Agree, Ammonite.

Just because we've set up a system that relies on live exports, doesn't mean it has to stay that way.

In my city in the seventies there was a an abatoir that killed livestock according to Halal - and the processed meat was exported to the middle-east.

However, it's a very Australian mindset these days to export raw material with no thought to processing it locally...shame in this case we are dealing with "live" stock.

Belly, - I don't quite understand your rage directed toward the people who exposed these practices.

Yabby, the Meat and Livestock industry knew about the atrocities committed against the livestock sent to Indonesia by their members for years apparently.

Any rage by the farmers should be directed against their own representatives, rather than the Government and the vast numbers of people objecting to the animal cruelty involved.
They are all complicit in this debacle.

*the Meat and Livestock industry knew about the atrocities committed*

Suze, who knew? Farmers did not know, major producers like the
Holmes a Courts, who visited many of those facilities, did not
know, many others who visited did not know. Did some staff members
of MLA know and not tell farmers? The only person who can
keep an eye on MLA really, is the minister for agriculture himself.
They come under his responsibility.

*it's a very Australian mindset these days to export raw material with no thought to processing it locally*

Rubbish, Poirot. I remind you that most livestock are indeed
processed locally. The devil here lies in the detail. Every
business plan has to see the numbers stack up. Its pointless having
an industry where farmers or processors are unviable, or where
consumers simply don't want that particular product. The numbers
on Northen meatworks have been crunched again and again. AAco
actually right now are going to try building a works in Darwin,
as part of their whole chain marketing approach, they need more
investors, you are free to risk your life savings.

But the live trade as it exists, does so for incredibly good reasons
and it plays a vital role, especially during times of drought.
There is no good reason why it should not continue to do so.

80% of the people complaining about the live trade and local
manufacture etc, in fact drive imported cars. Hypocrites.

Yabby and myself, from different sides of the fence, know this country this trade.
No big supermarket just round the corner for these producers.
Some are ok, have money in the bank, for some the bank is the other tin shed they live in one.
Food can be, other than beef bags of sugar and floor tined every thing school is via radio.
Here in OLO we went to war over animal rights,yabby and I took part in that,it was messy.
In my view hurt us all, who Lady's, tell me is not upset AT ANY ANIMAL CRUELTY?
I am always, I spoke of animal rights terrorism and one of you nearly laughed , read the AA web page.
I question VEGAN Lyn Whites actions.
I know my ABC is in the hands of the GREENS, it has no wish for animal welfare, just seconds ago, a woman news reader read out this headline, not word perfect *ALP is given a flogging by one of its senior people*
Why? fact is very few ALP people did not support that good and great man.
What out come did you want from this?
I wanted, was well on the way, to getting, will get, in this 6 months an end to cruel way of killing.
As near the equal of any country.
But not an end to the trade.
Not and end to meat eating.
Not a victory for radicalism,not a reward for White who wants all the opposite to what I want.
And not a reward Lady's for a woman who would willingly kill any animal in our main street if it helped her VEGAN cause.
Did she pay some one to be brutal, are you sure she did not?

Why do we export live animals.

Lets see if all the housewives in australia can live as most indonesians do.....just turn off your refridgerators.

These places are not like us , WE ARE SPOILT, and we act like it.

Even better lets close coles and woolies and see if you can survive.

Look with both eyes outside of your soft easy lives.

Everyone whinges about politicians, isn't it time to change the system to one that really embraces true democracy?

Thanks and welcome, pure emotionalism gets in the way of reality here, it does so always.
So easy to sit here and say why not kill it here/create Australian jobs/ open new factory's and industry's.
Meat processing plants, and such need workers who do not want those jobs, transport and services, they need markets for the end product.
If these existed, if profits could be made,they would exist, my local one is owned by overseas interests and after more than one financial collapse is making profits.
The very guts of this is uninformed jumping instantly and blindly, on the back of answers that are wrong.
No way an abattoir can exist/sell its product/replace live trade.
I do, yet again, want the reality of cattle and sheep's pigs and goats yes all human or animal food being killed to be seen.
While Kangaroo population was dieing in the hundreds of thousands in the drought stricken out back AA and its fellow travelers PETA wanted to end the trade.
Country's are governed by those the majority place in power ,no government can best serve minority's and expect to govern.
Labor is far more than the servant of the very lost left and uninformed AA supporters, or it is nothing.
Answers exist lets look for outcomes not phantoms.