Sussan Ley’s bill to ban live exports set to founder

Malcolm Turnbull defended live-sheep exports as he shot down a bill by rebel government MPs to phase out the controversial trade.

Jason Wood, Sussan Ley and Sarah Henderson. Picture: Gary Ramage

Malcolm Turnbull yesterday issued a strenuous defence of live-sheep exports as he shot down a bill by rebel government MPs to phase out the controversial trade.

The Prime Minister said the government would not follow the “recklessness” of the former Labor government when it banned live-cattle exports in 2011.

Mr Turnbull’s defence of the sector came after Liberal MP Sussan Ley tabled a private member’s bill in parliament to ban the trade. The bill was publicly backed by government MPs Jason Wood and Sarah Henderson.

However, the prospects of the bill succeeding are virtually nil while four Labor MPs are out of parliament because of the citizenship crisis.

Even if all four won their by-elections and returned to parliament, the bill could still be stalled as none of the rebel Liberal MPs is prepared to support a suspension of standing orders against the government’s wishes.

“We do not want to have a repetition of the debacle that we had under the Labor Party where the entire live-cattle export business was banned and as a consequence families, farming families, across the nation were facing ruin,” Mr Turnbull said in question time yesterday. “That’s the sort of recklessness the government will not be a party to. What we have put in place … is a careful and considered approach based on science and that is why the government does not support the bill.”

An absolute majority of 76 MPs is needed to suspend standing orders to have a debate about the bill, which proposes a five-year phase-out of the sector.

Opposition agriculture spokes­man Joel Fitzgibbon will recommend to caucus that Labor support Ms Ley’s bill, but the party is down to 65 sitting members because four are disqualified from parliament and preparing for by-elections.

Mr Fitzgibbon said the bill had a chance of succeeding if Labor won all its by-elections and restored its numbers in the House of Representatives to 69, although he acknowledged Ms Henderson had expressed her reluctance to support a suspension of standing orders.

Ms Ley also said yesterday she would not support a suspension of standing orders as it would embarrass the government.

She told the house the live- sheep export trade was no longer viable on economic and animal- welfare grounds.