Senator CRANE(11.19 a.m.) —I too would like to make some comments. I hope I will not go over the ground that has already been gone over because I know there are time constraints in this debate. I support the remarks of Senator Brownhill. I also acknowledge very strongly the accuracy of the remarks made by Senator Collins on this issue.

My problem with this motion—and on the surface it looks perfectly all right—is that, firstly, it cannot be implemented with any force whatsoever or with any effectiveness and, secondly, what it is actually seeking to have done is being done or has already been done. So we have a motion before us which can go nowhere and in effect do very little. There is already a commitment, if we are not satisfied with what comes out of the international inquiry, that the government will take further action on this issue. I do not know how much further you can go in a practical sense.

There are couple of matters I want to deal with on the issues that have been raised here. You cannot deal with this resolution in isolation from the total sheep industry—including the woolgrowing industry—from mutton production in this country and from what occurs when we see changes in how live sheep are received or imported into various countries.

There are realities we have to face with regard to the economics of this. And I should declare an interest here because I have been involved in the live sheep export trade as a producer now for as long as I can remember, going back to the Singapore wether days, the big thumpers—which is a long time ago indeed, when this trade first became recognised in Western Australia.

Senator Bob Collins —You're extremely old.

Senator CRANE —I am very old when it comes to some of this, but I was very young then, so I am not so old after all. I can remember at about five years of age helping Dad load Singapore shipping wethers onto the back of a truck—or it might even have been a wagon in those days.

Senator Bob Collins —Probably drawn by horses.

Senator CRANE —Yes, it was.

Senator Woodley —I can remember those days.

Senator CRANE —I can too. I make the point that you cannot deal with this in isolation. I recognise that this economic argument that it costs jobs in Australia has been argued many times. But I want to refer people to the Geoff Miller report that was done in the early 1980s. I am not sure if it was at the end of the Fraser government or the beginning of the Hawke government, but that goes into the whole economic structure of what occurs in the live sheep trade.

The particular point is that, when the live sheep trade out of this country drops off, substitution comes in and those live sheep then go into the meatworks. The amount of mutton that was being processed through the meatworks from other sheep that were not suitable for live shipment then drops off, and the net result is that the vast majority of those sheep that were previously going through the abattoirs get shot. It is as simple as that. In practice, that is what happens. There is a direct substitution, as you go down the line, when live sheep trade drops off. That is very important. When looking at the economics of this particular trade, we must take into account the production stage, the abattoir stage, the live sheep trade stage and the production of sheep foodstuff that goes onto the ships.

I make another point while referring to these two reports—Export of live sheep from Australia, a report from the Senate Select Committee on Animal Welfare in 1985, which has already been mentioned, and the update of that in 1991. Senator Calvert and Senator Brownhill were on that committee, and I believe Senator Burns was chairman at that particular time. I have not actually checked that, but I am pretty certain that is correct.

Senator Calvert —Senator Cooney over here was on it.

Senator CRANE —Senator Cooney—good, well done. I do not believe there is any other industry in Australia that has been so thoroughly researched and worked through. One has to acknowledge that. Back in the 1970s I went on board ships and had a look at what happened then. It is a very different scenario today.

There is no doubt that it was very sad, very disappointing, when this ship burnt and sank. It is worth pointing out that—and I do not know what else could have been done in Australia in that circumstance—the Uniceb was subjected to an AMSA safety inspection in May 1996 and was passed as fit for operation in Australian waters. It was again inspected for animal welfare conditions prior to its loading in Fremantle, immediately before its last voyage. So, in debating this issue, we cannot say that the processes that have been put in place were not adequate. The reason I referred to the past is that there have been, are and will continue to be improvements in this particular trade.

I wish to also emphasise the point, having been on the modern ships, that the sheep go through pre-feeding and other processes before they go on the ship—they do not go directly onto the ship—and in fact in many instances the sheep live in better conditions than they actually do out in the paddock. The improvement that has occurred there is very significant.

I want to now re-emphasise a point Senator Bob Collins made earlier. With the development of the live sheep trade into many of these countries, the consumption of processed meats has been gradually going up and will continue to go up. That is part of the process. There may come a time when the economics will indicate that most, if not all, of the meat will be processed. I doubt whether it will ever be all because there are other issues, such as religious ceremonies and lack of transport, involved.

One of the things that is very important to the people in the Middle East is the fact that those animals can actually walk around the place. That is how they take them and utilise many of them. When we do not supply them, they come from countries north of them or from South America, potentially from South Africa or from other countries. So there is a direct substitution for the live sheep trade.

One must also acknowledge—with the sadness of this particular event I mentioned—that sheep get burnt when fires get away from national parks. Do we legislate against that? I have also seen situations where floods have occurred and sheep have been drowned. It is all very sad, but these things, unfortunately, are realities of life.

I want to acknowledge and congratulate all those people who over the last 20 to 25 years have been involved in the process of gradually improving the conditions in the live sheep trade. In mentioning that, I must also include in that the road transport sector, which is a very important part of it. If we look at the trucks that carry the stock today compared to those that existed 10, 15, 20 or 25 years ago, you really do see the Rolls Royce of invention, of modification, of application. There has been an enormous improvement in the training that is given to the people who drive those trucks by the various operators.

I will conclude my remarks by re-emphasising that it is indeed an unfortunate incident that occurred. We have to work to improve the situation. I look forward to the outcome of the international report. If I am not satisfied with that report when it comes before us, I will, as I am sure other senators in this place will, proceed or endeavour to have additional work done on this issue. In the meantime, I believe it is pointless for this place to pass a motion which cannot implement anything more. In fact, it would not go as far as the action that has already been taken.