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Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Page: 2882

Senator PARRY (Tasmania—Chief Opposition Whip in the Senate and Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) (15:36): At the request of Senators Scullion and Colbeck, I move:

That the Senate:

(a) deplores the inhumane treatment of cattle at some abattoirs in Indonesia;

(b) notes that this is unacceptable to all Australians, especially our farmers, who take great pride in breeding and raising healthy and well cared for animals;

(c) supports the suspension of trade of Australian live cattle to facilities that fail to comply with acceptable practices;

(d) notes, with concern, the impact of a total live exports suspension to Indonesia on:

(i) the economic, social and environmental fabric of northern Australia,

(ii) Indigenous employment in northern Australia,

(iii) Indonesian abattoirs already operating at acceptable standards, and

(iv) the entire cattle industry, including producers in the south who are already seeing reduced sale yard prices; and

(e) calls on the Gillard Government to:

(i) immediately establish a register of Indonesian abattoirs, to be known as the Approved Indonesian Abattoir Register, that have adopted and implemented acceptable animal welfare standards,

(ii) require that Australian sourced cattle be processed only at abattoirs that are listed on the register,

(iii) revoke the legislative instrument Export Control (Export of Live-stock to the Republic of Indonesia) Order 2011 on one or more Indonesian abattoirs being included on the register,

(iv) provide support to Indonesia to bring more abattoirs up to acceptable standards, and

(v) provide assistance to the cattle industry to deal with the consequences of this suspension.

Question put.

The Senate divided. [15:42]

(The President—Senator the Hon. JJ Hogg)

Question negatived.