April 19, 2025
A future Coalition Government will reinstate the live sheep export trade and ensure the live cattle export trade is protected.
Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said bringing back the live sheep export trade and restoring confidence to Western Australian farmers will be his first priority if elected.
“The very first Bill I will introduce if I become Agriculture Minister is to reinstate the live sheep export trade,” Mr Littleproud said.
“On top of that, the very first trip I will make as Agriculture Minister will be to travel to the Middle East, to build those important relationships and ensure the live sheep export trade in Australia remains.”
Mr Littleproud warned if Labor forms Government with the Greens, Western Australia’s live export industry is over.
“The people of Perth are now the only ones who can save the 3,000 livelihoods of their fellow Western Australians, by putting Labor and the Greens last.
“Labor sold the Western Australia industry out last election so they could secure Animal Justice Party preferences and they are doing the same again this election.
“Labor is prepared to put politics ahead of Western Australian jobs.
“A Labor/Greens Government will destroy the live sheep export trade, while also putting shipping and exports with live cattle at risk. A number of ships going to the Middle East carry both sheep and cattle, something the Labor/Greens alliance doesn’t understand.
“Labor’s transition package for farmers won’t see the light of day until the next financial year and well after the federal election. We know our farmers want to keep their industry, not lose it with an insulting and delayed transition package.
“Labor is bowing down to animal activists, even though Australia has the world’s best animal welfare standards. It is senseless to remove ourselves from the market, because the Middle East will simply find other markets which don’t have our high animal welfare standards.”
The Nationals’ WA Senate candidate, Paul Brown, a veteran of the live export industry for more than 35 years, has seen first-hand the devastating consequences that this decision is having on the Western Australian farming community.
“We are watching generations of skill and innovation in every sector of the WA merino industry being torched, all because Anthony Albanese needed to do a dirty little preference deal with a minor east-coast political party to secure his own future, and now won’t admit he is wrong,” Mr Brown said.
“Every single agricultural industry body across Australia has joined with sheep producers, shearers, truckies and regional communities in WA to tell Mr Albanese that his ideology will only bring economic pain for the farmers here.
“We’ve seen this form from Labor Governments before, such as when they attempted to cripple the northern Australian cattle industry with their illegal ban on cattle exports to Indonesia, just as mustering season was getting underway.”
The Livestock Collective Director Steven Bolt said rural communities are already being severely impacted by Labor’s senseless ban.
“Shearers and livestock transporters are reporting a huge downturn in work, as farmers reduce sheep numbers across the state due to the impending ban,” Mr Bolt said.
“Farmers are reliant on the reinstatement of the live export trade to deliver a return in confidence to this crucial rural industry.”
Western Australia Shearing Industry Association Executive Officer Valerie Pretzel said with a third of WA’s flock already gone, farmers have lost a third of their work, impacting hardworking shearers, wool handlers and shed hands.
“Shearing teams are often the largest employer in our regional towns,” Ms Pretzel said.
“When they leave it affects local stores, sporting teams and community volunteers and families leaving reduces school numbers.
“We tried to tell the government, we warned them this would happen and now we are seeing it play out. For the good of agriculture, regional WA and the state, this ban must be overturned.”
Our priorities are building stronger regional economies and secure communities, delivering opportunity and prosperity for all regional Australians, and ensuring a sustainable environment.
Stronger, more secure, sustainable local communities that provide the opportunity for everyone to prosper will deliver a stronger, more secure and sustainable nation.
The Nationals commitment to the national interest does not stop there. The Nationals provide a considered and common sense perspective on all elements of Government policy and a balance between Australia’s political extremes.
