The RSPCA does a fine job dealing with cruelty to animals that occurs every day, in our cities. Sometimes they get involved too, when individual farmers get it wrong. That is all well and good. But now it seems, they are moving well out of their depth, getting actively involved in a campaign against Julia Gillard, trying to force her hand over the live trade issue. The press reports that a publicity campaign in this regard, is about to start, in conjuction with Getup and Animals Australia.

The people at the RSPCA seem oblivious, as to how complex this debate really is. It is not their area of expertise. The live trade is critical for farmers for instance, when dealing with drought. We can't predict climate for more then a few days ahead, so when drought hits, farmers need to destock fairly quickly, before land blows and stock go downhill. When alot of them do that, there is no way that our meatworks can cope. Handfeeding a flock of 4000 sheep costs around 17'000$ a week, which can soon send a farmer broke. We've
had to dig holes and shoot sheep before. We need the live trade,
for they can move large volumes of livestock very quickly when required.

The RSPCA need to stick to what they do well, not get involved in industries which they simply don't understand.

If they want to, they are free to become proactive and help assist farmers in improving animal welfare in the third world. The ostrich approach is doomed to failure

Yabby, you are flogging a dead horse with this topic I think (pun intended).
After watching the Four Corners episode, many people in Australia will surely become vegetarians, or life-time militant members of the RSPCA at the very least :)

The RSPCA is merely responding to the massive outpouring of disgust from animal lovers all over Australia. They have no choice other than to take a strong stance on this subject, or they would be lynched I am thinking.

I imagine the RSPCA staff would have a good understanding of farming practices in this country surely? It wouldn't be hard for people in this organisation to have learned or been taught the why's and wherefores of animal farming.
It isn't rocket science.

I am sure farmers are smart enough to work out these problems and come up with a more humane solution for exporting meat.

Sorry Suzi but yabby is quite right.
Pure emotionalism is blinding us here.
And while most of us did not like the film, RSPCA is in the hands of unrealistic people.
AN industry is now being held to ransom.
Based on a successful demonstration from a radical animal rights group, was it a show of staged, or everyday events.
We have stopped,for how long a trade we need, improvements will come, with good will we will recommence our trade.
But here, just maybe, a true very real conspiracy exists.
We can be and are being manipulated by some who knowingly deceive.
Lyne White is such a person.
I and increasing numbers trust no animal rights group the RSPCA is condemning jumps racehorses to be killed for dog meat rather than live a life they like.
Every story has more than one side.
Some one just must find out who was paid to let those folk film and was the thing produced.
Why did Lyne White not rush in and stop the cruelty.

Belly,

It is interesting that you put up a thread recently decrying the treatment of girls and women in other countries. These human beings are victims of cultural practices that you found immoral and objectionable.

I wonder, therefore, if you would have the same objections to film-makers bringing their plight to public notice by secretly filming without intervention. In this case, you are calling it a conspiracy.

Gandhi once said something about the fact that you can judge a country's moral progress by the way it treats its animals.

Suze, every day we hear reports of some of you suburbanites abusing
pets. So do we push for a ban on all pet ownership, or do we push
to continue to stamp out animal cruelty?

I am all for banning animal cruelty, but not for banning live exports.
So I think that solutions will be found, where animals are tracked
right down the line and are slaughtered in suitable facilities,
using appropropriate equipment. Its not rocket science.

Farming is easy, as is medicine. The devil as always, lies in the
details and doing either of them well, is more difficult.

Drought strategy logistics is something that even many farmers have
not considered. They just hope that there is a market for their
stock, when they want to sell them. When they are all forced to
do so, like when the writing is on the wall that a drought has
started, that is when disaster happens. You land up with bare
paddocks, dying animals, topsoil blowing away and all the rest.
It is very bad farming and very cruel to animals.

Good farmers avoid all this with good planning. In WA, the
live trade is essential as part of that good planning. Last
year WA was fortunate. We had a drought, but got through it
pretty well, because meatworks were functioning at capacity,
the live trade played their role and another million sheep
were trucked a few thousand Km to the East, as they had abundant
feed for once. That is a rare occasion, drought can be common
in the East, too.

So farmers had 3 outlets for their livestock. Take away two
of those three outlets and you will have disaster on your hands.

Nope, the RCPCA might mean well, but they do not have the foggiest
of any of this. So banning the live trade might well create
more cruelty then those with good intentions, could ever imagine.

I see federal Labor has yet again bowed to the 24hr news cycle, or maybe the noisy little Wilke.

Instead of developing rational policy, they simply shaft the farmers.

Oakeshott and Windsor, this is the shower that you felt better represented the interests of the rural communities.