Live export: Agricultural minister Jackie Jarvis pushes for extended shut-down of WA’s live sheep trade

Jackie Jarvis has pushed for a minimum five-year phase out of WA’s live sheep trade during a final-hour meeting with the panel tasked with advising Federal Labor on how and when to shut down the industry. The four-person consultation panel flew to Perth on Monday for its last round of face-to-face meetings with cross-sector stakeholders, including the WA Agriculture Minister. In an exclusive sit-down interview ahead of the Tuesday night meeting, Ms Jarvis told Countryman she would raise issues flagged in the WA Government’s recent 16-page written submission to the panel. “It’s just a chance for me, in person, to reiterate to them the impact in WA that (shutting down the trade) is going have on the regional economies and regional communities,” she said. “Yes, I’m frustrated by the fact that the Federal Government took this policy to the election, but it is what it is.” COUNTING THE COST The Cook Government’s submission warned Federal Labor’s plan to ban the trade would cost WA’s agriculture industry $123 million a year and put nearly 400 people out of work. It also flagged the need to compensate farmers, and demanded a “long transition” without specifying an exact time-frame. “They (the Albanese Government) have said publicly it won’t be until after the 2025 election… but I would be saying I certainly wouldn’t want it to be in 2025,” Ms Jarvis said. “There needs to be sufficient time… a minimum of five years from the announcement of the policy. “At the end of the day, I don’t know what the panel will recommend to the Minister, but I certainly know industry are pushing for a longer phase-out.” The panel will hand down its final report to Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt on September 30 after engaging with more than 2300 people at town hall forums across WA. More than 80 meetings with stakeholder groups were also held, and more than 3300 survey responses and 800 written submissions received. The Opposition has described the Cook Government’s submission to the panel as proof it has given up putting pressure on Federal Labor to ditch the policy. But Ms Jarvis said this was false, adding that she “regularly” discussed the issue with Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, who was “well aware” of her position. “The Opposition stood up in Parliament in March and moved a motion congratulating me and the Premier for our support for live exports, so back in March, they were singing my praises,” she said. “They’re trying to get political mileage out of the fact that we’ve submitted a report to this phase-out panel, but let’s be clear: the panel was created specifically to look at how a phase-out might be possible. “I haven’t given up the fight, I’m still backing the industry, but the reality is I’m not above Federal law and the State does not manage export control. “That is managed at a Federal level, so the idea that we could just put our head in the sand and say ‘we’re not going to ask for any transition funding’, or ‘we’re not going to put a submission in’, is just ridiculous.” FEDERAL BACK-FLIP UNLIKELY Ms Jarvis played down any suggestion the Albanese Government could be pressured into a back-flip, noting the phase-out was part of Labor’s policy platform at last year’s Federal election. It comes after a trio of State and Federal Liberal MP’s wrote a letter to Premier Roger Cook last week renewing calls for him to take the fight to Canberra. “Our collective stance remains that this phase out is unnecessary,” the letter — signed by O’Connor MP Rick Wilson, Agriculture Region MLC Steve Martin and Senator Slade Brockman — stated. “We implore you to exercise your authority as WA Premier during any discussions around the proposed ‘phase-out’ of live sheep export by sea at this week’s Labor Party National Conference.” Ms Jarvis dismissed the letter outright, saying it “reeked of a political stunt”. “I’m sure the Liberal Party wouldn’t accept letters from our State Labor MPs suggesting what they should bring up at their national policy platforms,” she said. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry refused to name which groups the panel was meeting with during this week’s visit. A DAFF spokesman said only that they included “representatives from a diverse range of sectors including farming, export, animal welfare, and government”. “While the public consultation phase is complete, the panel is taking the opportunity to have some additional meetings to help it reflect further on information provided through the consultation process,” he told Countryman. “The panel are not planning additional visits to WA or other States to conduct consultation meetings.” INDUSTRY REACTS Countryman can confirm the WA Livestock Exporters Association was among the groups who met with the panel, along with the Pastoralists and Graziers Association, WAFarmers, and the Stud Merino Breeders’ Association of WA. WALEA chair John Cunnington said he appreciated receiving “plenty of notice” after the group was snubbed when Senator Watt met with industry stakeholders in Perth last month. “They wanted to talk about future opportunities… and our thoughts on implementation arrangements, and any existing programs we think could support the transition,” Mr Cunnington said. PGA president Tony Seabrook said the best recommendation the panel could make was for a “very, very extended shutdown”. “Enough for people in the supply chain to be prepared to invest short term capital to underpin what we do,” he said. “But if it’s eight months or 12 months, or whatever, no one’s going to invest any money; it will just keep on withering.” WAFarmers chief executive Trevor Whittington said the panel sought feedback on several proposals, including increasing processing and market opportunities; supporting individuals, businesses and regional communities; and financial support for those affected by the phase-out. “We put forward the standard, collective industry response that we don’t believe there’s any need for it to be phased out,” Mr Whittington said. “Over and above that, our big point was that we need a market for these sheep, and there is no alternative market at the moment. “If the government could find us a market, then we’d have something to discuss, but without a market, live exports is the only solution.”