❓ Mr. Rundle questions the Premier on his support for the live export trade and urges him to influence federal Labor's stance. The Premier responds critically, highlighting perceived hypocrisy and past animal welfare concerns.
AnsweredQoN 915Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LIVE EXPORT
915. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer the Premier to the positive
visit of the federal agriculture minister David Littleproud to Western Australia
this week and his declaration that he will never close the live export industry
—
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Start
again.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Thank you, Mr
Speaker. I refer the Premier to the positive visit of agriculture minister David Littleproud to Western Australia this week
and his declaration that he will never close the live export industry.
Ms J.J. Shaw interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Swan
Hills, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : I ask —
(1) Will the
Premier confirm his support for the trade, which is so important to farmers and
industry participants in my electorate and many other part of the state?
(2) Will the
Premier convince his federal leader, Bill Shorten —
Ms J.M. Freeman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Mirrabooka.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : — to
reconsider his commitment to phase out live trade, of which the sheep component
alone is worth $250 million to Western Australia annually?
915. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer the Premier to the positive
visit of the federal agriculture minister David Littleproud to Western Australia
this week and his declaration that he will never close the live export industry
—
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Start
again.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Thank you, Mr
Speaker. I refer the Premier to the positive visit of agriculture minister David Littleproud to Western Australia this week
and his declaration that he will never close the live export industry.
Ms J.J. Shaw interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Swan
Hills, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : I ask —
(1) Will the
Premier confirm his support for the trade, which is so important to farmers and
industry participants in my electorate and many other part of the state?
(2) Will the
Premier convince his federal leader, Bill Shorten —
Ms J.M. Freeman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Mirrabooka.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : — to
reconsider his commitment to phase out live trade, of which the sheep component
alone is worth $250 million to Western Australia annually?
AnswerView source ↗
It takes me back, getting this
question from the member for Roe. I remember earlier this year I was getting
question after question on this issue, day in, day out, and then the federal
government closed down the trade and he stopped asking me questions. Now he has
decided to ask me questions again. Why was he not asking me questions when the
federal government closed down the trade? Why would that be?
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, you did.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members of the
National Party.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : I know some of you do
not ever leave the inner suburbs of Perth, but out there is a bunch of —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warren–Blackwood, the
Premier is answering your own member's question and he cannot hear the
answer. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I went for
months without a question on this issue because the commonwealth closed it down
and now it has reopened it with a range of changes, which I must say I think
are positive. They have reopened it with a range of changes and now the member
for Roe is suddenly emboldened again to ask questions. Does he not think it is
somewhat hypocritical that he was not asking me the questions when the
commonwealth government closed it down? Does he not think that is a little bit
hypocritical?
Mr P.J. Rundle : They didn't
close it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No, he does
not. He is quite shameless.
I will tell members what happened
when the current federal government came to office. Mr Barnaby Joyce, one of
the titans of the National Party, one of its fearless leaders—I saw him
in action at the National Drought Summit, and it was memorable! I put it that
way; memorable—removed the animal welfare capacity from the federal
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. Then we saw animal welfare
issues occurring, which happened on the Awassi Express . I think what
happened on the Awassi Express was shameful, disgraceful and disgusting.
I said to everyone here, and I will repeat it again: if there are any further
examples of that, I think the industry should close, and a whole bunch of
people in the industry in senior positions have told me the same. We will wait
to see what happens with the industry as time goes on. I also note that in Western
Australia there is a meatworks industry that employs Australians and there are
opportunities for the trade for the sheep to be processed through the meatworks
industry of Western Australia as well.
question from the member for Roe. I remember earlier this year I was getting
question after question on this issue, day in, day out, and then the federal
government closed down the trade and he stopped asking me questions. Now he has
decided to ask me questions again. Why was he not asking me questions when the
federal government closed down the trade? Why would that be?
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, you did.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members of the
National Party.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : I know some of you do
not ever leave the inner suburbs of Perth, but out there is a bunch of —
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Warren–Blackwood, the
Premier is answering your own member's question and he cannot hear the
answer. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I went for
months without a question on this issue because the commonwealth closed it down
and now it has reopened it with a range of changes, which I must say I think
are positive. They have reopened it with a range of changes and now the member
for Roe is suddenly emboldened again to ask questions. Does he not think it is
somewhat hypocritical that he was not asking me the questions when the
commonwealth government closed it down? Does he not think that is a little bit
hypocritical?
Mr P.J. Rundle : They didn't
close it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No, he does
not. He is quite shameless.
I will tell members what happened
when the current federal government came to office. Mr Barnaby Joyce, one of
the titans of the National Party, one of its fearless leaders—I saw him
in action at the National Drought Summit, and it was memorable! I put it that
way; memorable—removed the animal welfare capacity from the federal
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. Then we saw animal welfare
issues occurring, which happened on the Awassi Express . I think what
happened on the Awassi Express was shameful, disgraceful and disgusting.
I said to everyone here, and I will repeat it again: if there are any further
examples of that, I think the industry should close, and a whole bunch of
people in the industry in senior positions have told me the same. We will wait
to see what happens with the industry as time goes on. I also note that in Western
Australia there is a meatworks industry that employs Australians and there are
opportunities for the trade for the sheep to be processed through the meatworks
industry of Western Australia as well.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.