Live Export Horror Must Stop!

Yet another story of the horror of the live export trade was aired on the ABC on 16 June 2016 with evidence of the sledge-hammering of Australian cattle in Vietnam. This is more than two years after the initial exposure of this inconceivably cruel practice and industry’s assurances that they were on top of it. The Australian community is once again in an uproar about this issue.

The 2011 ABC Four Corners investigation into the treatment of Australian cattle in some Indonesian slaughterhouses united a nation like never before in opposition to the cruelty inherent in the live animal export industry.

Yet despite ongoing public opposition, and nationwide protests, the live export trade continues, as does the cruelty.

According to Katrina Love, lead Animal Justice Party Senate candidate (WA) “Economic arguments to continue the trade are significantly flawed since it constitutes a mere 3.7% of agriculture exports and contributes just 0.6% to Australia’s total exports.”

“Since animal agriculture is enormously damaging to the environment, any short-term economic gains will be cancelled out by the long-term environmental damage caused by animal agriculture.”

“Animal agriculture is responsible for a significant fraction of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, certainly higher than that contributed by all forms of transport combined. It also involves extensive grazing and extensive water usage, and is responsible for large tracts of deforestation resulting in land degradation and biodiversity loss.”

The Animal Justice Party opposes the commercial export, whether by sea or air, of live animals. This includes but isn’t limited to sheep, cattle, camels, buffalo and goats.

Tasmanian Animal Justice Party Senate Candidate, Karen Bevis, stated “Live export is flawed what ever way you look at it. In this federal election, one of the main campaign platforms of the Animal Justice Party is to ban live exports once and for all. The Australian public wants that and we know that people are prepared to vote for it.”

Background:

• The Animal Justice Party (AJP) was formed in 2009 to help ensure principles of kindness, compassion and capability are applied to all animals in all parliaments of this country.
• The AJP contested the 2013 Federal election nationwide in the Senate in six jurisdictions as well as several lower house seats, receiving nearly 100,000 votes altogether. It is registered in both Victoria and New South Wales, more than doubling its vote in the 2014 Victorian state election, tripling its vote in the 2015 NSW state election and installing our first MP, Mark Pearson. The party will be running in more than 50 seats in the 2016 Federal Election.
• The party is introduced in this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV1pDePPD38
• Read our policies, charter, constitution and meet our candidates here: www.animaljusticeparty.org
AJP Tasmanian Senate Candidate Karen Bevis