Thursday, 20 June 2024

Committees

Economy and Infrastructure Committee

Inquiry into Pig Welfare in Victoria

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (09:37): Pursuant to standing order 23.22, I table a report on the inquiry into pig welfare in Victoria, including an appendix, extracts of proceedings and a minority report from the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, and I present the transcripts of evidence. I move:

That the transcripts of evidence be tabled and the report be published.

Motion agreed to.

Georgie PURCELL: I move:

That the Council take note of the report.

It is with great joy that I table this report as chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee today. Pigs are one of the most remarkable animals on the planet. They are smarter than the dogs we share our hearts and homes with and have a similar cognitive ability to three-year-old children. They can comprehend, remember and empathise. They clean, they nurture lifelong friendships and they are strongly motivated to care for and protect their young. They are also one of the world’s most intensively farmed species of animal. Their strong intellect is undoubtedly linked to their capacity to experience fear, distress and pain. In recent years harrowing footage of pigs in Victorian factory farms and slaughterhouses has been released, resulting in increasing alarm from consumers towards the conditions animals are raised to be killed in. Most recently, world-first footage was released of the most common stunning method before slaughter – CO₂ gassing systems. It showed pigs being lowered by gondola into carbon dioxide across three Victorian slaughterhouses. Despite being described as best practice by the industry, the vision showed pigs thrashing and gasping while slowly losing consciousness.

The passion for improved protection for pigs was evidenced by the engagement with this parliamentary inquiry, which received a combined 10,000 submissions and survey responses. Of those respondents, regardless of whether they consumed pork products or not, there was a consensus that industry and governments can and should do more to improve the lives of pigs in Victoria. The codes of practice, regulations and legislation that govern pig welfare in Victoria are complex, with many different farms adhering to different levels and standards of care. A clear theme throughout the inquiry process was concern surrounding self-regulation. Despite the pork industry acknowledging pig cruelty and committing to a voluntary phase-out of sow stalls by 2017, there are still farms that have not complied in this state. Without oversight, consumers are being misled into purchasing products that they might falsely believe are sow stall free. Another concern to many witnesses who gave evidence were so-called routine practices regularly performed without pain relief, such as teeth clipping, ear notching and tail docking, mostly done on young piglets.

In this report the committee makes 18 recommendations to improve the welfare and protection of pigs, including a complete and permanent ban on sow stalls and farrowing crates. It calls for mandatory CCTV in farming facilities to be made available for independent auditing and the establishment of an independent office of animal protection to appropriately and effectively monitor animal welfare in our state. It acknowledges the inherent cruelty in CO₂ systems and recommends research into sustainable, kinder alternatives. As part of the solution to improving the welfare of pigs, this report also recognises the innovation and development of the cultivated meat industry and its potential to provide safe, ethical and environmentally considered food to Victorians. Many of these recommendations can be incorporated into the government’s new and modernised animal protection laws in the Animal Care and Protection Bill, and I encourage the Victorian government to take up this legislative opportunity to ensure the plight of pigs is reduced.

I would like to thank all stakeholders who made high-quality and thoughtful submissions and those people who gave up their time and expertise appearing before the committee in public hearings to give evidence. I would also like to thank my committee colleagues for the professional and courteous way they approached the inquiry. This was a difficult inquiry for many, with strongly held views and different perspectives across committee members, and for the most part there was a collegiate approach and collaboration. Finally, I would like to thank the secretariat of the committee, committee manager Michael Baker, inquiry officer Ben Huf, research assistant Adeel Siddiqi, senior administration officer Julie Barnes and administrative assistant Jo Clifford for the professional and exemplary support they have provided to the committee throughout the inquiry.

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (09:43): I would like to just briefly talk about this inquiry around pig welfare and also the domestic pork industry, as the Victorian domestic pork industry plays a crucial role in Victoria’s food supply chain. In Victoria it ranks as the second-most consumed protein, following chicken. Approximately 253 commercial pig businesses operate within Victoria, sustaining an estimated 3360 jobs. We heard from a lot of different people during this inquiry and a whole lot of activists. There is one thing I would like to bring up in particular: pig farmers do the very best, as a majority. There are of course a few outliers that do the wrong thing. They should be called out, and they have been called out. But pig farmers in general care about their animals and do the very best they can to provide something incredible to Victorians that during a cost-of-living crisis and during a time when we are talking about food security is extremely important.

I would like to bring something up that happened during the pig inquiry, where there was some evidence that was actually before the courts that was presented to the inquiry – evidence that I had personally watched. I had viewed it all in my private time and I had read it all in my private time, and the committee knew this. However, there was a false narrative going out that I had refused to watch it and therefore my evidence and my view on the whole matter would be skewed. I got called all sorts of things, including somebody who supports rape of animals because of pig artificial insemination. It was absolutely unhinged and horrendous. One of the things that it really brought up with me was some of the abuse that these pig farmers have to put up with because of animal activists.

Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (09:45): I thank my colleagues on this committee for another huge inquiry. I also want to, at the start, acknowledge the committee secretariat, who have done a power of work in bringing this report to the chamber today. This report does contain some landmark recommendations to protect pigs and to improve outcomes within the pig production system. Some notable recommendations include a ban on sow stalls, farrowing crates and boar crates, those common confinement practices that see – we saw evidence throughout the inquiry – these remarkably intelligent and clearly very social animals confined in really quite confronting conditions still as part of pig production in this state. The report also talks about tackling practices that we heard have been commonplace but are not universally used across the pig production industry – practices that, were they happening to any domestic animal, would be violations of cruelty protections, such as tail docking, ear notching and teeth cutting without anaesthetic, so there are recommendations to tackle those practices too.

I will echo the observations that this was indeed a challenging inquiry, and I found myself brought to tears on a number of occasions by the material that was presented. It was challenging for many participants, and I want to acknowledge that no matter which side of the issue you came from this was very difficult subject matter to cover – often shocking footage. And I really want to also thank all who presented. Again, there were very deeply held views on all sides, but I feel that those who presented to the committee did so very genuinely.

We have an opportunity as a result of this report to improve the welfare of pigs, and I urge the government to act swiftly on the recommendations.

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (09:47): I too rise to speak on this report, and at the outset I want to say this was an inquiry designed to destroy the pig industry – nothing else – and for the Labor Party to back the destruction of the pig industry is a disgrace. The activists that put this up ought to be held to account. Pork meat is the second-most highly consumed protein in this country. It provides affordable meat and protein for many people who cannot afford to have other forms of expensive protein. The pig industry is highly regulated. We heard from many experts about the lengths they go to to ensure proper biosecurity and safety for animals. The fact that individuals, in the name of whistleblowing, can illegally trespass over people’s farms and space and put animals, the owners and the workers at risk is an absolute disgrace, and I think they ought to be held to account. It is illegal trespass, and that should not occur. The extraordinary footage that was subject to court proceedings, which we on the coalition side were subject to abuse for wanting it not shown in the inquiry, was also totally unacceptable.

I think we have got to be very careful about allowing inquiries to proceed when there is an absolute agenda in place and an outcome proposed. When I questioned one of the witnesses ‘What regulations would be acceptable for you in the industry?’, the answer was ‘None’ – there are no regulations that would be acceptable. They want the industry closed down. (Time expired)

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (09:49):(By leave) We saw it in the animal activist inquiry and we saw it in this inquiry: this is a lynch mob for any livestock farming in Victoria. We saw the Animal Justice Party member’s predecessor Mr Meddick do the same job on that, and we see it aided and abetted by the Labor Party in this house. Let me read from the minority report, and I thank my colleague Gaelle Broad and the Liberal Party members for this report:

This parliamentary inquiry into pig welfare was a political stunt led by the Animal Justice Party to close the pig industry, supported by Labor and the Greens

The Chair abused parliamentary processes and failed to act with impartiality during the inquiry.

You are trying to trash the reputation of all Victorian farmers.

Katherine Copsey: On a point of order, President, I think that that is reflecting on a member. I do not think it is warranted, and I would ask you to request that the speaker withdraw those comments and return to speaking on the report.

Melina BATH: Further to the point of order, President, I am reading from the executive summary of the minority report that was passed and printed with this report.

The PRESIDENT: If the member is reading from the report, it is very difficult to uphold the point of order.

Melina BATH: What we know is that the pig industry in Victoria is highly regulated, accepts world’s best practice and will continue to evolve to have leading practice. What we – the Nationals in country Victoria and the Liberals in country Victoria and all Victorians – are concerned about is what this Labor government will do when it brings in the Animal Care and Protection Bill. Will it roll over to minority groups who end up getting 1.5 per cent of the vote? Will they roll over or will they stand up for people in the country? Will they stand up for primary producers? Will they support the pig industry?

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (09:52):(By leave) I was not a part of this committee process, but I did step in during the deliberation stage to assist with that process. I note that not one government member has been in the chamber – although one government member has now arrived – to listen to what has been presented here today. I concur with Ms Bath in terms of the government supporting Animal Justice and not recognising the importance of this industry. It was quite telling through that deliberation stage. I think it is also telling that Mr McIntosh and Mr Berger are not in the house and Ms Terpstra has only just arrived; I do not know if she is going to contribute to the debate. But she was part of those deliberations, and at every step of the way it was the government who was siding with the Animal Justice Party and the Greens to support the issues that Animal Justice was prosecuting.

I want to commend party members Mrs McArthur, Dr Heath, Ms Bath and Mrs Broad, who put together a minority report. I would urge the government to read this minority report, Mr Batchelor. Through you, President, I would urge every government member and the minister responsible for this important industry to read the coalition’s minority report, because it spells out just how important the industry is to the Victorian economy and exactly the issues that have been raised by my colleagues. Again, I say what a disgraceful display it was by the government members – who are not even in the house – who sat on that committee and have not contributed to the tabling of this report.

Motion agreed to.