Newsroom

February 26, 2025

Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, whose electorate has about 2.5 million head of cattle, strongly supports recent statements by AgForce slamming the Commonwealth decision to ban live sheep export by sea from 2028.

AgForce CEO, Michael Guerin, has recently called this decision "a grubby deal, pure and simple, that will destroy an industry and hollow out communities in the west."

With the Western Australian election on our doorstep and the federal election looming large, the recent decision to ban live sheep export could very well play a pivotal role in who will take government.

"Western Australia's sheep industry has been crucified by this decision. Our cattle industry has far from recovered from a similar knee-jerk decision. This recent ban has made all livestock businesses fearful and undermines the confidence of supply that international buyers need," Mr Katter said.

"We have sought reassurance from government that there will be no knee-jerk decisions made about live cattle export. Our Australian producers and international markets must have clear, unequivocal statements that the government is committed to cattle live exports and the livelihoods of the many Australians that this industry supports.

"Australia is one of the very few countries that actively regulates livestock exports, from our farms to overseas feedlots and abattoirs. If Australia stopped exporting livestock, animal welfare would decline in our current export markets as we are the only exporting country that invests time and money in animal welfare education at our overseas markets.

"If Australia was to withdraw from this trade the progress to improve animal welfare standards would cease to be.

"While we firmly support the opening of abattoirs in Australia and creating jobs for Australians, chilled meat exports will never replace livestock exports and our current importers will simply replace our livestock with those of other countries who do not provide training and education in livestock welfare resulting in further decline of animal welfare in these countries," he said.

Queensland Member for Traeger Robbie Katter is also closely watching the Western Australian election as his electorate is home to many livestock management businesses.

"Successive governments have really failed our farming families, and that needs to change. People who work with livestock care about their animals, whether they be beef or dairy cattle, horses, or fish stock.

"It is about time government cared too," he said.

Under no circumstance does either Bob or Robbie Katter condone animal cruelty but nor do they condone the actions of government and animal industry oversight bodies that could have, and should have, done their job and put measures in place to prevent animal cruelty from occurring.

"Australian farming families have been let down by the industry bodies and by the governments they have paid millions of tax and levy dollars to; they have been double crossed by people who were meant to represent them and ensure animal cruelty does not occur in Australia's live export industry," Mr Katter said.

Photo: Bob Katter at the Keep the Sheep Rally in Canberra, 10 September 2024.