Meatworkers will march from Oakes Oval in Lismore today in support of local jobs they say are being endangered by the live export of cattle to other countries.
The union organising the march has accused Page MP Kevin Hogan of denying that live exports impact on the area’s meat processing industry.
When asked for comment about the claim, Mr Hogan did exactly that, saying the live export market is concentrated on the northern area of Australia, and had no impact on local meat processing jobs.
But Grant Courtney from the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union said Mr Hogan was turning a blind eye to the plight of local workers.
‘There are more than 1,000 meatworkers in the local meat processing facilities, every single one of their jobs are at risk if they continue to be ignored, and if we can’t secure ongoing supply to local abattoirs,’ Mr Courtney said.
‘There is a clear ongoing tension between live export and local meat processing jobs – and Mr Hogan is on the side that sends supply to be processed overseas, costing locals their jobs.
‘Despite live export only making up a small percentage of Australia’s meat exports, it is cannibalising our local meat industry. Even after repeated warnings of this problem, Mr Hogan continues to publicly release misleading statements that flatly deny the impact on local jobs.
‘Today’s rally is a clear message to Mr Hogan that local voters put local jobs first, and that they will not vote for a representative that continues to contribute nothing to the community they are bound to represent.’
Mr Hogan responded by saying that the beef cattle market locally was not geared to live exports, which are specific to northern Australia out of Darwin.
‘It is impossible to muster cattle in the northern part of Australia during the wet season. These cattle are specifically bred for live export,’ he said.
‘When live export was banned these cattle could not be sold overseas and depressed the cattle market for years.’
Mr Hogan also said that Labor’s shadow minister for Agriculture, Joel Fitzgibbon, at a forum in Casino recently, stated that he supports live exports.
‘Therefore the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union need to call on Labor to stop supporting live export as well.’
The meatworkers rally and march will begin at Oakes Oval in Lismore at 10.30am.
Imagine how many jobs there would be if the Government stopped live export, which only benefits a few, and focused on regional processing. There would research and development to continually improve, second and third tier support industry job creation and serious animal welfare standards. Today’s politics is All about quick wins over long-term growth.
The wet season argument doesn’t really stack up anymore. For starters if you can’t muster them, you can’t yard them and if you can’t yard them you can’t export them, true? Most companies that export during the wet season organize before the wet to have their export cattle at locations with all weather road access, the issue is getting them lifted during the wet not what happens to them once they hit the bitumen. When the cattle are trucked to the ports they are often driven straight past mothballed meat works, current meat works or the sites of former meat works. Most towns that live export also have major meat works, often very close to the port because chilled beef needs access to boats too. And there are live export ports dotted all around the Australian coast, top to bottom, not just Darwin.
There’s a lot to be sorted out and the Australian Livestock Exporters Council have a lot of work to do to lift their game, if they can. So far all we’ve seen is empty excuses, flawed arguments, blatant political influencing and no substantive action. They’ve had five years to clean up the mess but have apparently spent significantly more on marketing, PR and garnering political influence than they have on husbandry and getting their house in order, no sympathy. First clue, sack the slackers and the negligent not the whistle blowers, they’re the ones that’ll save your members’ businesses if you lot can extract yourselves from your victim mentality.
Stop the live export and keep australians in jobs in australia. How the hell can any of the live export trade be called humane by an decent human being. Keep the best in Australia. Stop wrecking it. We have lost our local abattoir a few years back, in a large regional town in S.A. Because of its closure, the town lost a lot of people and families whom relied on these jobs. Shops are empty, business is suffering etc Australia is not the land of opportunity now, its the land of exploitation from the govt selling us out.
…in the not too distant future, all our meat will be processed overseas, and imported back into Australia….this is the ultimate goal of most large operators………..yes, all Australians should indeed be worried .!!!!…
THE Meatworkers here are just as cruel as those overseas.If they really care,vote for the ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY and keep your practices compassionate and kind.