A sheep farmer who travelled more than 3,000 kilometres to protest against the Labour Party’s ban on live sheep exports has left Parliament House because he was “fed up with Anthony Albanese’s contempt for farmers”.
WA Farmers vice-chairman Steve McGuire travelled from his sheep farm in Kojonup, south of Perth, to Canberra on Tuesday to join about 1,000 others in the ‘Keep the Sheep’ rally outside Parliament House.
The demonstration was in response to new laws passed by parliament in July, which stipulate that the live sheep trade in Australia will be phased out over four years, with a complete ban in May 2028.
Farmers are furious, saying their homes and livelihoods are at stake, and have travelled in buses from across the country to the government to raise their concerns.
Many came to Question Time at 2pm hoping that the Prime Minister would acknowledge them and the many grievances they had voiced earlier in the day. However, things did not go as planned.
Mr Albanese said live animal exports fell by $1.5 million when the coalition was in power, explaining that his government was investing “$107 million to support an orderly and well-planned transition away from an already declining trade”.
From the public gallery, a farmer shouted ‘please speak up!’ and another shouted ‘bulls**t!’. Both were quickly escorted out of the building by security, along with another who flipped off Sydney Teal MP Zali Steggall.
Mr McGuire was one of 50 other farmers who voluntarily stood up and left, telling Daily Mail Australia the group was fed up with the government “treating us badly”.
Pictured: Steve McGuire, a sheep farmer who travelled from Western Australia to Canberra for the rally
Pictured: Anthony Albanese in the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon
“You can tell Albanese is trying to calm something down because he starts talking softly. And that’s exactly what he does,” McGuire said.
‘I could see it on his face – I’m so sick of this disdain.
“They don’t think we matter, but you need a farmer three times a day – we make your food.”
He said the demonstration was an attempt to “make the people of Australia aware that the government is treating us badly”, and argued that failing to change the laws would cost Labor seats at the next election.
“We don’t live in marginal constituencies,” he said. “We matter.”
Another farmer said he “completely” understood why someone was shouting at the prime minister.
“The sheep on those export boats are actually treated very well. I know a girl who looks after them and she was very angry when this happened, but they don’t know that,” he said.
“It’s incredibly frustrating.”
Mr Albanese told the House of Representatives that he had spoken to farmers during the day and listened to their concerns, but that he was not present at the meeting.
Instead, he posed for photographs in the parliament courtyard with the Labour Party faction.
The mass walkout was sparked by a question put to Mr Albanese by Nationals leader David Littleproud.
About 1,000 farmers turned up at the ‘Keep the Sheep’ demonstration on Tuesday (photo)
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is pictured addressing the crowd, along with David Littleproud, Jacinta Price, Bridget McKenzie, Michaelia Cash and other Coalition members
He asked: ‘If the government goes ahead with the ban on live sheep exports, Sudan will be one of the countries that will take over Australia’s market share.
‘Prime Minister, who has the highest standards for animal welfare? Sudan or Australia?’
Mr Albanese said the laws had been passed by parliament and accused the coalition of “playing politics”.
“In the decade that the Liberals and Nationalists were in power, live sheep exports by sea fell by more than $1.5 million. That’s just a fact of what happened,” he said.
‘We are providing certainty to sheep producers and the supply chain by legislating for the phase-out and investing $107 million in an orderly and well-planned transition away from what is already a declining trade.’
Mr Littleproud and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton addressed the raucous crowd as the demonstration reached its peak around midday.
Both parties promised to lift the ban if the coalition comes into power in the next elections.