Live Animal Exports

The majority voted against a motion to suspend the usual procedural rules, known as standing orders, in order to let another vote take pace. It was introduced by Clark MP Andrew Wilkie (Independent).

Motion text

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Clark from moving the following motion—That the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) approximately 15,000 sheep and cattle onboard the MV Bahijah have endured inhumane conditions at sea for more than 30 days since being loaded in Fremantle for export to Jordan;

(b) the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has rejected an application to re-export the livestock for what would have been another month or more at sea;

(c) the Department is now waiting on the private exporter to decide how to proceed, resulting in uncertainty and the prolonged suffering of these animals; and

(d) the longer the animals remain on board the greater the risk of illness, disease and death; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) intervene immediately to ensure the welfare of the livestock on the MV Bahijah by bringing the animals onshore and into quarantine;

(b) suspend all live animal exports through the Red Sea until the current conflict in the region is over and the risk to crew and animals subsides; and

(c) finally commit to a timeline for the phase out of live sheep exports and legislate an end date immediately.