I want to introduce a different slant, well give more information about why I feel threatened by this issue.
Right now our whole country is driven by such as this issue.
Divided between a government, once full of promise and record highs in the polls.
And an opposition that is well named,, it opposes.
We are the victims.
Media, printed and electric wants the first headline, not out comes not better government,not even AUSTRALIA'S INTERESTS.
We are becoming a combative country's,ruled,by either side badly.
We never ask why we let the owner of newspapers, rich beyond belief have so much control.
Media Barron's who never lived in a fibro cottage or tent,say control what we hear and see.
I believe 80% of Australians are about the same, we are no matter who we vote for concerned about the same things think the same.
A media often staffed,fronted,by the bloke or lady down the road, who has no under standing no concerns about a hundred jobs lost.
Who cares nothing, that Brazilian cattle may be on their way to die just as badly are the result of minority hysteria.
continued

Propaganda look at the word, my age group thinks first of that twisted little servant of Adolph Hitler.
WRONG it has existed forever, every paid advertisement is such, every word any politician says is too.
We, more of us than is good for us, jump on any band wagon often getting on the wrong bus heading in wrong directions, thinking we are among Friends.
Minority's are driving us,herd animals join in jeering not quite sure what the crowd is on about but wanting to be part of it.
No animal rights group is to be trusted,Lyn White for sure.
With balance,without hysteria we could in one month.
See our cattle killed as they are in Australia, under the eyes of strict Australian inspectors.
No need to offend a country no need to stop a trade.
BUT every chance exists this witches brew has killed our trade our training and the killing will not change.
It is my view we must get that 80% together to isolate the minority from driving us .
And that vegans be unmasked for the acts of terrorism they produce against meat eaters.
Further an investigation into who if any one was paid to treat these cattle so badly.

>> And that vegans be unmasked for the acts of terrorism they produce against meat eaters. <<

Belly I think you're doing an "Arjay".

Question for anyone capable of reason:

Who closed all the abattoirs? Why? (probably to save paying living wage to Aussie abattoir workers) and why not re-establish such thus creating jobs and reducing live trade to countries where slaughter methods are humane and the conditions of shipment also humane?

Not that long ago sending children down coal mines was acceptable, we can change our ways, it is not "hysterical" to suggest change, nor is it unreasonable.

Ammonite your question comes from some one who fails to reason.
On what basis do you judge we can market this meat as that processed meat.
At what price,to how many Indonesians, who could no longer buy it because of costs.
Terrorism is the right word, around the world, no less than here in Australia this uninformed comment, we neglect Australian workers,is at BEST UNINFORMED but in truth it misuse the truth.
Sheds get smashed it to stock stolen terrorists do act that way.
I with GREAT PRIDE never stopped being a trade unionist, worked in this trade , and as a trade union official,with pride and belief every job than can be kept here should be.
Some jobs can not be , these never existed never will.
These folk farmers, know they now risk the whole trade and must sell their stock on our market for less.
We KNOW we can fix this is a month, we can and will, but now for it, yes house wives do get involved in things they know nothing about.
The sickness that is Australian Politics today, pushed the ALP into a corner.
How hard is it for Abbott meat and livestock Australia, Gillard and those in Charge in Indonesia to meet next week, to sit and fix this.
For Australia's sake we must marginalize those minority's who want to rule us all.
White today, Abbott like, is saying producers are not at fault, but ignoring she has made them the victims, sheep next take control Australia.

Suze, the hysterical housewife brigade are everywhere, urban
housewives who simply don't understand all the facts involved in
this industry. They have certainly flooded a number of online farming
forums, repeating the same mantras again and again.

A few points:

Northeren cattle are brahman types, unlike our southern breeds, so
their meat is considered 2nd rate. At 350kg they are not ready for
slaughter, they need to go into a feedlot for a few months to take
them to slaughter weight, above 450kg. The North does not have the
hay or grain to feedlot them, it would have to be trucked from the
south, way too expensive. Indonesia uses agricultural waste products
already available, so can do so efficiently.

Northern meatworks closed, because they can only operate for 6 months
of the year, due to the wet. A works needs to run 12 months to make
it viable. Australian labour wants year round work, they could not
find the labour either. Meatworks in the North would compete with
mining jobs, where 12 months work is available for 6 figures.
Meatworks can compete on neither score.

So you have a situation of unviable meatworks without labour, with
cattle not ready for slaughter, it makes no rational sense at all.

Trucking cattle south makes no sense either. The animal is worth maybe
500$, freight south is around half of that.

What you now have is a buildup of numbers on stations unable to sell.
That means their herd will be put under pressure due to overstocking.
The herd will suffer as a result, so will the environment. But those
deaths from hunger, probably won't make it to the tv screen, as
Lyn White won't be filming that.

YES YES YES we need to have a greater say in how our country is run.
All politicians only look at how their image is, appealing to the close community around them and this is mainly the so called "do-gooders" and the "I know righters" we need to change the political system so that the voice of all is heard and not just a few.
We need to have a say in all issues like this one which affects not only cattle and sheep but whole town lively hoods.
True democracy is dead, even old katters new party is still OLD OLD OLD we need people that will bring the politicl system upto a modern system that gets away from THEM TELLING US to a system that allows us ALL TO VOTE on as much as we want. Its easy to do with the technology of today but the old system is still hanging on for grim death!