Parliamentary report backs death of live sheep by sea trade

The Agriculture Committee House of Representatives Standing Committee Inquiry, chaired by Labor MP for Paterson Meryl Swanson, also recommended that the government only "consider" making additional funding available to support the transition, "potentially through the 2026 stocktake of industry progress".

Australian Livestock Exporters Council deputy chief executive Scott Kompo-Harms labelled the exercise "Labor's bad faith sham inquiry" and called for an Upper House investigation into the legislation.

"This whole farce of an inquiry has been unjust. The Senate is the parliamentary mechanism designed to keep the government of the day honest and protect the rights of states," he said.

"Farmers urgently need the Senate to do what the government won't- stand up for fairness and good governance. We appeal to all Senators to scrutinise this bad bill and ultimately throw it in the bin where it belongs."

Meanwhile, the Albanese government has come under fire from industry stakeholders since unveiling its industry transition package on May 11 with stakeholders saying the $107 million on offer was not enough.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the $107m will be spent over five years and includes $64.6m to assist all impacted parts of the sheep industry supply chain, from farmers, to truckies and shearers, prepare business plans "for their adjustment away" from the trade.

The only other recommendation of the inquiry was that the government "seek opportunities" to work with the Roger Cook-led Western Australian Labor Government to "refine and implement the transition support package".

Other Labor committee members of the nine-person panel were Matt Burnell (Spence in SA), Mike Freelander (Macarthur, NSW), Brian Mitchell (Labor, Tasmania) and Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, WA).

The only other WA-based member was deputy chair Rick Wilson (Liberal).

The Independent member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie, who has previously introduced a private members bill into Parliament seeking to end long-haul live sheep exports, was also on the committee, along with Casey MP and Liberal Aaron Violi and National member for Dawson in Queensland Andrew Wilcox.

Industry were quick to label the

Ms Swanson said the bill fulfilled Labor's election promises to end the trade, "while providing time and money for the orderly transition of industry to new avenues of production and trade".

She also dismissed the strong opposition of sections of industry and local WA communities to the ban.

"The time has come to transition away from this trade. Like all transitions, it will not be without pain, but the outcome will provide industry with long-term certainty in line with community expectations," she said.

Coalition MPs said in a dissenting report that the industry had cleaned up its image and had extensive animal welfare practices in place.

"Any transition package proposed in this bill will be rejected by WA farmers and industry supply chain participants who believe the live sheep export industry is not only viable, but a growing industry," the report said.

"The live sheep export trade by sea is a rebounding and growing trade that government chooses to deny at the peril of Australia's reputation as a valued and reliable trading partner."

Meanwhile, industry stakeholders continued their push back on the ban of live sheep exports by sea in a heated inquiry hearing in Canberra and another in Muresk, WA. The committee also received hundreds of submissions, many were from participants from along the agricultural supply chain and animal activists who chose to submit their documents anonymously.

The need for more sheep feedlots and processors in WA, a shortage of veterinarians to support changes in the WA sheepmeat industry, the size of the $107 million transition support package and the role of animal welfare groups in the development of the policy were just some of the topics touched upon in the Canberra hearing.

Cash for cruelty accusations against extreme animal rights lobbyists also flared up.

Meanwhile, acting National Farmers Federation chief executive Charlie Thomas labelled the inquiry process a "hoax".

"This ban is already causing real pain and suffering, and it will lead to a lot more," he said.

"To rubber stamp the suffering this ban will cause with just two public hearings and four business days for submissions is shocking.

"This report is nothing but a political hit and run on the hard-working people whose livelihoods are at stake."

The NFF is now urgently calling on the Government to make good on its commitment to a Senate Inquiry.

"We had a commitment from Minister Watt in Senate Estimates that he would back a comprehensive Senate Inquiry to unpack the merits of this policy. It's time to make good on that," Mr Thomas said.

"This is clearly an incredibly complex and contested issue with a lot to unpack. We call on all Senators to urgently refer this to a Committee so that scrutiny can get underway."