Keep the Sheep movement gave farmers ‘purpose and power’ during a difficult time in agriculture’s history

It didn’t change the election result — but Australia’s Keep the Sheep movement delivered a powerful warning to governments: if you target agriculture, expect a fight. Australian Livestock Exporters Association chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said the campaign, a grassroots movement led by farmers and the nation’s live sheep export industry, had served to “give people a voice” at a time they felt powerless. “It was a line-in-the-sand moment,” Mr Harvey-Sutton said. “Agriculture has never done anything like this before. “The message to government is clear — if you put us in the firing line, we will come for you.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shocked the agriculture sector when he unveiled plans and the Federal Labor Government passed legislation to ban live sheep exports from May 1, 2028 — with WA set to be the most affected by the plan. More than 300 volunteers handed out information at booths across WA on Federal election day on May 3, and the campaign became one of the most vocal efforts ever mounted by the farming sector, with a $1.5 million industry-funded war chest at its disposal. A petition urging the Federal Government to reverse the ban attracted more than 120,000 signatures, with Keep the Sheep campaigners hoping to unseat the Labor Government after the Liberal-Coalition announced it would reverse the plan. While the campaign didn’t stop Labor’s return to power or its policy to phase out live sheep exports, Mr Harvey-Sutton said the real victory was unity and visibility — giving people purpose and power. Mr Harvey-Sutton addressed attendees at the Livestock and Rural Transport Association of WA conference in Perth on August 23. “It gave people a voice and a way to act. I don’t think the election result takes away from the success of the campaign at all,” he said. He also pushed back at critics within the industry who feared damaging political relationships by taking too strong a stance. Mr Harvey-Sutton hailed Agriculture Minister Julie Collins’ visit to an Indonesian cattle feedlot as a sign of respect for the live export industry — even after it “went to war” with the Federal Government over the ban. “There’s been a lot of hand-wringing, a reluctance to tackle this head-on,” he said. “But if you’re not willing to stand against something that’s wrong, are you really doing your job? “If you do your job professionally, you can still work together (with governments) — even after going to war.” Looking ahead, he said the campaign had lit a fire under the industry and proven its political potential. “This was a lesson. We’re stronger, louder, and more organised now,” he said.