Animal activists: Victoria holds back as Queensland, feds change laws
VICTORIAN Government reluctance to change laws impacting animal activists is in stark contrast with the federal and Queensland governments announcing new laws.
VICTORIAN Government reluctance to change laws impacting animal activists is in stark contrast with the federal and Queensland governments announcing new laws.
Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes, while saying she was open to law changes, has reiterated her preferred solution of “cultural change” as she addressed the Rural Press Club of Victoria last week.
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“I’d like to invite those organising the protests or organising farm or abattoir invasions to join me on a farming property to see how a successful and sustainable farm operates,” she said.
As for the activists who want an end to animal agriculture altogether, Ms Symes said: “There’ll be discussion around law changes … but again I will stress I haven’t seen many examples where a harsher penalty actually stops behaviour.
“I’d like to focus my attention on promoting good practices, good farmers, and making sure everyone understands where their food comes from and why it’s so important to the Victorian economy.”
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It comes as the Federal Government promised new laws that will see animal activists face up to 12 months in jail for disclosing personal information to incite farm trespass, if re-elected.
Attorney-General Christian Porter said the new offence would be designed specifically to protect farmers and primary producers from “vigilante action”.
“Penalties of up to 12 months imprisonment will apply to individuals who use a carriage service, such as the internet, to disclose personal information with the intention that another person would use that information to trespass on agricultural land,” he said.
“The law would also apply to other primary producers such as abattoirs.”
Federal Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said Labor would consider proposed increases in penalties and new offences and “supports them in principle … but alone, threatening people with jail for using their iPhones to organise a protest rally is not likely to have any meaningful impact”.
National Farmers’ Federation chief executive officer Tony Mahar said the proposed laws were a relief to farming families, who were “under siege”.
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The Federal Government recently moved to bring the controversial animal activist group Aussie Farms under the Privacy Act, from which it used to be exempt.
The Queensland Government has also promised to introduce new laws that will see animal activists face on-the-spot fines for breaking the law.
Amendments to Queensland’s Biosecurity Regulation will allow police and biosecurity officers to issue a $652.75 fine on the spot or later after review of evidence.
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