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Thursday, 1 March 2012
Page: 1359

Presentation

Senator Carol Brown to move:

That the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters be authorised to hold a private meeting otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sitting of the Senate on Wednesday, 14 March 2012.

Senator Rhiannon to move:

That the Senate—

   (a)   notes:

      (i)   footage of animal cruelty at the Temur Petir and Cakung abattoirs in Jakarta that was aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television program Lateline on 28 February 2012 shows serious and systematic breaches of the Government's new Export Supply Chain Assurance System,

      (ii)   the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [RSPCA] Chief Scientist has identified 61 observed incidents of non-compliance with the Government's own supply chain assurance elements at the Temur Petir and Cakung abattoirs,

      (iii)   the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Senator Ludwig) has refused to publicly reveal whether Australian cattle are being exported to the Temur Petir and Cakung abattoirs,

      (iv)   that making this information public would not compromise any departmental investigation, and without it the public can have no confidence that the Government's new system to protect animal welfare is being monitored and enforced,

      (v)   a Perth-based cattle exporter, International Livestock Exports, announced on 29 February that it had suspended shipments to one of the Indonesian abattoirs in question, placing the industry response ahead of the Government's response to the situation, and

      (vi)   that animal rights activists such as Animals Australia and the Indonesian activists who filmed the Jakarta abattoirs are to be congratulated for exposing the continuing cruelty in the live export industry and the failure of Australia's new regulatory regime; and

   (b)   calls on the Government to:

      (i)   confirm whether Australian cattle are being exported to the Temur Petir and Cakung abattoirs,

      (ii)   publicly disclose the names of any companies involved in exporting live cattle to the Temur Petir and Cakung abattoirs in Jakarta,

      (iii)   immediately suspend the export licences of those companies involved in exporting live cattle to the Temur Petir and Cakung abattoirs in Jakarta until an investigation has been conducted,

      (iv)   urgently put more resources into monitoring and enforcement of the supply chain assurance system to ensure that animal welfare is prioritised in the Government's new regulatory regime, and

      (v)   move to introduce a ban on live animal exports.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells to move:

That the following bills as passed by the House of Representatives on 15 February 2012 be referred to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 19 June 2012:

Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2012

Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2012

Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Bill 2012.