Ag Minister backs animal welfare panel after Lib attack

WA Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan has defended the panel she appointed to review the State’s animal welfare laws in the wake of it being criticised as “tilted against live exports”.

Ms MacTiernan threw her support behind the independent five-member panel, after State shadow agriculture minister Jim Chown savaged it in the Legislative Council on Wednesday last week.

Mr Chown said the panel, chaired by barrister Linda Black to review the effectiveness of the Animal Welfare Act 2002, had “no balance”.

Mr Chown raised concerns about panellist Di Evans and said the veterinarian co-founded animal welfare group Vets Against Live Export.

“Linda Black, who is the chair, is a prosecutor for the chief inspector of the RSPCA,” he said.

“That is fine, the minister can have someone like that chairing the panel, but there is no balance to offset her opinions.

“Even more alarmingly, Dr Di Evans was the co-founder of Vets Against Live Export. She initiated VALE.

“The minister’s panel is tilted against live exports.”

Mr Chown referenced veterinary animal welfare website Sentient which outlines Dr Evans’ involvement with VALE.

The website wrote Dr Evans “co-founded Vets Against Live Export but was unable to declare this publicly as she was working for the WA Department of Agriculture and Food”.

The other panellists appointed by Ms MacTiernan last May include veterinarian David Marshall, University of WA researcher Dominique Blache and former Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association boss Catherine Marriott.

Responding to questions from Countryman after Mr Chown’s comments, Ms MacTiernan defended the panel and said it was not “involved in developing or reviewing live export rules”.

“The Animal Welfare Act review panel is very intentionally not a stakeholder group,” she said.

“There are no members of the RSPCA or Animals Australia — equally, there are no members from WAFarmers or the Pastoralists and Graziers Association.

“We did want to ensure there was an understanding of livestock industry perspective on the panel, which is why Catherine Marriott was selected: she brings deep knowledge of the agricultural and pastoral industries to the table.

“The panel is not reviewing specific standards around practices like live export — it is tasked with reviewing our animal welfare framework with the aim of modernising our animal welfare laws.”

The panel is expected to report to the State Government in May.