Today in Parliament, Abigail gave notice of a motion celebrating Animal Liberation's 50 years of service as Australia's longest-serving animal rights organisation, a milestone also honouring the life and legacy of its founder Dr Christine Townend OAM, whose tireless advocacy inspired the Australian animal rights movement and drove landmark campaigns that have improved the lives of countless animals.

Abigail said:

I give notice that on the next sitting day I will move: 

(1) That this House notes that:

• Animal Liberation NSW is celebrating a historic milestone of 50 years of working to improve the lives of all animals through legislative change, consumer advocacy, direct action and public education; 

• Animal Liberation is Australia’s longest serving animal rights organisation and continues to be at the forefront of the animal rights movement exposing animal cruelty and campaigning for progressive change to dismantle the systems that exploit animals, people and the environment; 

• throughout its existence, Animal Liberation has led countless public awareness campaigns, protests, targeted direct actions and groundbreaking investigations, in addition to collaborating with other like-minded organisations and advocates to drive broader change as well as coordinating expert submissions to inquiries, reviews, draft pieces of legislation and government policies; 

• just a few of the many campaigns that Animal Liberation has led include: 

  • numerous investigations, protests and sit-ins that have paved the way in exposing the cruelty of intensive piggeries to the Australian public; 

  • the infamous Dominion documentary, of which Animal Liberation was an executive producer; 

  • the campaign that successfully ended the use of exotic animals in Australian circuses, as well as the ongoing campaign to end the use of domesticated animals in circuses;

  • the successful campaign to end the live export of sheep by sea, as well as the broader ongoing campaign to phase out the live export of animals entirely; 

  • exposing the secrets of the egg industry, including various investigations into egg farms as well as campaigns to ban battery cages and end the maceration of male chicks and debeaking of day-old female chicks;

  • Breaking the Camel’s Back, an Australian-first investigation into the camel tourism industry, as well as more recently Deceptive Dairy, an expose of the Australian dairy camel industry;

  • multiple successful campaigns opposing the construction of new greyhound racing tracks and intensive dog breeding facilities across the state; and 

  • the growing campaign to ban Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs), including working with local councils to phase out the use of these products in council operations as well as grassroots engagement to progress the broader campaign to ban SGARs;

• as the organisation celebrates 50 years, Animal Liberation is also commemorating the life and legacy of its founder and pioneering animal advocate Dr Christine Townend OAM, who sadly passed away in August 2025; 

• Christine Townend was an accomplished artist, author, poet and scholar who used every avenue available to inspire people to recognise the individuality and intrinsic worth of all animals; 

• in 1976, at a time when the only explicitly animal rights organisation in the world was Animals International founded just a few years prior, Christine founded Animal Liberation which inspired the beginning of the animal rights movement in Australia; and

• throughout her life, Christine campaigned tirelessly to end the suffering of animals in the intensive animal agriculture industry, animals exploited for entertainment and animals abandoned on the streets, and she was responsible for an incredible number of achievements that have improved the lives of animals everywhere. 

(2) That this House commends the team at Animal Liberation for its role in driving progressive social change to create a kinder, fairer and more compassionate world for all living beings. 

(3) That this House extends its deepest condolences to Christine Townend’s family and loved ones, and honours the lasting impact she has had in improving the lives of animals everywhere and shaping the animal rights movement in Australia and around the world. 

23 June 2026