THE ‘Keep the Sheep’ movement began as a reaction to the Australian Government ban on live sheep exports.

The ban is expected to have a devastating effect on small local Western Australian communities that survive on the back of the livestock agricultural industry.

We all realise that our businesses are part of a chain where each link, although individual, has a direct impact on the stability and function of the next.

Ben Sutherland is a bulk commodity transport operator.

He has been very vocal in his support for ‘Keep the Sheep,’ because he fears for the viability for his transport business, local school, IGA, hotel and community as a whole - if this ban goes ahead.

Mr Sutherland was instrumental in rallying farmers and transport operators and all other links in the sheep export trade to travel to Canberra and protest the live sheep ban, on the lawns of parliament house.

Amassing thousands of supporters and a cavalcade of 50 odd trucks and vehicle, sends a strong protest message.

I caught up with Mr Sutherland to reflect on the protest and see what the future holds.

“The Rally was a great success,” he said.

“We were pleased to get over 2000 people turn up in support of the cause and Peter Dutton came down from Parliament House with the Coalition to commit to overturning the ban on live sheep exports if they are successful at the next election.

“We were very pleased with the support we received from farmers.

“At a busy time of year, they left their farms and businesses to travel thousands of kilometres to come to Canberra and share their message with politicians and Australians.

“Thousands of supporters have watched the livestream of our rally.”

Mr Sutherland said that those in attendance were furious that neither prime minister Albanese or agriculture minister Julie Collins came out to address the crowd.

“People are hurting already, as a result of this policy and no government representatives turned up to listen to their concerns - even when we came right to their doorstep,” he said.

JF: What reaction did you get from our politicians and decision makers in Canberra?

“There was excellent support from the Coalition, with Peter Dutton and David Littleproud both speaking in support of the industry. Bob Katter and Pauline Hanson also spoke in support. No member of the Labor Party came out and spoke to us.”

JF: Why did you choose to rally in Canberra?

“Canberra is the nation’s capital and its where the decisions are made - it makes sense that we take the fight right to their doorstep.”

JF: Do you feel farmers are being ignored?

“Yes, we are being ignored by the Government, but ordinary Australians are supporting us. We now have over 100 thousand signatures and we are going to keep pushing for this unfair ban to be reversed or we will campaign in Government seats.”

National Farmers Federation (NFF) President David Jochinke and other NFF representatives met with prime minister Albanese prior to the rally and made it clear that the NFF were steadfast in their position to keep live sheep exports.

“It is here, we support it (the trade), we understand that they have different opinions, but they are not our opinions,” he said.

“We also made it very clear that any policy that they develop, and when I say ‘they’ I mean these people in the house behind us, need to have their key stakeholder … and you know who that is, us … we need to be at the table.

“That is where we are going to get outcomes from, because like our national anthem says ‘Advance Australia Fair’, is exactly what we want; we want to progress this nation, but we want a fair go.”

David Jochinke also said, “our concerns are this; there are alternative voices that are setting the agenda, there are alternative voices that are united against us, and we don’t think that they’re the ones that should be setting the policy, because we are the interface between the environment and the consumers”.

“Bad ideas that are created from activist ideologies and that aren’t founded in farmers and fact will always be bad … and those voices are loud, they are well-resourced and they have deep pockets.”

Western Australian Farmers president John Hassel remarked that animal activists want all animal exploitation stopped.

He said the Keep the Sheep movement began with the legislation to ban the live sheep trade.

“The legislation was based on innuendo, activism, emotion and a filthy little deal with preference to the Animal Justice Party in order to keep Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek in a seat, it was not based on science, it was not based on evidence,” Mr Hassel said.

Livestock South Australian vice president Allan Piggott said the rally is not just about live sheep exports and or Western Australia, but it is about politicians making poor decisions not based on science and evidence.

“We can’t have politicians kowtowing to the people who don’t really matter.”

He said the industry needed to make sure politicians receive the information that enables them to make decisions based on science and fact, rather than ideology.