The Nationals claim to represent farmers and rural people. As a farmer I find some of these politicians quite embarrising. Sometimes its just best to shut up and say nothing.
The Nats are still upset from the Animal Liberation, four corners exposure of the mis-treatment of exported live cattle and sheep. The Labour parties populist, knee jerk reaction of placing immediate bans on live cattle exports caused huge problems as the cattle simply banked up on farms as there was no longer a market for them. ( there is not the abattoir space in northern Australia to process them there. ) This coincided with a severe drought meaning there was no feed for many of the stock and caused an enormous animal welfare issue here on Australian soil and sent many farmers broke. It was another forgotten, huge Labour Party mess created by knee jerk, populist policy in response to media, without any thought at all for the concequences and is a great example of policy on the run at its worst. ( rant over )
As a farmer I have actually been on a tour of one of the live shipping boats as it was loading and have to say I was supprised that it was not too bad at all. ( I was expecting it to be fairly unpleasant, based on media reports ) . That does not mean I support the live export trade. We have very little control over the stock once they reach foriegn countries and many of these places are fairly barbaric in their attitudes towards animals. Like so many others I was appalled at the images presented in the four corners programme and cant see why we cant process the stock in Australia, ensuring it is done humanely and providing jobs for Australians . The religous ( Halal ) concerns can be accomodated as some local abbitours are already Halal certified.
As for the live baiting in the greyhound industry........
As a child I grew up near a small country town coursing paddock. Greyhounds where released to chase live rabbits around the paddock untill they where caught. ( they did use muzzles so that the rabbits where usually unharmed, but no doubt traumatised.) This was in the 1960,s and the club closed down in the early 1970,s due to changes in peoples attitudes and the realisation that chasing and killing live rabbits with dogs for fun was inhumane and unacceptable. It seems many in the greyhound industry are still stuck in the 1960,s. and completely out of step with the modern communities views on the treatment of animals.
Another big concern that the four corners programme raised was the extent of the corruption within greyhound racing, where the illegal and barbaric training teqniques where accepted and hidden at the highest levels of the industry and included people who had responsibility for policing such practices.
As a farmer I have to say that I support most of the campaigns that Animal Liberation run as I dont want to see stock that I have raised and cared for mistreated and abused.
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