❓ Question criticises the Premier regarding the federal government's live sheep export ban and perceived disregard for WA farmers. The Premier defends their advocacy for WA farmers and highlights the growth of the local meat processing industry.
AnsweredQoN 556Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LIVE EXPORT — FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POLICY
556. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
Before I ask my question of the Premier, I would
like to congratulate Mathew Bates for his appointment as Clerk of the
Parliament and also Liz Kerr for her confirmation as Deputy Clerk and wish them
all the best.
Premier,
today thousands of farmers, many from Western Australia, gathered in Canberra
to protest Labor's attack on the agricultural industry. Not in
40 years has a protest like this occurred. The Premier knows that the Prime Minister rubbed salt into the wound after
making a joke about our live sheep export industry being dead and now he has
failed to front the farmers protesting today. This came just a week after his
federal colleague the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,
Julie Collins, similarly failed to show up for our farmers. The Premier claims
to support our farmers. Does he stand with the Prime Minister in his blatant
disregard for our agricultural industries?
556. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
Before I ask my question of the Premier, I would
like to congratulate Mathew Bates for his appointment as Clerk of the
Parliament and also Liz Kerr for her confirmation as Deputy Clerk and wish them
all the best.
Premier,
today thousands of farmers, many from Western Australia, gathered in Canberra
to protest Labor's attack on the agricultural industry. Not in
40 years has a protest like this occurred. The Premier knows that the Prime Minister rubbed salt into the wound after
making a joke about our live sheep export industry being dead and now he has
failed to front the farmers protesting today. This came just a week after his
federal colleague the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry,
Julie Collins, similarly failed to show up for our farmers. The Premier claims
to support our farmers. Does he stand with the Prime Minister in his blatant
disregard for our agricultural industries?
AnswerView source ↗
I join the Leader of the Opposition
in congratulating our new officers of Parliament. I also take the opportunity
to congratulate all those who represented Western
Australia as part of the Australian Paralympics team. It was wonderful to see their success. We are so proud of what they do.
As I have said in this place on numerous
occasions, my government opposed the ban on live sheep exports. We made that
clear in our submissions to the government. We made that clear in our public
utterances. The Minister for Agriculture and Food and I, when talking to our
federal counterparts, made this clear on a number of occasions.
It is important that we understand
the context in which we are working today; that is, these laws have passed. As
we have always acknowledged, the Albanese government had a mandate to introduce
these laws. They have passed the Parliament. I was actually in Parliament that
week. I must say that there was not much noise coming from the member's
side of Parliament on this bill; it squeaked through with barely a murmur in
Parliament. It was almost seen as uncontroversial and sailed through Parliament
quite easily.
As I have said on a number of
occasions, we have staunchly advocated for an increase in the amount of
assistance provided to WA farmers to help them adapt to a regime that will not
be in place until May 2028. There is plenty of time to assist them to
transition to other forms of farming or to identify other supply chains that
they can be part of, such as the cold meat supply chains. We will continue to
talk to our friends in the federal government on this matter. The federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
arranged leave long ago for the time that cabinet was due to meet in Western
Australia. I do not make any judgement about her not being with the other
members of federal cabinet when they were here. For instance, I know that the
Minister for Foreign Affairs was not in town either. It is not unusual for one
or two ministers not to travel with the rest of the contingent.
Madam
Speaker, was it not great to see just about the entire federal cabinet in Western
Australia for the fourth time since
the Albanese government was elected? As the Prime Minister is fond of reminding
us, it was his twenty-third visit since being elected. That is a really
important point to make because I think our friends opposite are trying to say
that the Prime Minister is not connected with the community. I was with the
Prime Minister many times over those four days. He was swamped by adoring fans.
People were so pleased to see the Prime Minister. They know that he is a Prime
Minister who gets WA and understands the importance of this state as the engine
room of the nation's economy.
The other matter to point out is that we have obviously seen
the significant retreat of the live sheep export industry in recent years as the
industry adapts to the opportunities that come with the cold meat supply chain.
I support that. If the sheep are processed
in Western Australia, that means more Western Australian jobs, and that is what
we want . Apparently, that is what those on the other side do not want.
They just want to ship the sheep out. We want to add value and we want to add
jobs. Obviously, it is good to have the opportunity to process more sheep in
WA. For instance, in 2003 and 2004, live sheep exports to Kuwait represented 952
640 sheep. Obviously, that is a significant number. We exported only 138 537
kilograms of chilled meat—sheep or goat. Today, in 2024, it is down to
190 192 sheep that we export live. That is a significant reduction. Kuwait,
like other Middle Eastern countries, is pivoting to more of a quality,
standardised and improved product. A stonking over two million kilograms of
sheep and goat meat processed in Western Australia is now going to Kuwait. That
is a sign of how significant the chilled meat
industry as part of our agricultural industry has become. As I said, we support
that progress because that means more Western Australian jobs and higher
value products for export.
in congratulating our new officers of Parliament. I also take the opportunity
to congratulate all those who represented Western
Australia as part of the Australian Paralympics team. It was wonderful to see their success. We are so proud of what they do.
As I have said in this place on numerous
occasions, my government opposed the ban on live sheep exports. We made that
clear in our submissions to the government. We made that clear in our public
utterances. The Minister for Agriculture and Food and I, when talking to our
federal counterparts, made this clear on a number of occasions.
It is important that we understand
the context in which we are working today; that is, these laws have passed. As
we have always acknowledged, the Albanese government had a mandate to introduce
these laws. They have passed the Parliament. I was actually in Parliament that
week. I must say that there was not much noise coming from the member's
side of Parliament on this bill; it squeaked through with barely a murmur in
Parliament. It was almost seen as uncontroversial and sailed through Parliament
quite easily.
As I have said on a number of
occasions, we have staunchly advocated for an increase in the amount of
assistance provided to WA farmers to help them adapt to a regime that will not
be in place until May 2028. There is plenty of time to assist them to
transition to other forms of farming or to identify other supply chains that
they can be part of, such as the cold meat supply chains. We will continue to
talk to our friends in the federal government on this matter. The federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
arranged leave long ago for the time that cabinet was due to meet in Western
Australia. I do not make any judgement about her not being with the other
members of federal cabinet when they were here. For instance, I know that the
Minister for Foreign Affairs was not in town either. It is not unusual for one
or two ministers not to travel with the rest of the contingent.
Madam
Speaker, was it not great to see just about the entire federal cabinet in Western
Australia for the fourth time since
the Albanese government was elected? As the Prime Minister is fond of reminding
us, it was his twenty-third visit since being elected. That is a really
important point to make because I think our friends opposite are trying to say
that the Prime Minister is not connected with the community. I was with the
Prime Minister many times over those four days. He was swamped by adoring fans.
People were so pleased to see the Prime Minister. They know that he is a Prime
Minister who gets WA and understands the importance of this state as the engine
room of the nation's economy.
The other matter to point out is that we have obviously seen
the significant retreat of the live sheep export industry in recent years as the
industry adapts to the opportunities that come with the cold meat supply chain.
I support that. If the sheep are processed
in Western Australia, that means more Western Australian jobs, and that is what
we want . Apparently, that is what those on the other side do not want.
They just want to ship the sheep out. We want to add value and we want to add
jobs. Obviously, it is good to have the opportunity to process more sheep in
WA. For instance, in 2003 and 2004, live sheep exports to Kuwait represented 952
640 sheep. Obviously, that is a significant number. We exported only 138 537
kilograms of chilled meat—sheep or goat. Today, in 2024, it is down to
190 192 sheep that we export live. That is a significant reduction. Kuwait,
like other Middle Eastern countries, is pivoting to more of a quality,
standardised and improved product. A stonking over two million kilograms of
sheep and goat meat processed in Western Australia is now going to Kuwait. That
is a sign of how significant the chilled meat
industry as part of our agricultural industry has become. As I said, we support
that progress because that means more Western Australian jobs and higher
value products for export.
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