It’s exasperating to find southern producers who have posted online comments supporting the blanket ban on live exports because a) I haven’t come across a single one whose comments demonstrate any understanding of agriculture outside their own specific region and b) they’ve played right into the hands of animal rights extremists – apparently oblivious to the fact that […]
Fiona Lake Blog
Rural producers from southern regions, making ill-informed judgements regarding Australia’s live export trade
June 16th, 2011Farmer-bashing turning into a national sport
June 15th, 2011Poking around various websites, forums and blogs it has become apparent that there’s a noticeable difference between those making comments in support of banning live exports, and those in favour of fixing the problems and resuming the live export trade as soon as possible. Generally speaking, people making online comments in support of Australia’s live […]
Australians Supporting Beef Farmers (ASBF) – brand new website now online
June 14th, 2011The ‘Australians Supporting Beef Farmers’ (ASBF) brand new website is online today. The aim of the website is to provide objective industry facts and a united voice for Australian cattle farmers, especially those in the north who are directly or indirectly involved in the live export trade, as well as people indirectly involved (from truck drivers and mustering chopper […]
Amazing Race Australia – who is most likely to win, surfers or ‘farmers’?
June 14th, 2011I’ve never watched a reality TV series before so don’t know what sort of person usually wins these contests. Because there’s two people from outback Australia involved in the first series of Amazing Race Australia and I know many of the Warriner family, I had to watch. And barring unforeseen bad luck or events completely out of their […]
John Alexander, Member for Bennelong – comment on Live Export
June 12th, 2011John Alexander, MP for Bennelong (Liberal), has an excellent summary of the issues regarding Australia’s live export trade. How odd that it should take a politician from Sydney’s north west to provide the most sensible summary on the live export trade yet. Clearly, a career roaming the world playing professional tennis plus a background in small […]
Why do people raise animals destined to be eaten?
June 11th, 2011A comment by Kelsey Neilson: Why we send the cattle we grow and love to slaughter? Everything that lives someday dies. Animals, plants, people. What we do as beef producers is care for our cattle whilst they are alive as they are grown for food and yes they will die. You know that your grandparents […]
The silver lining on the live export ban cloud
June 10th, 2011Good things do come out of bad, and I’m actually starting to think that while the live export dramas seemed like the straw that would break the camel’s back, it has in fact worked to unite primary producers across northern Australia like no issue ever has before. Apart from getting rid of cruel behaviour by a handful […]
Live Export Ban promoted by Get Up!
June 10th, 2011Someone drew my attention to the recent change in the tone on the Get Up! forum regarding live export. Many people are now adding comments saying they are dismayed at the banning of Australian live exports – the effect on cattle, the effect on primary producers, and the fact that it will do absolutely nothing […]
A personal response regarding the 4 Corners story on live exports
June 10th, 2011A letter from Jean Robbins, which basically sums up the personal affect of the 4 Corners story on rural residents: After the 4 Corners story aired last week I was horrified, shocked, numb. One part of me was struggling to cope with the images that I had seen. The other part of me very quickly […]
A letter to 4 Corners regarding the live export story
June 10th, 2011An excellent letter, full of important points and facts on the Indonesian side of Australian live export system: I must introduce myself. My name is Scot Braithwaite and my life has basically revolved around live export since I was 10 years old. I was unloading cattle boats in Malaysia at the age of 13. I have worked […]