Australia to debate live animal export petition in Parliament

A decade-old petition against the live export of animals is set to be tabled in the Australian Federal Parliament this September by Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie. The petition, organized by 'Stand Against Live Export,' has amassed over 460,000 signatures on Change.org.

Mark Harvey-Sutton, CEO of the Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC), has criticized the petition, claiming it does not meet parliamentary requirements due to international and unverified signatures. He described the document as "not worth the paper it's written on."

The ALEC emphasizes that live cattle exports are critical for maintaining food security and diplomatic relationships with major markets, specifically Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The industry is seeking government support to uphold these trade relationships and protect regional jobs.