Greens demand the NSW Government invest in pig welfare

Today in Parliament, Abigail advocated for enforced mandatory CCTV in abattoirs, ending "ag-gag" laws and a government commitment to improving pig welfare standards.

Abigail tried passing the following motion on formal business:

(1) That this House notes that on 20 June 2024, the Parliament of Victoria’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee tabled its final report for the Inquiry into pig welfare in Victoria, which made 14 findings and 18 recommendations for change including the following recommendations:

that mandatory Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) be imposed in all processing and farming facilities, to be made available to regulatory bodies for independent audits,
that welfare inspectors be granted the power to instigate unannounced and ad-hoc inspections of facilities,
that the Victorian Government consider establishing an Independent Office of Animal Protection to ensure compliance with animal protection laws, streamline complaints, provide expert, evidence-based reform, and monitor animal welfare conditions within Victoria,
that the use of side-loader carbon dioxide stunning systems must be phased out to minimise pre-slaughter stress in pigs, and that the Victorian Government work with industry to find commercially viable alternatives to CO2 in stunning pigs prior to slaughter and report on alternatives with a reporting date no later than May 2026,
that a complete ban on sow stalls, farrowing crates, boar crates, mating stalls and any other restrictive confinement be legislated,
that the Victorian Government support farmers to transition to outdoor group housing,
that the Victorian Government find an alternative to the use of blunt force trauma as a suitable method of piglet euthanasia, and
that the Victorian Government support a national standards framework including enforceable welfare guidelines.

(2) That this House further notes that:

NSW is the largest producer and exporter of pork and pork products in Australia, with over 500 commercial piggeries in NSW and 90,000 sows,
calls for mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in abattoirs have been growing stronger in NSW recently following the Victorian Committee recommending it as well as media reports of alleged animal cruelty in abattoirs across Australia, and
currently in NSW under the Surveillance Devices Act 2002, also known as “ag-gag” laws, whistleblowers and concerned members of the public who capture footage in abattoirs and animal agriculture facilities in NSW to expose animal welfare concerns face penalties of up to 5 years in prison and $220,000 in fines.

(3) That this House:

congratulates the Committee on its work and urges the Victorian Government to implement its recommendations, and
calls on the NSW Government to:
- require mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in all industrial agriculture facilities, including in abattoirs, to be made available to regulatory bodies for independent audits,
- overturn the archaic “ag-gag” laws which criminalise whistleblowing in agriculture facilities, and
- commit to supporting investment in pig welfare improvements, including supporting a national standards framework with enforceable welfare guidelines and alternatives to outdated animal agriculture practices that do not align with scientific evidence or community expectation.

The motion was objected to.

8 August 2024

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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Greens demand the NSW Government invest in pig welfare

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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