Live Export

NFF condemns ‘appalling attack’ on live ex cattle class action

Beef Central 10/07/2024

NATIONAL Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke has labelled the Federal Government’s recent correspondence on the live cattle class action as an “appalling attack on victims”.

In a letter the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus sent to the NFF and provided to the Australian Financial Review last week, the Government has accused the class action of trying to line their pockets at the tax payers’ expense.

“This is outrageously misleading and a disgraceful attempt to bluff the public and play games with people who’ve already lost so much,” said Mr Jochinke, who is in the Northern Territory this week, speaking with producers.

“We are talking about a wrongdoing from 2011, that’s still dragging on. Since that time people have died, businesses have collapsed and families have cracked under the pressure.

“Yet the government continues with this contemptuous behaviour, ignorant of the devastation the unlawful ban brought upon people who continue to suffer financially and emotionally.”

Plenty has been said about the handling of the class action this year, with former NT Cattlemen’s Association chief executive officer Tracey Hayes calling out the conduct of the Government during a presentation at Beef 2024 in Rockhampton. Current NTCA also brought it to the attention of a parliamentary committee hearing into the live sheep phase out.

The Commonwealth has offered $215 million in settlement, which fell far short of the $500 million, plus interest, in damages the class is seeking.

The Government has indicated the Commonwealth’s offer is above the loss of expected profits for 2011-12.

Mr Jochinke said this did not account for the significant costs the victims suffered in the fallout from the ban.

“It’s incredibly misleading for the Government to claim the loss occurred only in a single year, and was confined only to expected profits.

“Lost profits are only the tip of the iceberg. That doesn’t account for the market crash that followed the ban. It completely ignores the cattle deaths the ban caused, the losses exporters, veterinarians and other businesses in the supply chain suffered, or the forced property sales that ensued.

“The Government is meant to be a model litigant. Instead, it’s now briefing mischievous nonsense to journalists. The complete disregard for producers who just want to move on is astonishing.”

Source: NFF

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Comments

  1. Stephen Hanigan, 16/08/2024

    What Albo should do ask Chris Bowen for a donation from his environmental piggy bank to put the issue to bed once and for all.
    Or ask the grants commission to redirect funds from government sponsored manufacturing start ups like the solar panel project.
    Albo wasteful capital spend is typical of Labor governments

  2. John Armstrong, 17/07/2024

    We cannot negotiate on payout price. The case has been proven as per the lead case. Full tote payment as per that winning court case MUST be adhered to!

  3. Dylan Walters, 11/07/2024

    There was 10 years of LNP coalition. Good Lawyers should have been able to finish a case in that time period.
    If the claim is $500M and there is evidence to prove it just go to trial. But no doubt the evidence of damages after 13 years will be difficult to prove.

  4. Martin Jenkins, 11/07/2024

    How dare the Labor government
    Treat the cattle industry like this.
    At the time the Gillard government made policy on
    The run by panicking due to
    Nonsense on the ABC. They
    Should pay up , they didn’t mind
    Wasting nearly half a billion dollars on the voice rubbish.
    This is the most anti farmer
    Government since the Whitlam
    Government. All country people
    Should put Labor last at the
    Next election because they
    Couldn’t care less about people
    In regional Australia.

    • Robb Garnett, 11/07/2024

      I think all reasonable hard working Australians should put Labor last. Put rural Australia, our farmers and our agriculture infrastructure first. Everyone should buy only Aussie produce as another show of support.

  5. Stephen Holt, 11/07/2024

    Labor is never going co operate. It’s against every fibre in their body. What I find un acceptable is the coalition party was in power for a few terms. They should have concluded this action.

  6. Val Dyer, 10/07/2024

    Is this also a ‘payback’ by Labour as Joe Ludwig’s father lost the Union vs NFF/ processors and producers in the Mudginberri case way back? Which created more efficiencies on wharfs and other Union dominated sites?

    There is also a case for defamation of cattle producer’s reputations/characters, all of whom experienced massive emotional stress, which may not have been recognised in the successful claim against the Federal Labour Government.

    Harden up, Murray Watt, admit wrongdoing and settle this case for the $500m + that is rightfully due, which is really a discount on the impact of that ban in 2011.

  7. Ross Murray, 10/07/2024

    How typical of this AG- this person and this government has no respect for people trying to make a living off the land, moreso northern cattle producers. They have stopped live sheep and cattle are certain to be next in line.

  8. Ken Lindorff, 10/07/2024

    Once again this Government has shown total contempt to our country folk. They are destroying livelihoods with total disregard. Even renewables are being spread all over the countryside saying what a good job they are doing. It is destroying out landscape.

  9. Andy Cooper, 10/07/2024

    This is normal labour government ways to close down another Australian business

  10. John Andre, 10/07/2024

    This ban caused at least one family to be sold up when the government removed their market for so long that they were unable to meet payments on purchasing another station.

  11. Mike Introvigne, 10/07/2024

    Do you expect any more from this incompetent Labor government. Time and again they prove why they must be kicked out at the next election.

  12. Stanley Bruce Collins, 10/07/2024

    The Fed Govt should be aware that those directly involved in the live export industry were not the only ones to suffer. Every cattle producer in Queensland suffered as well because of the flood of live ex cattle from the NT and NQ that came on to the domestic and other slaughter markets as a result. My family’s business alone would have suffered a loss of $500,000 at least and we are not a big operation. However, we did not join the class action because we were not directly involved.

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