Calls for ban on activist group over “cash for cruelty” scandal

A federal MP has called for ties between Animals Australia and the federal government to be cut over the cash for cruelty scandal.

Sheep in pins awaiting loading on trucks for live export at Peel Feedlot, Mardella, WA. Philip Gostelow/The Australian

Federal agriculture Minister Murray Watt has been urged to cut all ties between the federal agricultural department and activist group Animals Australia over the “cash for cruelty” scandal that led to animal cruelty charges against a live sheep exporter being dropped this month.

Speaking under the protection of parliamentary privilege, Western Australian Liberal MP Rick Wilson said the real reason the high profile case against Emanuel Exports was dropped in the Perth Magistrates Court was “far more sinister” than the prosecutor’s claim it was “no longer in the public interest to proceed”.

Mr Wilson said deckhand Faizal Ullah, whose footage of suffering and dying sheep aboard the Awassi Express in the Persian Gulf in 2017 led to the shutdown of the summer export trade, had “disappeared, causing the case to collapse”.

The death of 2400 sheep aboard the vessel was also the catalyst for Labor’s pre-election pledge to end the trade entirely.

The Australian has previously revealed that animal activist group Animals Australia made payments of more than $148,000 to Mr Ullah and his family, a claim which the organisation has previously denied.

Mr Wilson told the parliament he had seen bank statements showing cash had been transferred from Australians to Mr Ullah’s Middle Eastern bank accounts.

He also claimed that Mr Ullah and other deckhands had been “groomed” by Animals Australia to provide footage of animals suffering.

Mr Wilson said an email showed a worker suggested ventilation to the sheep could be closed in order to increase animal suffering and that sheep housed in the areas of the ship overseen by a whistleblower had suffered the “highest mortality rates, and the footage he took showed clear evidence of carer neglect”.

Rick Wilson MP.

It has previously been reported that Animals Australia warned deckhands that “under no circumstance” should they alter ventilation to increase the suffering of sheep aboard the ship.

Mr Wilson said the revelations should prompt Agriculture Minister Murray Watt to sever all official ties between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the organisation.

Animals Australia did not respond before deadline.

It comes as a new report revealed the Albanese government’s plan to shut down the live sheep export trade would immediately result in jobs being lost and cost local economies hundreds of millions of dollars.

A new report commissioned by seven local governments in Western Australia’s northeastern wheatbelt found that their region alone would lose more than 50 jobs straight away if the trade was closed, and take an economic hit of between $39m and $128m over two decades.

While the report, prepared by Econosis, specifically examined the impact on the north east wheatbelt region, the effects of the closure would be felt throughout the state’s south.

The Albanese government is sitting on a report by a panel it convened to investigate options to phase out the trade.

Phasing out of the Live Sheep export trade will have significant economic impacts on the NEWROC farmers, communities and local economies,” NEWROC chair Melanie Brown said.

“Deterioration in animal welfare is a great concern, as supply to the Middle East will shift from a high quality animal welfare regulated industry in Australia, to far less regulated countries”.