Opinion: Time for Mark McGowan and Jackie Jarvis to step up for live export

While in Esperance recently, I met with Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt’s expert panel, who have been appointed to oversee the transition for WA farmers and producers when Labor bans the live sheep trade.

I was afforded an opportunity to express my views on the matter, but this was something many West Australians impacted by Labor’s decision to decimate the trade were not able to do.

Missing from these town hall meetings, and the broader debate in general, is Premier Mark McGowan and his Agriculture Minister, Jackie Jarvis.

The Minister used the old excuse of a full calendar so she wouldn’t get caught in the sights of a distressed audience, but appointments can be changed, and meetings can be rescheduled.

Apparently supporting and backing those people who are closely tied to her primary portfolio wasn’t important enough.

If the Minister and the Premier are to be believed they support the live export trade, then they should have turned up.

It would have been welcomed for the two leaders in the Labor Government, who publicly support live export, to have listened to the people this ban is affecting and whose livelihoods are at risk.

If this was a town hall meeting about GST going to the east, my guess is Mark McGowan would have been there in a breath.

And so he should — the income from the GST to WA is critical to WA’s prosperity.

It would be nice if the two people from the Labor Government who have publicly supported live export, back up their statements and turn up.

If they repeatedly deflect to the Federal Minister every time it is brought up, their credibility will be even further diminished.

What is more concerning is the reality that the live export of sheep is not the only trade at risk here.

The cattle industry in WA relies on sheep exports to ship out of Fremantle, with these vessels often supplemented with cattle.

Banning live sheep exports will inadvertently impact the cattle export industry, which the Federal Minister so passionately supports.

My worry is that the cattle industry will be the next target of the activists and, via extension, the Federal Government.

If animal welfare is the source of the decision to ban live export, then clearly the Federal Minister did not have the right information at hand when he made this announcement.

The live export trade accepted the changes required of the industry in 2018, and everyone in the sector has committed to continue enhancing what is a world-leading high standard of animal welfare.

Sustaining our sheep flock between 13 to 14 million sheep is critical to the longevity of essential parts of the supply chain.

Anything below this will see a slow demise of the sector, with at least 3500 jobs lost in the live export market alone.

And now the WA Government are throwing in $22.2 million to support the introduction of electronic tags for sheep, while at the same time ignoring the looming crisis for the WA sheep industry overseeing the demise of the critical mass of the Merino flock.

We don’t have nearly enough abattoir space for the stock which would normally go on ships.

Currently sheep are being trucked for four days to the eastern states to be killed for boxed meat, which is what the politicians and activists think is the resolution of all these problems.

Four days standing on a truck does not equate to best practice animal welfare.

The basis for Labor’s ban is not based on science or the real world.

The reality is farmers are looking at their businesses wondering where the excess stock will go.

The reality is trucking companies, who invested heavily in crates, are wondering how they will make money to pay for trucks and crates they will no longer need.

The reality is pellet mills, who have millions invested to provide pellets for the export market, will now struggle to find new buyers.

There are many other areas of the supply chain which will be adversely affected.

The domino effect of this decision is vast and is causing extreme anxiety in many corners of this sector.

Rather than sending a panel to do his dirty work, the Federal Minister needs to face up and talk to the communities, the businesses, and the families he will be decimating.

If he can’t, then he should reconsider his position.

Peter Rundle is the Roe MLA and Deputy Leader of the WA Nationals