RT-Radio interview with Fred Toncone. A lot you have already heard but some you may not have #banliveexport TRANSCRIPT PETER LLOYD: One day after new footage emerged showing Australian sheep being mistreated in the Middle East, the Federal Government has confirmed that it will not go ahead with an animal welfare supervisory position promised by the former government. The job was intended to provide independent monitoring of the humane treatment of live exports. Today one of the companies involved in live sheep exports to the Middle East defended its practices. Heres the ABCs rural and regional reporter Peter Lewis. PETER LEWIS: There was no keener viewer of last nights Lateline story on the apparent failure of Australias Export Supply Chain Assurance Scheme (ESCAS) than Fred Troncone. Hes CEO of livestock company Wellard Rural Exports, which despatched around half the 80,000 Australian sheep ordered by Jordanian importers in time for Eid, one of the most important annual Muslim feasts. Rival firm LSS provided the rest and its confirmed that at least some of the animals that met such a grizzly end in the streets and private homes featured in the animal activist video were part of its shipment. Federal Agricultural Minister Barnaby Joyce says that company is now assisting authorities here and in Jordan, who are investigating how and why they fell out of the ESCAS safeguards. BARNABY JOYCE: We have to ask ourselves this question: no matter what we do, there are always going to be breaches in some form or another like this. The other thing we must acknowledge, that there are sheep from other parts than Australia in this and our engagement to bring a better humane treatment of animals means our engagement in the industry. If we were to remove ourselves from the industry, people would still eat sheep and they would still slaughter them in the way you saw on that film. Its just it wouldnt be Australian sheep and therefore do we just dispense and say, Well, unless its our sheep we dont care? We have to make sure that when these instances arise like this one, like they will in the future unfortunately, that we manage it, dont shut the industry down. PETER LEWIS: But beyond promising a thorough and transparent investigation, the Minister wont be rushing sanctions against either the company or the Jordanians, for that matter. BARNABY JOYCE: I want to make sure that in this instance we dont overreact like we did last time because the last decision, everybody acknowledges now, was one of the worst decisions Australia made on so many levels. You have to work with your neighbour, not stand on your pulpit and lecture your neighbour. And if you work quietly and in a considerate way, you get to an outcome that you want. PETER LEWIS: Thats a relief for exporters like Fred Troncone, who says ESCAS works if you do it right. FRED TRONCONE: Look, certainly we had, as I said, seven people there. We also made sure that the equipment and the training and the education of the people on the ground, who were processing the livestock at the facility that we supplied, you know occurred well. So people were well-trained, the equipment was arranged properly and, of course, we made sure that we had control during all that hours of operation to make sure that we had people there to ensure that sheep did not go outside of the supply chain and we slaughtered only in the approved facility. PETER LEWIS: He believes the Federal Governments measured response is appropriate and so is Barnaby Joyces decision to dump the creation of an Inspector-General of Animal Welfare. Wellard has had its own problems in the past, shipping live sheep to the Middle East. The Department of Agriculture cleared the company of wrongdoing in July this year after 20,000 Australian sheep were culled - some brutally, in Pakistan in 2012. Local authorities had insisted the animals were diseased. Federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie wants the Government to look more closely at how we do business in the Middle East. ANDREW WILKIE: To somehow tighten up this Export Supply Chain Assurance Scheme, which doesnt work - you know, the Minister will be out there today saying, Well, its working. Well, its not working. PETER LLOYD: Thats the Federal independent MP, Andrew Wilkie, ending that report from Peter Lewis. abc.net.au/pm/content/2013/s3881389.htm
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 19:29:05 +0000