Farmers called to support potential campaign to flip Federal Labor seats over live sheep export phase-out

Agricultural leaders say WA farmers can make a “monumental difference” in the fight to keep Australia’s live sheep export trade as the idea of a multi-million dollar fighting fund continues to simmer away. The proposed fighting fund, planned to be financed through the farming industry, would aid a campaign targeting marginal Federal Labor seats across the State in a bid to prevent the Albanese Government’s plan to phase out sheep export. The targeted seats include Tangney, Hasluck, Swan, Curtin and Pearce. Both WAFarmers and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA have confirmed neither of the organisations can take part in the proposed campaign because they must be apolitical entities. Despite the constraints, PGA president Tony Seabrook said he was assessing the agricultural community’s willingness to put together a fighting fund and spearhead the campaign. Mr Seabrook said the farming industry had the capacity to raise more than $6m if everyone, including sheep, grain and cattle farmers, chipped in. “The potential exists to create a fund that could make a massive, monumental difference to the way that agriculture is protected,” he said. “The big question is, do producers have the stomach for it? Are they prepared to dig in and fund their defence?” Mr Seabrook said he was disappointed the PGA could not take an active role in the campaign, especially when faced by an “indifferent” Federal Government. “I’m frustrated by it because this Government is doing us a staggering amount of harm,” he said. “In the two terms of the Labor Government with McGowan and now Cook, I have had one half-hour meeting with McGowan about four years ago. “This industry we are proud to be a part of deserves better than that .... Our Premiers have so little interest in this incredible industry that they’ve never reached out once and asked to meet with us.” WAFarmers president John Hassell echoed Mr Seabrook’s frustrations and said WAFarmers would continue to pursue other ways to save the industry. “We’ve got to find a way of fighting (the live sheep export phase-out) which fits in our constitution,” he said. “We simply cannot afford not to be fighting this because the reality is, if we allow ourselves to get pushed around by the emotional activists on something like live trade, then every other part of our industry is going to be up for grabs by the activists.” In previous reporting on the proposed fighting fund, O’Connor MP Rick Wilson said the PGA and WAFarmers were “a formidable front to fight this Government’s war on farmers”. Mr Wilson said Australians farmers were being “unjustly persecuted” by the Government by policies including the live sheep export phase-out. “(Their) only crime is to feed and clothe our great nation and export specialist products like live sheep to nations that cannot produce their own,” he said. “I believe Australians appreciate where their food comes from and will support this campaign, driven by passionate farmers who are fighting for the future of Australian agriculture and the sustainability of our regional communities.”