Labor leader says that ‘only a monster’ would think live export industry should be unchangedBill Shorten has demanded a suspension of shipments of live sheep during the northern summer and blasted the Coalition for failing to update standards to protect sheep. The agriculture minister, David Littleproud, said results of a review into the sheep trade during the Middle Eastern summer were just three weeks away. The West Australian agriculture minister, Alannah MacTiernan, has called for a two- to three-month suspension in the summer trade from 9 April. On Thursday, Wilson told Guardian Australia he had “always opposed the live sheep export, a trade that occurs almost exclusively out of my electorate of Fremantle”. The live export industry has proposed a range of changes to reduce the number of animals allowed on ships and permit independent inspectors on vessels in a concession to public concern.

Source: The Guardian April 19, 2018 05:44 UTC