Live export ban: Jackie Jarvis jets to Canberra to plead WA farmers’ case

Jackie Jarvis has flown to Canberra in a last-ditch bid to convince her own party to bin its proposed sheep shipping ban, with the WA Agriculture Minister vowing to “continue fighting” for the State’s farmers. Ms Jarvis will meet with her Federal counterpart Murray Watt on Thursday “to make sure the concerns of our farmers are being heard”. But with a Bill to end the trade already before the Parliament, she will also hold talks with Transport Minister Catherine King to negotiate a better deal for WA if the legislation passes the Senate. The Bill was set to be voted on in the Lower House, where Labor has the numbers to pass it, as Countryman went to print on Tuesday. “As we’ve always said, the Cook Government does not support the passage of the (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill,” Ms Jarvis told Countryman. “If it does proceed, there must be adequate assistance to support our sheep industry to transition.” It comes after Ms Jarvis unleashed on the Albanese Government’s policy in a three-page written submission to a parliamentary inquiry probing the Bill. In the submission, the South West MLC took aim at Federal Labor’s claims WA’s live sheep trade could be replaced with more onshore processing and boxed meat exports. Air freight of agricultural produce from WA into international markets was “only financially viable” in the cargo hold of a passenger plane, Ms Jarvis argued, noting chilled meat products already competed for space with other high-value products like rock lobster and avocado. “Industry has been loud and clear that if the live export relief valve is turned off, there needs to be increased air freight options to get chilled sheep meat products to overseas markets,” she told Countryman this week. “We need to transform Perth Airport into an export hub rivalling our Eastern States neighbours.” WA is the only State to have not returned its flight numbers to pre-COVID levels, and there are now fewer stopping in transit hubs in the Middle East and South-East Asia, according to the Federal Transport Department. Federal Labor’s recent decision to reject Qatar Airways’ request to increase flights into Australia was widely condemned as a lost opportunity to boost sheepmeat exports from WA. “I am urging the Federal Government to help us secure more flights into Western Australia to transport our agricultural produce across global markets,” Ms Jarvis said. “We will always do what is right by WA and I will keep advocating for our hardworking farmers.” The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture carried out the hastily convened inquiry into the Bill and handed down its report on Friday. Ms Jarvis noted the Bill made specific mention of increasing sheepmeat exports to Middle East and north African markets. “Allowing any airline with a desire to increase passenger flights from Perth into these markets will have more impact than funding additional in-country market building activities,” her submission stated. “There is little point in allocating over $27 million in building new international markets if the WA sheep industry cannot be supported to build the infrastructure it needs to supply those markets or has limited freight options to get to those markets.” In a statement, Senator Watt said he planned to discuss his Government’s $107 million transition package for the WA sheep industry when he meets with Ms Jarvis. Ms Jarvis previously said the package was inadequate.