Wilkie introduces new live export Bill
On 31 October 2011, Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, a staunch opponent of the live trade, submitted new legislation to parliament that would afford exported animals protection from un-stunned slaughter.
Unphased by the defeat of his other legislation to phase out the live export trade and disappointed by the government’s decision not to mandate stunning for the live trade, Mr Wilkie is determined to reduce the suffering faced by animals in the live export trade.
"What it does promise to do is simply ensure that when we do export livestock to be slaughtered, there be at least some sensible animal welfare conditions attached: in particular that livestock are kept and transported in accordance with international animal welfare standards, and that they are slaughtered according to the same standard we expect when animals are slaughtered in Australia," Andrew Wilkie said.
Here is a transcript of his speech to Parliament here.