ALP stalls on new farm protest laws

Labor yet to decide if it will back proposed tough laws protecting farms from protesters.

Vegan protestors walk onto a dairy in Queensland. Picture: animalliberationphotography

Labor has yet to decide whether it will support the government’s proposed laws that could send animal rights activists to jail for up to five years for publishing material inciting others to trespass or engage in property damage or theft on ­private farms.

The legislation is scheduled to be debated by parliament this week and is the third bill on the government’s legislative agenda today, behind the Future Drought Fund and Farm Household Support Amendment.

Scott Morrison wants the legislation to be passed through the House of Representatives before the end of the month, but it is likely to be stalled in the Senate until September, when the legal and constitutional affairs legislative committee is due to report.

The bill was drafted after activists set up the Aussie Farms website that listed the addresses of Australian farms alongside photographs they claimed showed the treatment of animals being kept on those farms.

The website sparked protests that saw hundreds of vegans break into farms and abattoirs.

The Prime Minister last week described the activists as “cowardly keyboard warriors who ­incite criminal behaviour”.

A spokesman for opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus told The Australian that Labor was closely examining the bill and would determine its position after further consultations and following the release of the final Senate committee report.

“While Labor supports the claimed purpose of this bill to protect farmers from unlawful trespass and theft or damage to their property, questions have been raised about the significant overlap between this bill and existing state criminal laws, and whether this bill in fact improves protections for farmers,” the spokesman said.

Labor has a number of concerns about the potential un­intended consequences that could flow from the new federal offences including the impacts on freedom of the press and legitimate protest actions, including by farmers.