Liberal Senator Chris Back's bill to prosecute whistleblowers who expose animal cruelty should not be passed as it would restrict the important role of whistleblowers and investigators working to end animal cruelty, Greens animal welfare spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said.

"Undercover investigators play an important role exposing abuse of animals which, in many cases leads to prosecutions.

"The reframing of such actions as ‘criminal' by Senator Back attempts to divert attention from those who commit the animal cruelty.

Commenting on a story on Lateline last night about cruelty to Australian animals in the Middle East, Greens spokesperson for animal welfare Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

 “Livestock Shipping Services (LSS), the reported exporter of Australian animals that have suffered horrific abuse in Gaza, should have its export licence suspended until all investigations against it are completed.

Coalition and Labor Senators have combined to prevent the Greens spokesperson for animal welfare Senator Lee Rhiannon from speaking in reply to her motion to strengthen welfare regulation for live exports to Egypt.

After outlining why they supported the resumption of the Egypt live export trade, Labor and the Coalition Senators supported a gag motion to shut down all further debate.

MEDIA RELEASE
16 June 2014

Activist gag laws another attack on free speech and animal welfare

Australian Greens animal welfare spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon has accused Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce of using biosecurity as a cover to introduce "ag-gag" laws as a way to shut down scrutiny of animal cruelty.

Greens spokesperson on animal welfare Senator Lee Rhiannon commenting on Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce's plan to expand Australia's live export trade into Iran said:

"Minister Barnaby Joyce is looking after a few wealthy pastoralists ahead of jobs growth in regional Australia.

"Expanding the live export trade into Iran is not about assisting farmers and rural communities.

"Minister Joyce is putting his sectional interests before the economic health of regional and rural Australia.

Commenting on the 7.30 report about allegations of falsified documents within the live export industry, Greens Animal Welfare spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said: 

"Very serious allegations against a senior official within the live export trade system have been raised. It is crucial that these are now investigated thoroughly by the Australian Federal Police. 

This piece was first published by the Farm Weekly on 3 April 2014.

WHIPPING up a tirade about the Greens and their “extremist backers” supposedly holding producers to “ransom” over the live export trade might work for Mr Joyce’s fondness for colourful language but it does nothing to address the needs of rural communities.

His public response to the Greens Bill to end the live export trade and the disallowance motion to prevent the recommencement of the trade in livestock with Egypt has been short on rational analysis and big on abuse.

MEDIA RELEASE
17 March 2014

Greens introduce legislation to end cruel cosmetics

Economics Legislation Committee

26/02/2014

TREASURY PORTFOLIO - Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Senator RHIANNON: There is growing interest in news that some food producers have been investigated and prosecuted for claims their products come from free-range animals. How many complaints, using free-range claims, have been lodged with the ACCC?

MEDIA RELEASE
25 February 2014

Greens call on all state govts to follow ACT farm animal protection law 

The ACT historic law that bans battery cages for egg production and the use of sow stalls and gestation crates for pigs should be adopted by all state governments, Greens animal welfare spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said today.