Speakers: Speaker 31, Speaker 30

Transcript

Speaker 30

ministers etc. >> Yeah. Okay. Um thank you. Just moving on to pigs. The model code of practice for pigs, which obviously is voluntary, was endorsed in 2008. And I think people know that significantly out of step with contemporary animal welfare science because pigs are still kept in extreme confinement, subjected to pretty barbaric husbandry practices such as s stalls and pharrowing crates and teeth clipping and without pain relief. and piglets are routinely killed by bun blunt force trauma and CO2 gas stunning. Uh what progress has the department and the animal welfare task force made on progressing the animal welfare standards

Speaker 31

for pigs? >> Uh so it's something that's on the um uh work plan of the animal welfare task group which is the um officials level um uh grouping of um relevant officials across all states and territories in the department. uh no state or territory has nominated to lead a renewal of the um the standards for um pig welfare. >> Um so that is something that at the moment um state and territory regulations are um still tied to that 2008 model code that you referred to

Speaker 30

Senator. >> Okay. So there's no one there's no work

Speaker 31

being done. Uh so industry are work uh are leading some work of their own valition senator. Um >> so industries are going to lead work that will themselves be applied to them. >> Well industry are the ones who uh have husbandry oversight of of all animals. So you know I think there is um certainly benefit and and better and improved animal welfare um practices can be achieved when industry um you know take responsibility for these things themselves. Um but that is separate to how uh animal welfare is regulated which is a function of the states and

Speaker 30

territories. >> Yeah. But the industry has been looking after this for years and we've seen the cruelty that happens. Does the federal government have do you feel like the department federal department have any responsibility about making sure that in some way shape or form um the the government leads this

Speaker 31

process and not the industry? Uh I I will just I will reflect on the fact that uh the states and territories are the regulators. The states and territories therefore need to um uh be willing to have the standards reviewed is as it's their responsibility to implement them. >> Um the department participates in those processes in so far as um it's part of those committee processes that we just referred to before senator. So um we will support those processes in their normal ways. Um but ultimately these are matters um as as all domestic animal welfare matters are the responsibility

Speaker 30

of the states and territories. >> Yeah. But I mean earlier we spoke about the farm transparency project and obviously the fed commonwealth is responsible for regulation in these things. So I'm just kind of struggling a bit to see what role do you see for yourself like so you'll just sit back till the state and territories >> uh appoint someone or or you know decide to do something.

Speaker 31

>> No it's >> at a at a broad level the >> the commonwealth's powers are tied to our export powers around all of this and so the the answer that Mr. black gave was about where we have um responsibilities over export abbittoars >> um and that's why we also have powers to ex uh apply animal welfare to live animal exports as well >> uh when we're talking about uh farmed animals or animal welfare in general around how that's um overseen regulated um compliance etc within Australia that is the domain of the states and

Speaker 30

territories >> okay so basically there's of no responsibility that you're saying you have in uh the model code of practice for pigs or the guidelines or anything.

Speaker 31

>> Well, the model code of practice is reflected in so far as state regulations reflect that model code. >> That is the that's the regulatory powers