politics
T
he recent media publication of
documents provides disturbing
details of a forum held in August
last year between agribusiness
owners, NSW Farmers Association,
Federal Agriculture Minister, Barnaby Joyce,
and NSW Primary Industries Minister, Niall
Blair, along with police and the RSPCA.
They reveal the extent to which industry
and government are working together to
silence activists seeking to expose animal
cruelty in farming.
The documents obtained under freedom
of information laws confirm what many
activists have argued for a long time: the
interconnected links between animal
agriculture, government and sadly, the
RSPCA. The forum participants committed
to an action plan to harmonise state laws
regarding the supposed threat of “farm
trespass” by animal activists. The plan
reflects the fears of an industry that
understands the implications of its routine
practices being exposed to the public.
Transparency and truth are to be avoided
at all costs. We also see federal and state
governments intent on ensuring cruel
practices remain hidden from view. Rather
than listening to community concerns and
accepting that animal welfare standards
need to be radically reformed, government
is determined to keep animal welfare
legislation in the 1970s.
One of the more alarming revelations is
the active participation of the RSPCA in
such discussions. The RSPCA’s willingnessto side with industry and government is
an affront to their charter, and would no
doubt come as a surprise to their many
supporters. The fact that the RSPCA
participated in such discussions which
made no mention of enforcement or
prosecution of animal cruelty laws is
concerning. One is entitled to ask, what
is the role of the RSPCA in farm trespass
policy discussions? Why are they not
holding industry to account for their
cruel practices? As has been said many
times; if we kept a dog in the same
conditions that industry keeps pigs in
intensive farms, animal-cruelty charges
would be laid.
The document identified that 38 piggeries
in the Young area of NSW, along with poultry
farms in other states, were known to have
been “invaded for the purpose of installing
unauthorised surveillance devices, ostensibly
to ‘reveal’ animal husbandry practices
believed to be poor”.
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly,
this statement reflects the absolute lack
of concern for animal wellbeing. The
treatment of these animals is appalling, not
poor. Animal cruelty is standard industry
practice, not an aberration. Illegal acts of
abuse are often captured when filming,
but it is the standard practice that activists
are recording for public viewing. Activists
seek to bring transparency and truth to the
public arena, enabling consumers to make
balanced decisions about their purchases
and food choices.If industry is confident that their
practices are acceptable then there should
be no issue with footage showing industry
practice. If the government is confident that
their animal welfare laws are so robust,
then let’s show those lawful practices to
the public. Tail docking, castration, teeth
clipping, debeaking, removal of skin
(mulesing), battery cages, farrowing crates,
faeces-laden broiler sheds - let’s shine the
camera light onto the everyday cruelties
that these animals suffer.
NSW Assistant Police Commissioner,
Geoff McKechnie, is documented as
stating that “These incursions fall into the
‘trespass with intent’ category, NSW Police
have been investigating these incidents
actively, but evidence gathering around
such incidents presents significant
challenges”. No comment on the crimes
exposed by activists?
Many may not be aware, but the NSW
Police are also an enforcement agency
under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Act. It is not just the RSPCA or Animal
Welfare League that have powers to
enforce and prosecute animal-cruelty
crimes, yet the attitude of government and
the NSW Police is to leave enforcement to
a poorly resourced charitable organisation
that is almost completely unaccountable to
government. Yet significant police resources
are being used to investigate and pursue
animal activists.
The Hon. Mark Pearson, MLC,
Animal Justice Party8IPCFOFmUTGSPNTJMFODJOH
ANIMAL ACTIVISTS
© David Hewison, 123rfRSLQLRQ