Govt refuses to table farmer submissions on live export ban

Frank and fiery debate on the merits of the phase out of the live export of sheep continued in the House of Representatives Monday. 

Coalition Agricultural Policy Committee Chair Rowan Ramsey was knocked back from tabling a report examining the impacts of the live export phase out and submissions from affected farmers, following a recent fact-finding mission by the committee to Western Australia. 

Member for Fremantle Josh Wilson, from the Labor Party, responded by citing statistics including that the trade was only worth $85 million a year and that while the trade had declined 90% to 2021, the sheep flock and wool output of WA had remained the same. 

Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson, a Coalition MP, said it was a disgrace that the submissions could not be tabled.  

“This is the govt running scared from the WA farmers telling them how their world will look after their policy is introduced,” he said. 

Watch the full video of the frank debate below: 

Source: Commonwealth Parliament