Labor gaffe may scuttle live exports, Truss urges PM to ‘release Rudd!’
23rd June, 2011
“THE Gillard government’s failure to liaise with or even inform the Indonesians of their total ban on live cattle exports before announcing it has emerged as a major diplomatic gaffe that is standing in the way of the resumption of the $320 million-a -year trade,” Leader of The Nationals Warren Truss warned today.“The government’s bungling of this issue has damaged our relationships with our important neighbour. Two things are needed right now to salvage the relationship and to restart the trade:
* Firstly, the government must urgently send the Foreign Minister to Indonesia to patch up the damaged relations between our two countries. It is reported the Foreign Minister is keen to go but that the Prime Minister is holding him back. I call upon the Prime Minister to release Rudd before it’s too late!
* Secondly, it is imperative that a boat load of cattle be on the water before Indonesian import permits expire on 30 June 2011, otherwise new permits will be issued for cattle from other countries.
“Time is now of the essence. The Indonesians are naturally seeking replacement live cattle from elsewhere, while their boxed meat quota will come from anywhere except Australia. This situation is now descending into complete chaos for our farmers, exporters and allied industries.
“Properly handled, some of the live cattle trade to Indonesia can be responsibly resumed in days, not weeks or months. The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) can track cattle right through to the approved abattoirs.
“Cattle currently stranded in Australia awaiting transport are not immediately destined for abattoirs, they go to feedlots for 60-90 days in Indonesia for fattening. They can be transported now, clearing the urgent cases where cattle are already in holding pens in Australia.
“Most of our cattle already have NLIS tags. Getting any untagged cattle ready for transport is not onerous. Specifically, this involves using hand-held scanning equipment coinciding with tagging as cattle board ships.
“While this is going on, abattoirs can be assessed, accredited and progressively brought online with a view to resumption of trade well before any current shipment of cattle is ready for slaughter. Directing those cattle through the prescribed abattoirs simply requires an agreement with the feedlot owners in Indonesia.
“The Indonesian edition of Masterchef is currently being filmed in a world-class Australian-owned abattoir at the end of a closed supply chain. This facility is good enough for Masterchef but not good enough for Australian cattle.
“The blanket ban of all Indonesian abattoirs has been bungled and unwarranted. Labor’s inept policy failure risks serious reprisals. It is now taking so long to resolve – more than two weeks has already elapsed – that Australia’s entire live cattle trade is in jeopardy.
“Much of the economic, social, environmental and animal welfare crisis unfolding in northern Australia is not necessary. The accreditation of abattoirs in Indonesia that meet Australian animal welfare expectations could be completed over a day or two and other facilities brought up to speed over a few weeks.
“But the Gillard government has to move fast.”
[ENDS]
