I rise to speak on the Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019, which should really be called the 'ag gag bill'. Let's have no doubt that this is nothing but an 'ag gag bill'. The Greens will be opposing this bill because it is a terrible and unnecessary piece of legislation. You lot seem to have completely missed the fact that almost every state and territory already has trespass and incitement laws. On first reading, you can tell that this bill is just the government's embarrassing and poorly thought-out kneejerk reaction to a handful of incidents.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the Greens’ Spokesperson for Animal Welfare, has welcomed the Government’s decision to adopt Greens’ amendments to the Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports bill 2019. The amendments insert a much needed focus on animal welfare into the bill, which had previously been completely missing.

The amendments change the objects of the Act to introduce a requirement to consider animal welfare and amend clause 10 of the bill to specifically provide that the Inspector-General must consider the welfare of animals as part of their reviews. 

(13:33):

I have a few questions for the minister. Minister, the Moss review called for an Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports—one that would:

… review the performance of functions or exercise of powers by department staff members in the regulation of live animal exports.

This clearly calls for the ability to review the exercise of the functions of the department staff. So I want to understand why the government has subclause 10(2) in the bill, which basically would restrict the inspector-general in doing what the Moss review recommended.

I rise to speak to the Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports Bill 2019 and to indicate at the outset that, while the Greens will be supporting this bill, we do so only because even a little bit of something is better than nothing at all. At the end of the day, this bill, as it stands, is somewhat of a toothless tiger; it doesn't even meet the recommendations of the Moss review—the very advice this government is pretending to be taking. I foreshadow that I will be moving amendments to address some key flaws in this bill.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, the Greens’ Spokesperson for Animal Welfare, has welcomed the Government’s decision to adopt Greens’ amendments to the Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports bill 2019. The amendments insert a much needed focus on animal welfare into the bill, which had previously been completely missing.

The amendments change the objects of the Act to introduce a requirement to consider animal welfare and amend clause 10 of the bill to specifically provide that the Inspector-General must consider the welfare of animals as part of their reviews.

Australian Greens Senator and Spokesperson for Animal Welfare, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has condemned the Government passing the Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019 through the House of Representatives. The Bill is likely to be considered by the Senate at the next sitting in September.

Senator Faruqi said:

Tonight I am speaking about one of my many passions: animals, in particular, greyhounds. Since 2018 hundreds of Australian greyhounds have been rescued from the infamous Yat Yuen greyhound racing track at Macau, known as the Canidrome. This track has been described by GREY2K as a death camp for dogs, where tens of thousands of greyhounds, including from Australia, have been killed or raced to death over the last 50 years.

Motion passed.

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

   (i) the Australian Government has committed to the public release of summary reports from independent observers on live export ships,

We should be ashamed of the cruelty that is allowed to go on in animal agriculture. Many farms do not use cruel practices, but many do—especially industrial factory farms. Dehorning and castration of cattle and debeaking of chooks goes on without any pain relief. Chickens are locked up in cages for all their lives; they can't even flap their wings. Pigs are in pens where they can't even turn. Australian people love animals; they want animals to be treated with kindness.

The NSW Government has released the draft Greyhound Racing Regulation 2019, which will replace the Greyhound Racing Regulation 2018.

While we all want to see an end to the Greyhound racing industry, we must ensure that as many lives as possible are saved by enacting stricter regulations while this cruel activity is allowed to continue. The greyhound racing industry are trying to roll back even the modest animal welfare gains that have been put in place since the backflip.