Click here for our 2020 Election Priorities for Animal Welfare
All animals have a right to a life free from cruelty.
Government must be accountable for the wellbeing of animals
- An independent Animal Welfare Commissioner should be established, as well as a Minister for Animal Welfare who is not the Minister for Primary Industries.
- By law, all animals should have access to shade, shelter, and comfortable resting areas, with increased funding for enforcement
Animals used for agriculture or economic purposes must not be subject to avoidable distress, pain, or suffering
- All commercial farming practices that cause suffering should be phased out, including farrowing crates for pigs, debeaking of hens, and factory farming.
- Animals should not be allowed to be used in events that rely on inflicting pain and distress.
- Racing codes should be required to publicly report the numbers of animals bred, raced, injured, euthanised and re-homed or retired.
- Experiments on animals should only be used where they are overwhelmingly beneficial and do not cause suffering
Transportation of animals should be tightly regulated
- Animals should be slaughtered as near as possible to their point of production. Transport standards for animals should be high to minimise stress.
- Live exports for slaughter should be banned, and strong enforcement should ensure it doesn’t happen under the guise of export for breeding.
- Animals should not be exported to countries that don’t have strong animal welfare rules.
Clear labelling should allow for informed consumer decisions
- All goods should clearly state if they contain animal products, the conditions under which those animals were raised, or have if they have been tested on animals.
