Turnbull rebukes Ley over her ‘rebel’ bill to end live exports

Malcolm Turnbull has rebuked former cabinet minister Sussan Ley for her private member’s bill to end the live sheep trade.

Sussan Ley during question time yesterday. Picture: AAP

Malcolm Turnbull has rebuked former cabinet minister Sussan Ley for her private member’s bill to end the live sheep trade, amid growing unease in the Coalition partyroom over the industry.

Fourteen Coalition MPs yesterday spoke out behind closed doors on the live exports issue, with a number saying they had been deluged with constituent complaints over the decision to continue the trade.

The partyroom tension on the issue came as a former live export industry boss was sentenced over a shipment of 22,000 Australian sheep that ended with many being slaughtered in Pakistan over disease fears.

Liberal Party sources said there were no new MPs who indicated they would back Ms Ley’s bill, which is supported by two colleagues — Victorians Jason Wood and Sarah Henderson.

The Prime Minister admonished Ms Ley, telling the partyroom the Coalition had “good systems” allowing backbenchers to raise issues with ministers, rather than pursue rebel bills.

But there was growing anger among Coalition MPs over the record of live exporters, with a number expressing support for Ms Ley and warning the trade would inevitably have to end.

Queensland backbencher Warren Entsch backed Ms Ley, while stopping short of supporting her bill, saying the government needed a “Plan B” for exporters. He said if there was another event involving mass deaths of transported animals, which he said was probably inevitable, the live trade would cease.

Another MP, Victorian Russell Broadbent, also warned that the industry was on its last chance, saying the government would have to wind it up if there were further infractions.

Ms Ley’s private member’s bill would ban live sheep exports to the Middle East during the northern hemisphere summer months next year and entirely close the sector down in five years.

The Labor caucus yesterday threw its support behind the bill but decided not to try to force a vote until after the “Super Saturday” by-elections, which the party hopes will renew its depleted numbers following the resignations of four of its MPs.

Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said the industry had to shift to processing animals in Australia before export.

“We have got to further expand the markets for frozen and chilled meat, so there is a lot of work to do. But I am confident we can do that and farmers can come out the other side in better shape,” he said.

Former Wellard Rural Exports manager Garry Robinson was sentenced over a 2012 live sheep shipment on the Ocean Drover. The shipment had twice been rejected by Bahrain due to disease, but Robinson’s falsified paperwork prompted authorities to allow the animals to disembark in Pakistan.

He was sentenced to 18 months in jail but was immediately released on a $20,000 recognisance and a good behaviour bond.