Anthony Albanese responds to critics after live export joke goes down like a lead balloon

Anthony Albanese was trying to “reinforce the importance of the Australian beef industry” when he joked about killing off the live export trade in a room full of farmers, the Prime Minister’s office has claimed. The off-the-cuff comments, made during an otherwise scripted speech at the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Awards at Parliament House on Tuesday, have sparked widespread outrage as calls mount for Mr Albanese to apologise. The awkward moment came as the PM shared an anecdote about having dined earlier that evening with Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto. “One of the things that we talked about was agriculture, the importance of that we have in this country of not just providing food security for us, but we are the envy of the world for the natural assets that we have, for the space that we have, which is why, when we had dinner — beautiful Australian beef, not the live export, we made sure it was dead,” he said. The quip went down like a lead balloon, with a slew of farming leaders and Opposition MPs quick to call out Mr Albanese. Among them was Liberal MLC Steve Martin, who accused the PM of “dancing on the live export industry’s grave”. “The Prime Minister celebrating the death of a key WA agricultural industry is an insult to farming families and businesses impacted by his reckless decision,” Mr Martin said. “Mr Albanese isn’t even trying to hide his contempt for WA agriculture.” A spokeswoman for Mr Albanese said he had been “trying to reinforce the importance of the Australian beef industry”. “Exports of beef to Indonesia hit a record high in 2022-23,” she said. “The Government fulfilled an election promise on the live sheep export ban and has offered an adjustment package. “We will continue to discuss this with the industry and the WA Government.” Nationals leader David Littleproud called the PM’s remark “flippant” and urged Mr Albanese to admit he had “stuffed up”, rather than “trying to put some political spin on it”. “In that room were people from WA, the live sheep export (industry), but also in that room were people from the Northern Territory and Queensland who currently have a case against the Federal Government — the former Labor Government — for banning live cattle exports into Indonesia,” Mr Littleproud told Canberra’s 2CC radio on Tuesday. He was referring to the Julia Gillard-led Government’s 2011 snap ban on Australian cattle exports to Indonesia, which was imposed after footage was leaked of cattle being mistreated in Indonesian abattoirs. The ban, which lasted six months, was later found to be unlawful and sparked an ongoing class action that could cost the Commonwealth billions of dollars in compensation. WA Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash said Mr Albanese’s joke was “in extremely poor taste”. “This Prime Minister pretends he supports WA but is happy to make our farmers the butt of his jokes. What a disgrace,’’ she said. “This should be all the proof West Australians need to realise the Prime Minister holds them in contempt.” WA farming groups that were in Canberra for a series of meetings on live exports and the “Keep the Sheep” campaign were furious. “It just displayed huge lack of empathy and it was poorly timed and placed,” WAFarmers president John Hassell said. “Making a mockery of agriculture shows the contempt with which Albanese holds agriculture.” Woottating-based producer Steve Meerwald, who owns Butt Farms The Lakes in the Wheatbelt, likened it to something Donald Trump would say. “He put the knife into what is a sensitive issue for regional communities,” Mr Meerwald said. “It was poorly received by the room, as it has likely been received more generally across regional Australia. At the very least he should apologise.” As former managing director at live export company Wellard Group, Mr Meerwald knows the industry intimately after serving nearly three decades with the firm. He said his self-sufficient sheep meat operation about 60km east of Perth had been heavily impacted by the phasing out of live exports over recent years, poor prices and the dry season. Brendon Simpson, who owns Valley Hampshire Down Stud in Bindoon, said the joke illustrated the Federal Government’s “sad approach” to livestock industry concerns. “My family and I have been in the sheep industry for a while. I’m proud to be part of the sheep industry,” he said. “It’s more than a livelihood for us … it’s a passion. The sheep industry has been the centre of so many regional towns for decades upon decades. “I hope for all of our sakes it can remain for the generations to come.” WA Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis refused to be drawn on the issue, saying only the State Government would continue to back farmers.