WA Premier Roger Cook must prioritise live sheep exports in meeting with the Prime Minister – press release

Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud is calling on Western Australia’s Premier Roger
Cook to use his crucial Canberra visit to help save the live sheep export industry.
Mr Littleproud said the WA Premier had been given a timely opportunity to face his Federal
counterparts and fight for WA farmers and their livelihoods in the nation’s capital.
“Farmers deserve to know if Premier Cook raised the issue of live sheep exports with the
Prime Minister while visiting Parliament House in Canberra?” Mr Littleproud said.
“If not, why not? But if so, did the Premier step up and convince his Federal counterparts to
stop the phase out of the live sheep industry? Importantly, did the WA Premier speak to the
Prime Minister and ask when the independent report into the phasing out of the live sheep
industry will finally be released?
“The Premier previously backed the live sheep industry but has so far failed to stand up to
the Prime Minister and fight to save live sheep exports.
“The fact the Premier failed to use the Prime Minister’s recent visit to WA to save the
industry was extremely disappointing. I hope the Premier’s latest visit to Canberra will
correct this mistake. If not, we will sadly know the Premier has once again failed to stand up
for WA farmers when it matters most.”
The Prime Minister was invited to meet with farmers during his Perth visit in February, but
rejected the request. Mr Littleproud added farmers deserved better than how Labor was
treating them.
“It is becoming more and more obvious that Labor doesn’t want to release its so-called
scientific and economic evidence into phasing out the trade, because it simply doesn’t exist.
Labor instead hides behind Cabinet-in-Confidence. Labor is destroying the livelihoods of
more than 3000 people who work in the trade and an industry worth $85 million, but
doesn’t seem to care about being transparent. A future Coalition Government will reinstate
the live sheep export trade.”