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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-11-08 Daily Xml
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LIVESTOCK SLAUGHTER

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:57): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about the ritual slaughter of animals.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The minister would be aware that, under the Australian standard for the hygienic production and transportation of meat and meat products for human consumption, ritual slaughter is permitted with the proviso that animals are stunned afterwards—that is at clause 7.12(2) of that particular piece of legislation. It is also worth noting at this stage that Islamic authorities, such as the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (which is the accreditation body for halal food), accept the stunning of animals and have indicated publicly that pre-stunning does not contravene halal requirements.

With that in mind, the recent meeting of Primary Industries Ministerial Council members held in Melbourne rejected the proposition put by the former South Australian agriculture minister (Hon. Michael O'Brien MP) to immediately remove the exemptions to pre-stunning that currently permit the practice of ritual slaughter. I note that minister O'Brien had previously also indicated that South Australia would consider going it alone if a national decision was not taken and that, in this state currently, we have at least four—possibly as many as nine—exemptions to either pre-stunning or post-stunning for the practice of ritual slaughter in this state.

Ritual slaughter is seen as cruel and inhumane not only by the RSPCA but organisations across the world, and we have seen the outpouring of Australians' opinion on this issue most recently as a result of the Four Corners program, 'A Bloody Business'. The reason that many oppose this is simple: animals can actually remain conscious in extreme cases for up to six minutes, and scientific studies have shown that the time to collapse for one sample of 100 calves averaged 120 seconds. The animals suffer pain before lapsing into insensibility. This is a common-sense assumption, but it has also been backed up by scientific evidence. Obviously, this would also be traumatic for the workers involved.

Accordingly, can the minister indicate whether the Weatherill government is willing to follow the lead of Queensland, New Zealand and the Netherlands and ban ritual slaughter on animal welfare grounds as is requested currently by the RSPCA? If the minister is not willing to take such action for South Australia, will we see the removal of the current exemptions to the small number of slaughterhouses that have an exemption for either pre-stunning or post-stunning for ritual slaughter? Can the minister indicate what access the RSPCA will be given to these slaughterhouses?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (14:59): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. Obviously, following adverse publicity surrounding the slaughter methods used in overseas abattoirs where Australian animals are killed—I think we all saw some horrendous TV coverage that was largely filmed in Indonesia that involved appalling, inhumane and immoral treatment of animals, including animals not being pre-stunned before slaughter. They were, indeed, really ghastly images and I am sure that all members here are still haunted by those images.

However, that does not occur here in Australia; all standards are met in this country. Ritual slaughter for the supply of halal and kosher meat to members of the Australian Islamic and Jewish communities is carried out to respect the religious requirements of those communities. The export abattoirs in South Australia process many thousands of animals each week in observance of halal slaughter requirements and with compulsory pre-slaughter stunning.

I have been advised that there are no domestic abattoirs producing kosher meat in South Australia, but four small domestic abattoirs do slaughter low numbers of sheep, goats and some cattle without pre-slaughter stunning to supply the local Islamic community. In all cases I am advised that slaughter is carried out in compliance with the national guidelines and agreed welfare framework that includes requirements for post-cut stunning.

As the incoming Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, I attended the final Primary Industries Ministerial Council meeting in Melbourne recently. The council did consider this issue and it is most incorrect to say that it rejected any particular position—the honourable member is misleading the chamber. What occurred was the continuation of a very serious dialogue and an exchange of different viewpoints. The council did consider the matter very carefully. I am informed by the former minister that this dialogue has been occurring for some time. The council resolved to continue discussions with religious groups in pursuit of a national risk management framework and with an aim to, obviously, increasing animal welfare outcomes to the most optimal level possible, and South Australia supported that position.

My view is that the optimal outcome is to achieve a nationally consistent approach here so that we have the same standard right around the nation. Those horrendous incidents that occurred in Indonesia shone a spotlight on this issue of ritual slaughter. As I said, ritual slaughter here in Australia is absolutely done within the appropriate standards and guidelines. Nevertheless, a light has been shone on this and other related issues. I think it is really important that we are able to move to a nationally consistent approach.

I am pleased that considerable dialogue has already occurred with the key interest holders who are parties to this issue and that we continue to try to move all parties forward together to land on a consensus view about what the appropriate standards are. So, my position at present is to continue with those dialogues to try to reach a nationally consistent outcome.

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