Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports Amendment (Animal Welfare) Bill 2023

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree with the main idea of the bill. In parliamentary jargon, they voted to read the bill for a second time.

What does the bill do?

According to the bills digest:

• The Bill renames the Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports Act 2019 as the Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Exports Act 2019. The title of the Inspector-General is similarly renamed.
• The Inspector-General’s functions are expanded to include the conduct of reviews of, amongst other things, the performance of functions, or exercise of powers by livestock export officials under live animal export legislation and standards. The objects of the Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Exports Act are amended to reflect the new functions.
• The Bill expressly states that the Inspector-General is independent and has complete discretion in the performance of their functions and the exercise of their powers.
• In acknowledgement of the expanded functions, the Bill provides for officers and employees of the Commonwealth public service to assist the Inspector-General and for consultants to be engaged.
• The Bill requires the Inspector-General to prepare and publish an annual work plan for each financial year.
• Animal protection organisations have raised concerns in relation to the scope of the Inspector-General’s functions and have called for the expansion of the role to include oversight of animal welfare standards in all Commonwealth-regulated fields. Industry bodies support the Bill’s restriction of oversight to animal welfare in the context of live export.