Live Export

Crean asked to chair Australian Livestock Exporter’s Council

Beef Central 09/09/2014

Australian Livestock Exporters Council chief executive officer Alison Penfold has confirmed this morning that the council has approached former Federal agriculture minister Simon Crean to chair the organisation.

Incumbent chair Peter Kane indicated in May that he had decided not to seek a third term when the position becomes vacant at this year’s Annual General Meeting on October 29.

In a media statement issued this morning Ms Penfold said the council has approached Simon Crean to fill the position, however, the council has given no indication yet as to whether Mr Crean has indicated whether he will accept the invitation.

“The process for appointing the ALEC Chairman is in the hands of the organisation’s members and concludes on 29 October at the ALEC Annual General Meeting,” Ms Penfold said.

“A formal announcement on the appointment will be made at that time.”

Mr Crean retired from Federal Politics after 23 years as the Federal Member for Hotham at the September 2013 election. During his parliamentary career he served as minister for Primary Industries and Energy from 1991 to 1993, Leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003, and most recently as Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government in the Gillard Government.

Mr Kane, a former Senior Trade Commissioner with Austrade before his retirement in 2009, was elected as the ALEC Chairman in October 2010.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Mr Kane was elected as ALEC’s second chairman in October 2010. ALEC commenced in 1985 and has since had 11 chairmen including Mr Kane since that time.

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Comments

  1. barbara luck, 10/09/2014

    why do we have to send cattle sheep over sea why cant there be killed our way not the way they kill them over there

  2. Katrina Love, 10/09/2014

    A degree of impartiality at last?

    I’m not sure if you understand the meaning of the saying you refer to , Nick McBride, but you have it arse-about. Putting anyone benefiting from or with a vested interest in the live export industry as chair of ALEC – THAT would be like putting the fox in charge of the hen house.

    Clarke – whilst I sincerely wish that the Labor Party DID have an agenda to destroy the live animal export industry, alas the party’s policy is to support LE and one of the failings of current opposition leader is his vehement support of the trade, though at least there are numerous MPs and approximately 50% of caucus supporting an end to LE and transition to chilled-only. Had it not been for the five-week suspension of trade to Indonesia in 2011 and the subsequent formation and implementation of ESCAS, the industry may well have died a justified death.

  3. j c hughes, 10/09/2014

    I was a livestock exporter for around 25 years.This included Mr Crean’s stint as Minister for Primary Industry where he displayed a supreme indifference in live exports. The Labour party through its links with the AMIEU and other left wing loonies has a strongly entrenched position that is fundamentally opposed to the live export trade. To suggest that one of the most stalwart of the Australian Labour Party faithfuls can take a productive leadership role in a trade fundamentally opposed to labours beliefs is not only crazy but very dangerous.

  4. Clarke Roycroft, 09/09/2014

    How could any position involving agriculture be deemed suitable for any labour drongo that served in the last mob that tried their hardest to destroy australian agriculture

  5. Andrew Daniels (Mayor of Cloncurry), 09/09/2014

    I do wonder how desperate we have become when appointing these positions. This position should be at least held by some one in northern Aust that has areal understanding of the industry it’s potential and its impact if not looked after properly

  6. Nick McBride, 09/09/2014

    Unbelievable! Mr Crean was part of a political team that nearly or perhaps successfully did break the back of the northern cattle industry and now he is being asked to help re-build it.
    This is asking the fox to look after the chickens.

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