Senator Andrew Bartlett
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
 
Live Animal Export

Had the misfortune to see one of the huge sheep transport ships being loaded in Fremantle.

The Al Kuwait, back again for more thousands and thousands of victims. The case brought 18 months ago against a shipment for breaching the WA Animal Welfare Act still hasn't progressed, but the ships keep coming. I think the Al Kuwait was the ship involved on that occasion, but it still plying its cruel trade without penalty.

I stood outside the dock as a number of fully laden trucks drove in, jam packed with sheep. Each truck had more than one sheep caught down on the floor with others trampling all over it. Legs were sticking out the side of the trucks. Tragically, for all of these sheep, it is more comfortable than what is facing them on the long journey still ahead of them.

I see with surprise and pleasure that Cathy Freeman has done a photo shoot in Athens against the live animal export trade! There's a great photo of her on the web. Predictably, the live exporters are criticising her for expressing an opinion while the Olympics are on - apparently you're not allowed to express an opinion about any 'political' issue while a sports event is on!

I'm sure Governments would love a rule like that - they'd have sports carnivals all year round and slag off anyone who criticised anything as being killjoys!

posted by Andrew Bartlett @ Wednesday, August 18, 2004 Permalink
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