Emma Kealy – Labor abandons pork industry in stacked Inquiry
Thursday 20 June 2024
The Liberals and Nationals stand by the Victorian pork industry, which is under siege following a biased Inquiry backed and rubber-stamped by Labor.
The Committee report into Pig Welfare in Victoria released today demonstrates a lack of impartiality, fairness and scientific evidence while raising serious questions about the role of the Chair and Labor’s future plans for pig farming in Victoria.
Labor consistently supported a biased Chair who demonstrated a gross lack of neutrality throughout the proceedings.
This was evidenced by animal extremists’ illegal trespassing often being promoted during hearings, while pork producers were cut-off or ambushed with obscure lines of questioning.
The Committee recommendations place extreme, costly and unnecessary regulatory pressure on Victorian pork producers.
The pork industry already has strong regulation with producers meeting these requirements through regular independent audits.
The committee report is another example of an MP pushing their own agenda and promoting left ideology instead of science and fact.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Emma Kealy, said a stacked, biased inquiry has needlessly caused angst in rural communities.
“It is extremely concerning and disappointing that Labor MPs have backed extreme restrictions on Victoria’s pig farmers with no scientific evidence to back it up. Labor had the numbers, they had the opportunity to stop this nonsense, instead they sat silent.”
“This report should send a shiver down the spine of not only pork producers, but all agricultural producers in Victoria.
‘’The Liberals and Nationals minority report’s recommendations are based on science and fact.
“Many of our recommendations call on the industry to work on a national level with the support of the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture to further modernise an already world leading industry.
“This ensures that the most contemporary science is adopted, but will also encourage all states to implement the same set of rules and apply them equally across the country.
“This is just the start of the fight for us.”