Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, and Independent Senator for South Australia, Nick Xenophon, have backed calls by the RSPCA and Animals Australia for an immediate moratorium on live animal exports to Indonesia following a ground-breaking investigation into animal cruelty aired on ABC TV’s ‘Four Corners’ program this evening (Mon).
“I was sickened and disgusted by the cruel and prolonged deaths these animals suffered in Indonesia,” Andrew said.
The program revealed the shocking mistreatment of Australian animals in a number of Indonesian slaughterhouses which use restraining boxes that are subsidised by Australian taxpayers.
The program also contained serious allegations that the Australian live export industry has been negligent in allowing animals to be tortured and killed in the sickening conditions revealed in the program.
“You would be arrested and charged if you treated an animal this way in Australia,” Nick said. “This industry has given assurance after assurance that they were monitoring the treatment of these animals, but this new evidence puts a lie to those claims.”
“You simply can’t trust the live export industry to secure the welfare of the Australian animals they send overseas.”
Mr Wilkie expressed concern about the impact these revelations could have on the rest of the Australian meat industry.
“Don’t forget by exporting to countries like Indonesia, Australia is complicit in this barbaric treatment of animals and it’s a blight on our international reputation,” Andrew said.
“We need to act quickly to repair that reputation by immediately banning live exports to Indonesia and phasing out all live exports within three years.”
Senator Xenophon also questioned the safety of the ‘wet markets’ created by the live animal exports to Indonesia.
ABC report, including confronting video, HERE
Four Corners HERE
