Live exports:
Nicky Lee Seigo writes: The federal government has succeeded in making a mockery of the Australian public yet again. With a plethora of explicit documentation of the barbaric and cruel death exported cattle are exposed to, the government has succumbed to Meat and Livestock Australia’s protests, allowing 180 000 Australia cattle to be exported to Indonesian abattoirs immediately.
Rationality would have me believe that improvements regarding the treatment of cattle would have had to occur in order for the ban to be lifted. Unfortunately, one should never assume rationality, especially concerning the federal government and corporate profit.
There have been no significant changes regarding the treatment of Australian cattle in Indonesia; no mandatory stunning, no monitoring system, no training, nothing. Australian veterinarians and inspectors were denied access to the 600 abattoirs which “process” Australian cattle so the true abattoir conditions remain unknown.
Joe Ludwig has even gone on record stating that he is unable to guarantee that cattle will not be tortured in the manner which was documented on Four Corners. He also pathetically stated that stunning would still not be required, only encouraged. The haste in which the government crumbles to the MLA and the so-called “cattle farmers” is slightly disturbing. During the ban, members of the cattle industry attempted to appeal to Australian’s compassion by stating that they were going to have to begin killing their cattle and that the loss of income would be detrimental to their livelihood.
Firstly, to be shot at point blank is a far better death than the agonising sadistic method occurring in Indonesia abattoirs. Regarding loss of income, the MLA has a contingency account which is collected for redistribution to farmers during periods of economical uncertainty. No funds were distributed during this period, further evidence the mindset of the MLA board; profits above all!
There is no disputing that the Australian economy is reliant on the cattle industry but to what end? In this day and age, we have the technology to ensure slaughter is quick and painless and yet by lifting the ban, our government approves of methods which inflict excruciating pain onto animals. This is an embarrassment to the Australian public.
As an Australian consumer, I no longer wish to support an industry with such indifference to torture.
MasterChef:
Gavin Robertson writes: Re. “Last night’s TV ratings” (yesterday, item 19). Glenn Dyer asked yesterday “Why did the whole MasterChef crew have to fly off to New York? A jaunt for everyone involved, at Ten’s expense?”
He obviously didn’t actually watch the program. With big publicity in the show for Qantas, the hotel, Westpac (they even had Westpac logos on their chef’s whites, along with the “do you take Westpac?” chat to the shopkeepers) and New York tourism itself, I doubt if the cost to Ten of using NYC as a location were much more than the costs of shooting it in Sydney.
Everything would have been paid for by the sponsors.
I totally agree with Nicky’s article. There is no need for the kind of cruelty exhibited by the 4 corner’s program. Animals could be killed humanly in Australia and the meat shipped to Indonesia and other countries. Or part of our (no doubt) extensive funding towards Indonesia’s development could go towards setting up and running properly run abattoirs. We could be training people from all the disadvantaged countries we currently ship live animals to, in running and managing modern abattoirs. The MLA’s stupidity and greed disgust me. Is there anything people can do to protest about this ban being lifted? Delia.
I for one will be eating a lot less meat and eat much more vegetarian meals in protest.
I would also like to call for an investigation into the MLA. It seems that money was meant to be used to police and check on the conditions did not go where it was supposed to go. Let’s find out what’s really going on inside the MLA.
Corrupt live exporters have been exposed as the perpetrators of the most sustained acts of animal brutality in Australia’s history – for a hundred and fifty years. One would expect that in an enlightened 21st century, and after numerous damning reports, this cabal would have been relegated to the ignominious past. Yet in this decade, the hideous revelations have spilled forth into the public arena – Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia.
Lyn White of Animals Australia, in her recent speech at Manning Clark House, revealed that “in 2001 then LiveCorp CEO Kevin Shiell admitted that the live trade had exported over 1 million cattle into Egypt in the full knowledge that they would be subjected to unimaginable brutality in Bassateen abattoir.
“In 2005, then Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran, said Bassateen is a good example where Australia’s involvement in the live trade has allowed us to influence change and improve animal welfare conditions in the Middle East.”
Lyn White explains: “Shortly after Minister McGauran released that statement I travelled to Egypt. I have described Bassateen abattoir as like entering the underworld. Terrified dying animals screaming in fear and pain filled five large open slaughterhalls. My two Egyptian colleagues who drove us to the facility were too afraid to leave the car knowing the reputation of those working in Bassateen for their depravity and violence.
“Laughing and leering slaughtermen covered in blood were brutally wielding their long knifes like status symbols. I observed in horror knowing that Australia had been exporting animals to be slaughtered at this facility for over a decade – all the while with Peter McGauran’s words ringing in my ears.”
“Head ‘em up and ship ‘em out” says Frau Gillard and Marquis de Sade’s incarnate, the mad monk, the two most prominent politicians this nation can come up with who give themselves most gladly to corruption, sadism and greed providing it’s not their perverse arses that suffer the obscenities.
The author’s worthy article will attract little attention on this forum where sick **cks prefer to intellectualise over the jingle in their pockets and the depraved Frau Gillard’s carbon tax – a ruse to gag outraged animal advocates. Well stand by Gillard. For every action…………..!