NSW must establish an independent office of animal welfare now!

Today in Parliament, Abigail continued to advocate and demand Labor set up an independent office of animal welfare to address outdated laws and animal cruelty across our state.

Abigail said:

On behalf of The Greens, and as spokesperson for animal welfare, I indicate our support for the motion and thank the mover for bringing it. The motion outlines exactly why an independent office of animal welfare is so urgently needed. From greyhound racing cruelty to illegal knackeries, mass kitten and puppy farms to horrific piggery conditions, animals in our State continue to be neglected, abused, exploited and killed every day with no direct oversight or accountability in the name of profit. Our animal welfare framework and laws are decades out of date and do not align with community expectations or modern scientific knowledge. The interests of animals continue to be constantly overlooked and pushed aside in the name of profit. It is clear that there is strong agreement across the Chamber that New South Wales needs an independent statutory body that oversees animal welfare and protection in our State. It has been advocated for by the community, animal welfare advocates and industry professionals for years, and it was a key election commitment by Labor, so what is holding the Government back from getting on with it?

In 2020 the Select Committee on Animal Cruelty Laws in New South Wales, which included members of The Greens, the Animal Justice Party and Labor, concluded that the Department of Primary Industries has an inherent conflict of interest between supporting agricultural industries while also being responsible for animal welfare and protection. The committee recommended the Government establish an independent statutory body to oversee the animal welfare framework and the enforcement of animal cruelty laws. Doing so would ultimately remove the conflict of interest and ensure that all animals are accounted for independently of the agricultural industries that exist to exploit them. Every day, in the absence of independent animal oversight that extends across all industries and departments, greyhounds are being swept off the racing industry's books or sent overseas to die, chickens are kept confined in sheds without ever feeling sunlight or smelling fresh air, sheep in the wool industry are subjected to cruel practices like mulesing, countless dogs and cats are euthanised in overflowing pounds and so many more animals are suffering.

Every day that we delay this vital reform is another day that animals across our State suffer without proper oversight and protection, which is why we must ensure that we get it right. Establishing an independent office of animal welfare has been core Greens business for over a decade. I have introduced my bill, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment (Independent Office of Animal Welfare) Bill 2023, to Parliament. I implore the Government, having not brought its own bill in a timely manner, to support The Greens' bill when we bring it for debate next week. As the motion before us today states, New South Wales has the exciting opportunity to lead the way by being the first jurisdiction in Australia to establish an independent office of animal welfare and protection. We can finally ensure that our animal welfare framework, laws and policies are robust and balanced and put the interests of animals front and centre. The New South Wales Government must finally step up and get on with supporting an independent office of animal welfare.

Read the full debate in Hansard.

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone has the right to share in the wellbeing of our country.

But at the moment the essentials so many of us need – a place to call home, food on the table, and everyday essentials like electricity, internet, medicine and water – are simply out of reach.

Instead of supporting us, our government is choosing to prop up huge corporations with massive subsidies, and to give away our collective wealth through record tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to live paycheck to paycheck or trapped in the dehumanising bureaucracy of our existing welfare system.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, and following quickly on the heels of the bushfire crisis, more of us than ever before are experiencing what it’s like to lose our jobs, be without a home, or worry about where the food for our next meal will come from.

It’s time for us to choose to prioritise the wellbeing of everyone.

And that’s exactly what the Universal Wellbeing Payment will do.

It’s a regular payment made to each of us to ensure our minimum standard of wellbeing. No means testing, no bureaucracy, no strings attached.

It’s the amount you’re owed simply for being a participant in our society.

It means you are free to live your life and contribute to society as you see fit, whether you’re a carer, an artist, a student, a parent, an entrepreneur – you can get on with what you need to do, knowing that you will always be supported regardless of your income.

It means that we’re choosing to structure our economy for the benefit of all of us, not using our collective wealth to prop up the interests of big business and the wealthy few.

It means you will always have what you need to live a good life, no matter what.

The Universal Wellbeing Payment is for everyone. Help us make it happen.

For more information, head to universalwellbeingpayment.com.au

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NSW must establish an independent office of animal welfare now!

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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