AFTER the Federal Government recently announced the banning of live sheep exports and the strong opposing response from national and Western Australian farmers and organisations, a hastily organised inquiry has been initiated, but there will be only a week to make a submission.

The Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024 (the Bill) would amend the Export Control Act 2020 (the Act) to prohibit the export of live sheep by sea from Australia and to provide authority for Commonwealth spending on activities related to preparing for, or adapting or responding to, the phasing out of export of live sheep by sea.

With anger growing at the government and especially agriculture minister, Murray Watt, WAFarmers issued a statement to encourage farmers to contribute to the parliamentary inquiry.

The Nationals leader, David Littleproud said on Wednesday he was nonplussed by the announcement and wondered why the government had only a week earlier rejected an amendment proposed by his party to hold an inquiry “so that farmers in Western Australia and the industry could understand the science and the economics”.

“They rejected that, they voted against that,” he said.

“Then Murray Watt yesterday extraordinarily announced an inquiry that they just voted against. But to do it in such a short timeframe, they’re talking about a week to get submissions in and then to be reporting back to the Parliament within a matter of two weeks after, that doesn’t do it justice.”

Mr Littleproud said the move was “contemptuous” and farmers across the country should be concerned.

“I don’t know why they even announced it,” he said.

“It just says to Western Australian farmers ‘up yours’, we don’t care about you.

“But this has an impact on us all. It’ll actually see, and it has already seen sheep prices plummet right across the country, but it’ll also see the senseless and horrific death of millions of sheep from other parts of the world. Those parts of the world that’ll take this market up, because Australia cut and run. That’s what’ll happen.”

He said the outcome would ironically mean Australia’s high standards would have less global influence

“You’ll see perverse animal welfare outcomes because Ethiopia, Sudan, South Africa will take this market up,” Mr Littleproud said.

“When we’ve led the world, we’ve changed the world for the better with the welfare standards that we put in place, predicated on animal welfare, not on mortality.”

More information about the inquiry can be found at bit.ly/45golYO and email submissions to Agriculture.reps@aph.gov.au