❓ Mr. Rundle questions the Premier's advocacy regarding the federal government's live sheep export phase-out, suggesting a lack of support for the WA sheep and wool industry. The Premier defends his government's actions and commitment to WA farmers.
AnsweredQoN 477Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LIVE EXPORT — FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POLICY
477. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer to yesterday's
statement by the Minister for Agriculture and Food in relation to the WA
government's submission to the independent panel consulting on the
phase-out of live sheep exports by sea, in which she stated, in part, the
following, according to the uncorrected Hansard —
In the absence of increased support
to the processing capacity and development of export markets for meat and wool,
the size of the WA sheep flock may drastically reduce �
�
This will have a devastating impact
on the broader WA merino wool industry.
(1) Will the
Premier now admit that his government's lack of advocacy is putting the
supply chain and the merino sheep industry in jeopardy?
(2) The Premier
said this morning on 6PR that the Prime Minister is the boss and that he always
does what the PM wants him to do; has the PM instructed the Premier to not
stand in the way and to allow him to shut the industry down?
477. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer to yesterday's
statement by the Minister for Agriculture and Food in relation to the WA
government's submission to the independent panel consulting on the
phase-out of live sheep exports by sea, in which she stated, in part, the
following, according to the uncorrected Hansard —
In the absence of increased support
to the processing capacity and development of export markets for meat and wool,
the size of the WA sheep flock may drastically reduce �
�
This will have a devastating impact
on the broader WA merino wool industry.
(1) Will the
Premier now admit that his government's lack of advocacy is putting the
supply chain and the merino sheep industry in jeopardy?
(2) The Premier
said this morning on 6PR that the Prime Minister is the boss and that he always
does what the PM wants him to do; has the PM instructed the Premier to not
stand in the way and to allow him to shut the industry down?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) The
member for Roe references advocacy by the Minister for Agriculture and Food as
a preamble to his question about the lack of advocacy!
Mr P.J. Rundle :
What have you done?
The SPEAKER :
Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : He seems a little
bit confused by this. Basically, he uses the statements and the advocacy of the
Minister for Agriculture and Food—her strong advocacy for the industry—to
inform his question about the lack of advocacy!
Mr P.J. Rundle : Her
advocacy?
The SPEAKER : Just a moment,
Premier. Member for Roe, you will get the opportunity to ask a supplementary if
you do not continually interject.
Mr R.H. COOK : We have made
it clear to the public and to the federal government that we believe the
measures we have in place are sufficient to protect the welfare of animals
involved in live sheep export and that we have taken the appropriate steps to
protect that industry, and we have been advocating for that industry. The
details the member just quoted were from the Minister for Agriculture and Food,
who was quoting our submission to the inquiry with regard to live sheep export.
I am not quite sure what he is actually trying to say; is it that we are being
too effective, or not effective enough?
We have made it very clear that we
stand by our agriculture industry on this particular issue. Our submission
makes very clear that this will deliver a $123 million blow to the WA
agriculture industry and cost almost 400 jobs across the supply chain. That is
something that we have advocated for to the federal government and we continue
to make it aware of the implications of what
it is doing. It has undertaken this inquiry because it made an election
commitment on this, and it is carrying it out. That may be something
that is foreign to the opposition when it is in government, but we in the Labor
Party keep our promises. That is why it is going through this process now. We
will continue to advocate, and I know that the Minister for Agriculture and
Food, Hon Jackie Jarvis, speaks regularly with her federal counterpart to make sure that these issues are heard and to make
sure that our concerns for Western Australian farmers are heard. We will
continue to advocate for that.
As
for my remarks in relation to 6PR, I was simply responding to a question from
6PR about whether I would declare a public holiday in the event that the
Matildas won the FIFA Women's World Cup. It is a bit of a different
topic, my friend. I said that that is a call
for the Prime Minister to make. Obviously, I can discuss that with him next
week at the national cabinet in the same forum that I will discuss the
issues impacting on WA farmers. But as I said to the media today, I will not
make a declaration like that because I do not want to jinx the Matildas. I wish
them all the very best for the quarter-final.
member for Roe references advocacy by the Minister for Agriculture and Food as
a preamble to his question about the lack of advocacy!
Mr P.J. Rundle :
What have you done?
The SPEAKER :
Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : He seems a little
bit confused by this. Basically, he uses the statements and the advocacy of the
Minister for Agriculture and Food—her strong advocacy for the industry—to
inform his question about the lack of advocacy!
Mr P.J. Rundle : Her
advocacy?
The SPEAKER : Just a moment,
Premier. Member for Roe, you will get the opportunity to ask a supplementary if
you do not continually interject.
Mr R.H. COOK : We have made
it clear to the public and to the federal government that we believe the
measures we have in place are sufficient to protect the welfare of animals
involved in live sheep export and that we have taken the appropriate steps to
protect that industry, and we have been advocating for that industry. The
details the member just quoted were from the Minister for Agriculture and Food,
who was quoting our submission to the inquiry with regard to live sheep export.
I am not quite sure what he is actually trying to say; is it that we are being
too effective, or not effective enough?
We have made it very clear that we
stand by our agriculture industry on this particular issue. Our submission
makes very clear that this will deliver a $123 million blow to the WA
agriculture industry and cost almost 400 jobs across the supply chain. That is
something that we have advocated for to the federal government and we continue
to make it aware of the implications of what
it is doing. It has undertaken this inquiry because it made an election
commitment on this, and it is carrying it out. That may be something
that is foreign to the opposition when it is in government, but we in the Labor
Party keep our promises. That is why it is going through this process now. We
will continue to advocate, and I know that the Minister for Agriculture and
Food, Hon Jackie Jarvis, speaks regularly with her federal counterpart to make sure that these issues are heard and to make
sure that our concerns for Western Australian farmers are heard. We will
continue to advocate for that.
As
for my remarks in relation to 6PR, I was simply responding to a question from
6PR about whether I would declare a public holiday in the event that the
Matildas won the FIFA Women's World Cup. It is a bit of a different
topic, my friend. I said that that is a call
for the Prime Minister to make. Obviously, I can discuss that with him next
week at the national cabinet in the same forum that I will discuss the
issues impacting on WA farmers. But as I said to the media today, I will not
make a declaration like that because I do not want to jinx the Matildas. I wish
them all the very best for the quarter-final.
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