Live Sheep Export

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (15:03): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development regarding live sheep exports.

Leave granted.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Despite dramatic improvements to animal welfare and adopting the highest standards in the world, the live sheep export industry—

The Hon. R.P. Wortley interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Can you just hang on until the Hon. Mr Wortley has finished on his phone? Have you finished, the Hon. Mr Wortley?

The Hon. R.P. Wortley: Finished now. Go ahead.

The PRESIDENT: Lovely. The Hon. Ben Hood.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: Good. I will start again. Despite drastic improvements to animal welfare and adopting the highest standards in the world, the live sheep export industry is being abolished by the federal Labor government. Industry groups are up in arms over the abolition of this trade, including SA grain producers saying it will hit livestock and grain producers alike, and Livestock SA saying the ban sets a dangerous precedent for decisions being driven by opinion and not fact. Science-backed improvements have helped secure voyage mortality rates on par or less than on-farm livestock.

My question to the minister is: will the minister, if she hasn't already, support primary producers and industry groups and back science-based industry improvements by signing the Keep the Sheep petition to overturn the impending federal government live export ban?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:04): I thank the honourable member for his question. As I have said on a number of occasions here, federal Labor went to the last two elections saying that they were going to ban live sheep exports. So I think if there was to be a reflection on the changes that have been made in the industry, which I certainly acknowledge have been very positive, they needed to be communicated more strongly to the federal government before they made those commitments. But those commitments from the federal government have been in place now for quite a long time, and I think therefore it came as no surprise to anyone who has been following.