Australia's $92 million live sheep export industry will be shut down if Labor is elected at this month's federal election, the opposition has confirmed.
For months, shadow agriculture spokesperson Julie Collins has refused to say whether the party planned to end the live sheep trade in a policy Labor took to the last federal election.
In a statement to the ABC today, a Labor party spokesperson confirmed it would ban the trade, which they said had been waning for more than 20 years.
"An elected Albanese Labor government will phase out live sheep exports in consultation with the industry and the West Australian government on what needs to happen given this decline," the statement said.
Before the 2019 election Labor committed to phasing out the trade over five years but has remained tight-lipped about its plans since.
Labor's spokesperson did not set a timeline for ending the trade, but said the party supported "value-adding more here in Australia to create more job opportunities".
The spokesperson said Labor would not make changes to the live cattle export trade.
Existing measures 'appropriate', Premier says
WA Labor Premier Mark McGowan was asked on Thursday morning whether he agreed with federal Labor's position.
He said he was not aware any announcement had been made.
"What I do know is the measures that are in place — which were objected to, I might add, by some of those groups – have actually worked effectively and have been appropriate," he said.
Mr McGowan said that existing measures to monitor and mitigate heat stress were appropriate.
"From memory, we put in place rules that required a suspension of exports over the northern summer because of the shocking outcomes that were occurring particularly in the summer months up in the Persian Gulf," he said.
"I think that measure worked pretty well, and I think it was widely accepted.
"Then there was additional vet checks, and there was additional monitoring put in place on some of the ships.
"I think the measures that are in place are appropriate at this point in time."
Exporters, rights groups unhappy
Australian Livestock Exporters' Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said Labor's position was disappointing.
"There's many reasons livestock volumes change over time, including price and market supply," he said.
"To call the industry a declining industry does not give due respect to its importance, both to our producers or trading partners."
Earlier this week the Australian Alliance for Animals said Labor had already told it of its post-election plans.
The animal rights group was also disappointed.
"They haven't put a timeline on it, so it doesn't effectively meet the policy we were putting to them of phasing out the trade within three years," spokesman Jed Goodfellow said.
In 2020-21 Australia exported more than 600,000 sheep, more than half of which were sent to Kuwait.
Almost all of the sheep were exported from Western Australia.
Thousands of jobs to lose
The Coalition government has increased regulations for sheep exporters in recent years, including overseeing a ban on exports during the northern summer months.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said Labor's plan to end the live sheep trade would "destroy 3,000 people's jobs".
"Australian farmers have been given a glimpse of how they'll be treated under an Albanese Labor government, hearing they've lost their livelihoods after activists are told," Mr Littleproud said.
Speaking in WA during the election campaign, Mr Littleproud warned that any plan to halt the trade would disrupt global food security and Australian jobs.
"There is still demand for live animal exports, not only on a cultural basis, but also on the basis that they don't have the cold storage facilities, so it comes as a food security issue for these countries,' he said.
