Animal welfare: Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie leads call for national oversight for farm animals, live exports

Farm-animal treatment and live exports will be overseen by a national independent animal welfare body if an MP’s parliamentary bid succeeds. HAVE YOUR SAY

Calls have been renewed for a national office of animal welfare.

The push for a national body for animal welfare has been renewed once again, this time by Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie.

Mr Wilkie on Monday introduced a private members’ bill to establish an independent Office of Animal Welfare, which would have oversight of everything from the treatment of farm animals to live exports.

“The community expects the Federal Government to take the lead on animal welfare, as for too long Australians have been shocked by the lack of transparency in the regulation and treatment of our animals,” Mr Wilkie said in a statement.

Notably, the bill would also see the office come under the Attorney-General’s department and not agriculture, in line with past recommendations by animal welfare groups.

There have been several attempts in the past decade by the Greens to establish such an office via federal Parliament, but have never garnered the support needed from the Coalition or Labor – despite Labor also promising at the past two federal elections to establish an independent office.

The push for an independent office has often come in response to reports of mishandling of live animals at overseas abattoirs, or live sheep export deaths.

However, a Productivity Commission report in 2016 also recommended establishing an Australian Commission for Animal Welfare to develop nationally consistent welfare standards; that call was swiftly ruled out by the Government.

Mr Wilkie argued the proposed office would give national leadership on animal welfare issues and policy, and hold industry stakeholders to account.

“Advised by animal welfare experts independent of industry, (the office) can be frank and fearless in its inquiries and recommendations,” he said.

“Industries can’t continue to be allowed to write their own animal welfare standards – talk about the fox guarding the henhouse.”