CATHY McGowan and fellow cross-benchers could hold the fate of a Private Members Bill calling for an end to live sheep exports with the release on Wednesday of the Moss Review backing wholesale changes to the industry.
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Ms McGowan has been sympathetic to the push led by Ms Ley and with the addition of Kerryn Phelps to the cross-bench following the Wentworth byelection coupled with Labor backing there is sufficient force to push through several bills presently before the parliament on the issue.
Coalition colleagues including National Party members are against a ban.
Moss Review key findings included failure to regulate the live animal export industry and the existence of a culture of fear within the agriculture department which prevented staff reporting fears about animal welfare.
In accepting all 31 recommendations of the review, the department will reinstate the independent Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports, to oversee the export regulator.
It was abolished by former agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce.
“It is abundantly clear that exporters and the regulator have fallen well short of the public’s expectation of humane animal welfare standards and practices,” Ms Ley and Ms Henderson said in a joint statement.
“We remain convinced that the smartest and most humane way to treat our sheep and lamb offtake is to slaughter them domestically.
“We will continue to advocate with our Coalition colleagues for a five-year phase out of long-haul live sheep exports.”
“Every finding of Moss’ is stuff the department has known about for decades,” she said.
“It is stuff they should have been addressing, but just had their heads in the sand.”
Asked whether she and other cross-bench members would support the Private Members Bill calling for an end to live sheep exports, Ms McGowan was non-committal.
“I commend the government for its support of the Moss Review recommendations,” she said.
“Agriculture minister David Littleproud will now bring forward legislative amendments to the parliament to establish the Inspector General position.”
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