Category: Australian News

Australian Greens Senator and Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has responded to reports hundreds of Australian cattle sold for breeding to the Indonesian Government in 2018 are malnourished or dead. This new scandal has highlighted the lack of protections for breeder and dairy cattle. Senator Faruqi has called for the release of the full report into the incident.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Yet again, we see the callousness of the live export industry with photos of Australian cattle dead or severely malnourished. These animals have clearly suffered immensely because of the live export industry’s indifference to animal welfare.
“Thousands of breeder cattle have gone to Indonesia and we have no way of knowing what happened to them or even if they are still alive and being treated humanely. There is a huge loophole in the live export industry that really risks the welfare of breeder cattle because the Government is more interested in money than animal welfare.
“We’ve seen the debacle with dairy cattle in Sri Lanka where hundreds died and many more fell sick, so I am really concerned with the fate of these animals. The Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) system monitoring animals sent for slaughter is flawed but at least it is something. These poor cattle seem to have no monitoring at all so it is imperative they are included in ESCAS.
“When Livecorp had the opportunity to update Parliament on what was happening with these breeder cattle, they completely obfuscated. This really raises the question of what are they hiding. Where there is smoke, there is fire and we must get to the bottom of it. They must be transparent and release the full report,” she concluded.

The Morrison Government’s decision not to consider the impacts of Adani sucking up 12.5 billion litres of water from a region in deep drought shows the Government has been completely captured by big mining companies, according to Greens Co-Deputy Leader and Mining spokesperson, environmental lawyer Senator Larissa Waters.
“What an insult to Queensland farmers that on the same day as two-thirds of the state is drought declared, Adani gets another freebie from another government they have donated to.
“Our environmental laws are pathetically weak. They haven’t required the climate impacts of Adani’s mine to be considered before approval was issued, and now they don’t require the water impacts of a pipeline for water to wash that coal with to be considered.
“These 20 year old environmental laws ignore climate impacts and now ignore water impacts, and are working perfectly for all the mining companies who donate to the Liberal party. I hope that this decision gets challenged for a second time in court.
“If you ever needed a better example that this government has sold out to big mining, this is it.
“Adani can’t get insurance and have had to self-fund after more than a dozen global financiers ruled out funding its climate-bomb coal mine. They have made false promises about jobs, when regional Queensland is desperate for real jobs and for protection of their drought-stricken lands and precious water resources.
“We won’t get real action on the climate emergency driving the drought until big mining companies stop making donations to political parties and stop calling the shots,” Senator Waters said.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi has reacted to the revelation that she was a target of an organised far right network of Facebook pages that are profiting from thousands of hateful posts a week that have targeted high profile Muslim women across the world. Senator Faruqi was the first Muslim woman to sit in an Australian parliament.
Senator Faruqi will refer the investigation and attacks on her to the Select Committee on Foreign Interference through Social Media established by the Senate this week.
She said:
“This is a new level of far right organisation and coordination which platforms Islamophobia, division and hatred towards Muslims and directs it at individuals.
“These far right pages demonstrate just how pervasive racism has been allowed to become, and how disturbingly far it can reach via social media through concerted campaigns.
“This is clearly coordinated and the use of social media to spread racist fake news to attack me is something we should all be concerned about. I will be making a submission to the newly established Senate committee investigating foreign interference via social media and call on investigate and hold Facebook to account.
“The crap these pages are publishing sounds like the hateful far right talking points that have found a home, willing ears and loud voices in parliament’s and sections of the media.
“We know the far right relies on social media to legitimise their hate and recruit. Muslim women politicians tick both of their misogyny and racism boxes, so I end up as a target of a lot of their racist content.
“I’ve experienced a huge increase in racist and abusive social media comments, emails, phone calls and even hand written letters since I’ve been in the public eye. There’s no doubt in my mind that many of the people behind these vile messages are emboldened by others on social media and Facebook pages like this.
“Social media has become a really toxic place. This kind of coordinated abuse causes real harm and is designed to silence me and other muslim women. The comments on these posts are a horrific feeding frenzy of racism, fake news and hate towards Muslims.
“By allowing racist and misleading posts, social media giants like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, are profiteering from the proliferation of hate speech and abuse. Facebook could shut these pages down, forgo the profit they make from these pages and strengthen their policies on hate speech, but so long as they continue to profit from the reach and engagement, they don’t seem to be interested in decisive action.
“Facebook and other social media companies should be accountable for hate speech and threats that occur on their platforms. Online hate speech has real world consequences for people, their safety, mental health and families. Platforms are not doing enough to combat hate, harassment and intimidation.
“Platforms should take responsibility but Governments must also make and enforce laws that hold these big money-making platforms to account for publishing hate speech and allowing harassment,” she concluded.

Greens Spokesperson for Animal Welfare, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has reacted to Million Dollar Chase “consolation winner” Nangar Jack testing positive for EPO.
She said:
“This incident confirms that greyhound racing has not and cannot clean up its act. The trainer should be punished and banned, but this is not remotely an isolated incident. To protect greyhounds, this cruel industry must be shut down once and for all.
“This race is nothing but a million dollar farce with Government funding propping up a failing, abusive industry.
“Our analysis shows that in the three months to June this year there were 26 investigations, including drugging of greyhounds, some with arsenic, unauthorised export of greyhounds, extreme animal cruelty and live baiting.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that thousands of dogs have died and been seriously injured since the Labor, Liberal and National parties combined to overturn the ban on greyhound racing.
“I’ve been keeping track of the racing statistics and since Baird backflipped on the ban almost 200 dogs have died on track and more than 4000 have been injured. This is just the tip of the iceberg because the industry doesn’t release the stewards reports for a large number of greyhound racing tracks in New South Wales. These figures also don’t include greyhounds killed off track for injuries or because they are supposedly unable to be rehomed.
“Greyhound racing must be shut down,” she concluded.

The epidemic of scandals involving Liberal parliamentarians continues with Liberal MP Gladys Liu linked to a donor at the centre of a money laundering probe by Australian authorities.
Greens co-deputy leader Larissa Waters said, “It’s time to end cash-for-access and get the influence of big money and dodgy donors out of politics.
“Prime Minister Morrison should stop the protection racket for Ms Liu and his embattled Ministers and stop the rot by capping political donations and election spending.
“Both the Coalition and the Labor Party say they want to tackle undue foreign influence on politics but they won’t clean up political donations, because they are addicted to the money.
“If Australia capped political donations and election spending, we could address all those seeking to interfere in our democracy, whether they are foreign powers, corporate interests or donors with an agenda.
“The Greens want to cap all political donations at $1,000 per year and ban outright political donations from the mining, property development and gambling industries.
“Every member of parliament should act in the best interests of the community, not for their own self-interest and profit.
“It’s time Australia removed the corrupting influence of money in politics and give democracy back to the people,” she said.

Australian Greens Senator and Education Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi has called the proposed merger of the Department of Education with Skills and Employment a huge mistake.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Merging the departments of education and employment is a short-sighted decision that highlights the Government’s narrow, neoliberal idea of education. Education is a public good essential to building a socially and economically just society, not just an avenue to employment or profit – it demands a standalone focus.
“Already this year the merger of skills with the employment department has undermined lifelong education and continued the Liberal-Nationals disastrous record on vocational training. This decision takes us further down this path and is a huge mistake.
“Mergers inevitably result in huge amounts of money wasted on consultants and some new letterheads while nothing is done to properly fund public schools or save TAFE,” she concluded.

Australian Greens Senator and Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi and The Greens (WA) spokesperson for Animal Welfare Hon. Alison Xamon MLC have responded to the abhorrent allegations of animal abuse on Western Australian cattle farms that were revealed in an investigation by Sentient Media.
The footage was recorded by Israeli Animal Welfare Group ‘Sentient’ on Western Australian cattle stations and broadcast on Israeli TV. It shows  kicking and punching of animals, dehorning with no pain relief and other acts of cruelty. Many of these cattle enter the live export supply chain, including to Israel. The graphic footage and investigation is available here: https://sentientworld.org/investigations/cattle-investigation-australia/
“The animal abuse shown in this investigation is absolutely horrific – these allegations need further investigation immediately. I am deeply disturbed and saddened by the utter disregard for animal welfare shown,” said Ms Xamon.
Ms Xamon said that these allegations demonstrate precisely why WA must prioritise urgent animal welfare legislation that establishes independent, unannounced welfare inspections and provides adequate funding to ensure there are enough inspectors to perform them.
“From the appalling practice of live export to the absence of any regulatory oversight of animal welfare, the culture of animal cruelty we have seen lately is absolutely unacceptable,” Ms Xamon said.
“Western Australians detest animal abuse and need to feel confident that animals are being treated with the highest level of care possible. We need to get serious about animal welfare and prioritize legislation in Parliament that ensures it.”
Senator Faruqi said:
“This horrific footage shows a real breakdown in protecting animals. There must be an urgent investigation and hopefully prosecution by animal welfare authorities.
“Many people would be shocked to know that some of the practices seen in the footage, such as dehorning without pain relief, are entirely legal. It is shameful that as a country, we allow procedures on farm animals that would never be allowed to be carried out on our family cat or dog without pain relief. We need a radical overhaul of animal cruelty laws.
“It is so disturbing that many of the cattle that survive this torture are then exported on ships of misery and death to the Middle East. Live Export of animals is an abomination and must be banned.
“The Greens are listening to the community and pushing for nationally consistent animal welfare laws to protect animals from this cruelty.” she concluded.

The Morrison Government is making things up as they go along, while the Murray-Darling is in deeper and deeper crisis and communities and the environment are suffering, the Greens say.
Greens Senator for South Australia and Spokesperson for the Environment and Water Sarah Hanson-Young said the Murray-Darling Basin Plan debate is not about farmers versus the environment, it’s big corporates versus everyone else.
“The water sharing arrangements are supposed to stop communities being pitted against each other and to avoid water wars in times of crisis,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“Corporate greed is the real enemy, not the environment. It is deceitful of the Liberal Nationals to blame environmental flows that are crucial for the River’s survival, for the lack of water available to river communities and farmers.
“This Government has turned a blind eye to six years of mismanagement, water theft and corruption while big corporate irrigators drain the River. It is the over-allocations and floodwater-harvesting of big corporate irrigators and water barons that must be reined in.
“Greed and corruption are killing the River and leaving River communities to suffer.
“It’s unacceptable that the Government’s own Inspector General will have no powers to act until mid-next year.  We should’ve been dealing with the legislation this week before the summer break.”
Senator Hanson-Young said NSW was again calling for the 450GL SA was promised to be written out of the plan, and called on the SA Water Minister David Speirs to stand up for his state.
“Failing to deliver the remaining 450GL will condemn the Lower Murray to death. The SA Liberal Government must stand up for our state and protect the water the River needs to survive,”  she said.
“There’s no jobs on a dead river.”

Barnaby Joyce and the National Party have unleashed an assault on the Murray River, the environment and South Australia, the Greens say.
Senator for SA and Greens Spokesperson for Water Sarah Hanson-Young said it would be a terrible step to tear up the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and cut water to the environment throughout the Basin.
“The National Party has stuffed the River, and now they want to blame SA and cut water to the environment. This is an assault on the River, an assault on SA and lets the greedy corporate irrigators off the hook,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“Barnaby Joyce and the National Party want to cut water to the environment, cut off South Australia and let the upstream states and their corporate irrigator mates continue on business as usual.
“South Australians will be furious and the SA Liberal Government needs to stand up to their Coalition mates upstream and say this is not on.
“This summer is going to be really tough. There is going to be less water in the system and it should be the big corporate irrigators, the political donors to the National Party, who feel the heat.
“If you want to put water back in the system then you stop those big corporate irrigators irrigating cotton and irrigating almonds, and you stop letting foreign companies come in and buy up our water rights.
“More than 1.2million people in SA rely on the Murray. This is our drinking water and this is our environment and I am not going to sit by and let Barnaby Joyce and the National Party sacrifice us for their big corporate mates upstream.”

Australian Greens Senator and Education Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi has responded to reports that Australian students are slipping in international testing standards by calling for more and better targeted education funding in Australia, especially for the most disadvantaged schools. She has also called on the Government to invest more in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Senator Faruqi said:
“I think we should take global standardised testing results with a grain of salt. However,  this is clearly a wake up call for State and Federal Governments to invest properly in education and public schools, especially targeting investment towards our most disadvantaged schools.
“By 2023, 99% of public schools will be stuck below the national resource standard, while 99% of private schools will be at or above it. Public schools are massively underfunded but are in many cases outperforming private schools. Imagine what they could do if we funded them properly.
“Governments across Australia need to step up for the most disadvantaged students who are struggling with a lack of funding and educational facilities. They must stop showering already overfunded private schools with cash and redirect that money to public schools who serve the vast majority of disadvantaged students.
“It is clear that we need much more support for students to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. It’s time for State and Federal Governments to take this issue much more seriously.