It will mean more money staying in the local economy rather than going offshore.

New Zealand has been able to do this.

There will be a big expansion in our chilled and frozen meat exports, which could open up new markets overseas.

It will mean that Australians can be satisfied that our animals are treated humanely when they are slaughtered here in Australia.

Just last weekend Minister Emerson—we saw reports of this in the Australian newspaper—was talking about the fantastic opportunities we have as a nation to become the world's food bowl, particularly in terms of the demand for meat.

He spoke about the increasing demand for beef and lamb in China and other countries where the middle class is rapidly expanding and the appetite for animal protein also continues to increase rapidly.

The time is right to make this transition—it is up to us to seize the opportunity with both hands.

The message from my electorate and the wider community is crystal clear: end live exports now.

Vets Against Live Export

WSPA was pleased to hear recently of a new Veterinary organisation forming here in Australia. VALE (Vets Against Live Export) is a recently formed organisation focusing on the need to phase out export of live animals for slaughter.

Spokesperson Dr Sue Foster says VALE counts among its members and advisors two professors of animal welfare in Australian veterinary schools and an on-ship veterinarian with first-hand experience of the live trade.

Dr Foster said “VALE’s aim is to lead the transition away from live export by giving the public and government a balanced and objective scientific view of animal welfare and regulation of the industry. Our members have direct experience of the willingness of exporters to hide the truth about poor animal welfare and will be seeking to expose this to the public.”

Dr Foster hopes that the Australian Veterinary Association will support VALE’s goal of phasing out the live export trade and assisting with the transition back to a localised slaughter industry with export of refrigerated meat, which would benefit many more Australians through the creation of regional jobs.

“It has repeatedly been demonstrated that the trade is very risky and unreliable. More needs to be done to ensure the long term viability of Australia’s livestock industries, and the AVA should support that notion,” she said.

We look forward to seeing what’s to come from VALE. For more information, please visit their website at www.vale.org.au

WSPA Concerned About Latest Cruelty Footage from Indonesia

WSPA is extremely concerned about the cruelty footage from last night’s Lateline, as supplied by Animals Australia.

The Federal Government’s new supply chain process and sanctions are now being tested for the first time. There is a high level of public focus and interest. Assuming that the animals depicted last night were indeed sourced recently from Australia, WSPA hopes that firm sanctions against a proven offender reinforce the Government’s stated determination to stamp out animal cruelty not just in Indonesia, but for all Australian live exported animals.

WSPA is concerned that monitoring has not identified this incident, and that animal welfare advocates have exposed this once again. Further, we believe the phase out of the live animal trade and more domestic processing for the growing international market in meat will in fact improve the economics of the entire livestock industry.

WSPA has been working for some time on domestic processing options for cattle and sheep, including on an Australian-based meat processing facility that meets Australian laws, codes and regulations. This option would reduce cruelty and create additional jobs in Northern Australia.

Supporters can help by asking the Government to support the alternatives to the live trade. You can write a letter to your local MP via our website: http://humanechain.org or write to your local newspaper or call your local radio station to get the message out there that Australians will not stand for this cruelty and want to see an end to the live export trade.

Cruelty at Hawkesbury Abattoir

We’ve recently received a number of questions from supporters regarding the footage from the Hawkesbury abattoir in NSW that was recently exposed by Animal Liberation NSW:

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/cruelty-video-rogue-abattoir-checked-four-times-in-a-year-20120210-1saat.html (Warning: article contains a video featuring graphic content)

WSPA believes that the cruelty seen at the Hawkesbury abattoir was abhorrent. The brutality that was displayed is neither legal nor acceptable here in Australia.

In Australia there are laws protecting animals, which is why WSPA believes that animals should be processed in this country. However, we only advocate for domestic processing of animals where the abattoir pre-stuns animals and meets all relevant codes, acts, regulations and laws, and where the abattoir operations are closely monitored by the relevant authorities.

WSPA has campaigned against the live export of animals for a number of years. Live export is an inherently cruel practice and WSPA is searching for the most humane solution. We believe that where onshore processing follows the necessary protocols, including pre-stunning animals, this is best for the animals and best for the Australian economy too.

The Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU) which has worked with us on the campaign to end live animal export, has also strongly condemned the actions of this abattoir.

Any additional questions regarding live animal export can be sent to humanechain@wspa.org.au

LIVE EXPORT CANDIDATE SPEAKS ABOUT UPCOMING ELECTION

This weekend, a by-election is being held in Port Adelaide for the seat of South Australian Treasurer. Colin Thomas (pictured below) is running for this seat as an Independent candidate on a “Ban Live Export” platform.

WSPA’s Campaign Officer Sharon Baldwin recently discussed with Mr Thomas about his campaign and why live animal export is such an important issue to voters.



WSPA: Can you tell us a little more about your background?

COLIN THOMAS: As a former Greens member, I established and convened the first ever South Australian Greens group dedicated to tackling animal protection issues. Since early 2009 I have been a central figure in organising protests and fronting the media in efforts to ban the cruel sport of jumps racing in South Australia. I am vegetarian, a lover of nature, passionate about protecting and preserving the planet we live on, and I am running as an Independent (Ban Live Animal Exports) candidate in the Port Adelaide by-election on February 11. I live at Largs Bay in Adelaide with my partner and five month old twins.

WSPA: Why is live animal export such an important issue to people in Port Adelaide?

COLIN THOMAS: Given the widespread coverage last year of the sadistic and cruel practices in many Indonesian abattoirs, the issue of live animal exports was still fresh in the minds of many Australians when again it was brought to people's attention here at Port Adelaide. More than 100 concerned citizens held spirited and vocal protests over several days, angry at the suffering of thousands of sheep on board a broken down ship that was bound for the Middle East. Port Adelaide is one of the central exit points for sheep exports destined for that part of the world.

WSPA: What do you hope to achieve if elected?

THOMAS: By securing as many votes as possible, and taking votes away from the major parties in the process, I hope to send a clear and unambiguous message that everyday citizens have had enough of the unnecessary cruelty of live animal exports, whether that is cattle to Indonesia, sheep to the Middle East or any other form of live animal export. The opportunity to raise the profile of the live animal exports issue again was too good to miss.

WSPA: How can interested supporters in Adelaide help with your election?

COLIN THOMAS: With this in mind, I am seeking volunteers for an hour or two to help give out “How to Vote” cards on polling day, Saturday February 11. Post-election evaluations of previous state and federal elections have always pointed to a better result for any candidate the more polling booths they cover on polling day. Please contact me at trufflesgonewild@hotmail.com if you would like to help out on the day.


Please note this interview is posted for informational purposes only. WSPA does not endorse any particular political candidates, and the views expressed here by Mr Thomas are his own.

Minister flies out to shore up new live export rules

As reported in today's article from Sydney Morning Herald, Minister for Agriculture, Joe Ludwig, is traveling this week to the Middle East to discuss animal welfare standards with regards to live exports.

The trip comes following the Minister’s imposed deadline of 1 March to enact new animal welfare guidelines and “supply chain assurances.”

Live export companies have been crying out against these new guidelines, predicting that the new framework will result in decreased shipments for 2012. A recent article in Meat Trade News daily even wondered if this could be signaling a dismal future for the industry, asking “Are live exports coming to an end?”



The fact is, demand for live exports is rapidly decreasing, and Australians have come to realise the impact that this inhumane practice has on animals. While WSPA salutes Minister Ludwig’s efforts towards animal welfare, we question the time and effort being spent on so-called improvements that the industry is not getting behind.

The Minister could instead focus on supporting our processing sector in Australia, which supports manufacturing jobs in rural and regional areas. The economic advantages are irrefutable - a sheep processed in Australia is worth 20% more than one processed overseas.

Thousands of sheep die each year on board live export vessels from starvation and disease. We are killing animals and leaking money. The Minister needs to re-focus on the chilled meat trade, which is better for Australia and better for the sheep and cattle.