THE Animal Justice Party has confirmed it did a preference deal with the Albanese Government to secure its policy to phase out live sheep exports by sea, just months after Agriculture Minister Murray Watt claimed at Senate Estimates he had no knowledge of such deals.
And the AJP on Saturday also said it was also in negotiations with major parties for the upcoming Federal Election, including “making the end of live cattle export the next AJP policy and political win.”
On Saturday, the Animal Justice Party said in a media release on its website that it helped secure the federal seat of Dunkley in Victoria for the Albanese Government in March with a preference deal demanding the end of live sheep exports.
The Dunkley by-election was won by the ALP’s Jodie Belyea from Coalition candidate Nathan Conroy by a margin of 5.4 percent — 52.7pc vs 47.3pc, after the ALP secured 41.1pc of first preference votes and the Coalition 39.2pc, but with the assistance of the AJP putting the ALP candidate at #2 on their ticket. The Greens got 6.4pc of first preference votes, the Independents 4.7pc and the AJP 3.1pc.
After Mr Watt announced the May 2028 phaseout date for live sheep exports by seas on Saturday, the AJP bragged in a media release that it delivered “the knockout blow” to the trade “by demanding the end of live sheep export as a requirement for our preferences at the Dunkley By-election in March.”
The AJP release also said: “Ongoing conversations behind-the-scenes between AJP and Labor leadership has helped to finetune government policy.”
However on 13 March, Mr Watt told Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie in a Senate Estimates hearing that he did not know of any preference deal done with the AJP in Western Australia.
“For starters, I don’t know.
“Secondly, preference negotiations are handled by party officers rather than ministers,” Mr Watt told the hearing.
Mr Watt said he had certainly heard a number of people in the industry claim that preference deals were behind the ALP’s live sheep phaseout policy, “but I’ve never seen evidence.”
“I’ve never seen any evidence to support that claim,” Mr Watt said.
When Senator McKenzie referred to comments about potential preference deals made by WAFarmers president John Hassell, Mr Watt said he doesn’t know what preference negotiations occurred with any party.
“I’m not involved in those. As I’ve pointed out before, this is a policy we’ve taken to two elections, not just one.”
When Mr Watt was asked if the state Labor Party does the preference deals in a federal election or if it is the party’s federal director, he said: “I genuinely don’t know. I’m not involved in those.”
Ongoing conversations with Labor leadership – AJP
The AJP release heralded the decision to phaseout the live sheep trade by seas by May 2028 as a “historic win”.
“The work of the Animal Justice Party, alongside various animal rights organisations, has mounted political pressure to the point where live export is no longer accepted by the majority of Australians,” the AJP release said.
“We are proud that the AJP could deliver the knockout blow by demanding the end of live sheep export as a requirement for our preferences at the Dunkley By-election in March.
“Ongoing conversations behind-the-scenes between AJP and Labor leadership has helped to finetune government policy,” the release said.
“While we wish the phase-out will happen more quickly, our contributions to securing financial support and certainty around transition dates mean there is no turning back!
“Everyone should be proud of their work leading to today’s remarkable win for the AJP. However, we know the job is not yet complete,” the AJP said.
“We are already in deep preference negotiations with major parties for the upcoming federal election, laser-focused on:
- Ensuring Labor enshrines the end of the trade in law before the election;
- Making the end of live cattle export the next AJP policy and political win; and
- The Coalition parties committing to end live export as a requirement for discussions.
“Ending this needless cruelty has required the work of many groups and individuals over many years. However, every AJP member should today take a moment to be proud of our key players – and the instrumental role played by our Party in this massive leap forward for animal rights.
“Today is truly for the animals,” the AJP concluded.
Senator McKenzie said the Albanese Government’s disdain for regional Australia is palpable.
“Labor does not care for the farmers and producers, previously it was the cattle industry and now it is the sheep industry in the firing line of a government who does not value this industry who are so incredibly vital to our nation’s success and economy.”
Mr Watt has reiterated that he personally did not do any preference deals with the Animal Justice Party, but the minister did not refute, on behalf of the ALP, the Animal Justice Party claim that it did a preference deal with the ALP on live sheep export policy prior to the Dunkley by-election.
“I have made no deals with the Animal Justice Party,” Mr Watt said.
“We first made our commitment to phase out live sheep exports five years before the Dunkley by election.”
as a bush accountant for over 60 years i find it devastating for the farmers and cruel for the sheep as they will just die on the properties as their teeth fall out and they cant eat the grass apart from the economic impact on the farmers budgets
AJP have now admitted that live cattle export is their next goal . No doubt next is any animal food or fiber industry . People need to be aware that animals provide human edible protein at a ratio of about 15 to 1 while grazing (i.e. 15 kgs of human edible protein for every kg of human edible protein eaten ) and at least 3kgs to 1 in intensive feed situations . The worlds population cant be fed adequately by plants or synthetically produced food alone .
We should require major political parties to be more open in their preference deals .
The Labor Party certainly have some grubby bedfellows!!