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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-19 Daily Xml
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CAT AND DOG FUR

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:56): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, representing the Minister for Business Services and Consumers, a question regarding the use of cat and dog fur in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The minister would no doubt be aware that, although the importation of cat and dog fur is prohibited into Australia under federal legislation as of 2004, which followed the lead of both the US and the European Union, the use of such fur is not banned in Australia in any state or territory.

Disturbingly, tests conducted by the Humane Society International in February 2011 showed that dog fur items are being bought in Australia. A broader investigation conducted a few months later in May last year showed that this was not an isolated incident. In fact, leading retailer Myer's has withdrawn a range of fur-trimmed products from sale. Tests conducted on another chain, Wittner's, showed that vests being sold by them were also either dog or cat fur, leading to a voluntary withdrawal of all fur items sold by that particular company.

Unless tested, dog and cat fur is often indistinguishable from other animals being used by the fur industry that can be legally imported or, in fact, illegally imported, and it slips through the net. It is alleged that these dog and cat fur products are often deliberately mislabelled as rabbit, fox or raccoon dog in an attempt to escape these import bans. Dog products may also be labelled as something called gae-wolf, sobaki or Asian jackal and cat products are often sold as wild cat, goyangi or katzenfelle. It is concerning that this current labelling requirement seems wholly inadequate and is allowing consumers to be misled.

Most fur in Australia, of course, in this area comes from China, where there are no animal welfare laws, and an estimated two million dogs and cats are killed for their fur in China each year, but many millions more—rabbits, minks, foxes and other animals—are also victims of the industry. Investigators have recorded this information and, if any members are interested, the Humane Society is able to provide graphic footage demonstrating the practices where, in fact, animals have been skinned alive. Noting that South Australia has gone along with the ban of the consumption of dog and cat meat in 2004, despite no other state having similar provisions, my questions therefore are:

1. What action will the state government take to ensure that products containing fur sourced from cats or dogs or from related species, such as raccoon dogs (often harvested under conditions of extreme cruelty, with some animals literally skinned alive), will not be permitted to be imported or sold here in South Australia?

2. Is the minister aware that independent scientific examination of fur and leather samples from China showed that they exceeded recommended levels for hexavalent chromium, a toxic and carcinogenic chemical used in the leather tanning process that can cause severe health complications for humans and, in fact, studies have shown that the levels on those products are 133 to 733 times the amount allowed?

3. What action is the minister taking to alert and protect consumers, especially parents, of the dangers that these products are posing to their health and especially the health of babies and young children who may come into contact with these products?

4. Will the state government commit to working with state and federal counterparts across Australia to introduce as soon as practicable a total ban on the importation and sale of fur sourced from inhumane conditions, or where the provenance of fur cannot be independently verified, to ensure that, as much as practicable, Australian consumers in our state are not unwittingly supporting this cruel and barbaric trade?

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) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for her important questions and will refer those to the appropriate minister in another place and bring back a response.

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