Morganzola, did you even bother to read the Scot Braithwaite letter,
the link which I posted, to hear another side of the story? Here
it is in another version, this time interpreted by Robert Gottliebson,
a rational business commentator of some repute. He also provides
another link to the the letter, if you missed the first one.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Too-much-at-stake-in-cattle-export-ban-pd20110613-HRV7J?OpenDocument&emcontent_Gottliebsen

Perhaps you have been duped after all, for the 4 Corners programme
was hardly a balanced documentary, but more like a campaign for
AA, who are indeed admitted vegans with an agenda.

If mob rule is to prevail, if you want to deny farmers the right
to trade, if you want to remove farmers methods to dealing with
droughts, at the whim of a tv programme, then we have every right
to expect that the mob show at least some sign of understanding
the issue, not just all emotion and no reason, as has been
displayed on this thread. If it was your livelyhood that was
destroyed, you would be crowing very loudly. That is what has
happened to some up north.

I am all for improving animal welfare. I also realise that funding
is limited, so far to us farmers paying levies on every sheep or
cow that is sold. MLA in the end, comes under the control of the
Minister of Agriculture. If he thinks that more should be spent
on animal welfare then the funding available, he is free to make
that suggestion or even better, provide some funding from the
general 4 billion$ foreign aid programme. Raise the standard,
spend more, solve the problem, but don't send farmers out of
business because some turned hysterical without understanding the
facts.

Hello all,
Reply to Yabby,

Yabby I cant act as a carrier pigeon between you and Gertrude, so would you mind reply here pls. There are three rounds and apart from anything else it wouldnt fit in here.

Round one-

http://www.opiniononlineforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=496&p=655#p655
Kerryanne

I smell a back flip coming:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/labor-backs-down-on-cattle-20110614-1g1z8.html

Labor is adjusting its policies to the opinion polls again.

I would not be at all surprised if Labor does in fact do a back-flip - the pressure from the MLA and other vested interest must be immense.

At least the 4 corners program achieved public awareness.

We simply cannot cease live export immediately, like any worthwhile change it must be done incrementally.

First is to ensure that animals are slaughtered humanely in the country to which they are shipped. Not all Indonesian abattoirs are mindless and ignorant.

Second, is to create far more humane transport methods - this will increase the price. If the quality of our beef is such, then the buyer should be willing to cover the cost. They may choose other countries, however, the trend is towards humane shipping overall. People action both here and in places like Indonesia can be a instrument for change.

Thirdly, re-open the northern abattoirs. They were only closed for financial expediency, this short-term thinking will eventually fail as higher standards are demanded by people in third world countries both in their pay and working conditions as well as concern for animal welfare.

Shadow Minister

A question for you, if the Libs had been in power would they have made an immediate stop to live export? And, if so, would they also not be considering a back-flip for the same reasons as Labor? Your attempts to score political points are simply lame. Either make a valid contribution to the topic or refrain from muddying an already difficult problem.

@ Yabby:

Yes, I've read Braithwaite's letter. I do wish you'd drop the patronising tone. I've been following this issue for years, and our difference in perspective is due to our respective evaluations of the ethics of this endangered industry. My view is that it is unethical to participate knowingly in an industry where animals are being treated inhumanely, regardless of what proportion that is.

Your view, like that of MLA and other representative groups and websites, seems to be that we should tolerate the kind of inhumane treatment exposed by the 4 Corners program, because not all importers of Australian cattle behave that way, and it's going to cost producers money.

The trouble with the industry position is that there has been little incentive to improve conditions for Australian cattle slaughtered in Indonesia in ways which would be deemed cruel and illegal in this country. I guess that's why the industry has been content to cover up cruelty, rather than investigate the appalling behavior uncovered by AA, despite knowing about it for more than a decade.

Despite its limitations, the 4 Corners program has exposed this shameful and unacceptable state of affairs, which now shows signs of being resolved due to the glare of public scrutiny. How long would the industry have taken otherwise, if ever?

I don't suppose you'll ever concede fault or negligence on the part of the unpopular live exports industry, so it's just as well we have organizations like Animals Australia, and a government willing to act to ensure that such brutality is consigned to our past. In national terms, the live export industry is not only unpopular, but also relatively insignificant in economic terms. If the industry wants to survive in such a climate, they need to take responsibility for their product 'from paddock to plate' instead of just doing the bare minimum they can get away with and mouthing platitudes.

*Your view, like that of MLA and other representative groups and websites, seems to be that we should tolerate the kind of inhumane treatment exposed by the 4 Corners program*

Morganzola, show me where I wrote that.I have written exactly what
I think, wrote it years ago on OLO in fact. I don't think you
actually bother to read my posts too well.

*I guess that's why the industry has been content to cover up cruelty*

Who in the industry covered up cruelty?

*How long would the industry have taken otherwise, if ever?*

That depended on MLA and the funding which they had available. To
their credit, they had in fact started rolling out a stun gun
programme, with another 5 works due to be upgraded. If the public
wants it speeded up, so put public money where your mouths are.

*In national terms, the live export industry is not only unpopular, but also relatively insignificant in economic terms.*

Its a billion $ industry and absolutaly vital to Western Australian
agriculture. Multiply that by 6 and you know what its worth to
the country. It is absolutaly vital in helping farmers deal with
drought. Next you will be complaining that farmers are causing
soil erosion. You really don't seem to understand the industry.

Its not there to win popularity prizes, its there to let tens of
thousands of Australians earn a living. You are free to buy the
livestock and slaughter them here, if you think that you know
better. Farmers, particularly Western Australian ones, happen to
live in the real world of international trade. Few of you seem
to have a clue what that entails, living off the coattails of
West Australian exporters.