News
Government's 'Transition Advocate' a poisoned chalice
02 December 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council said today that the Government’s call for someone to fill the Transition Advocate role to phase out the export of live sheep by sea was a poisoned chalice and would result in no good outcomes for exporters, farmers or the wider supply chain.
ALEC visits Middle East to keep ties strong
26 November 2024
ALEC Chair David Galvin and CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton are in the Middle East this week to visit key markets and customers in the interest of keeping industry relationships with the region strong.
The visit takes in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Jordan.
Increase in community sentiment proves live sheep ban unjustified
18 November 2024
Results released today from a six year project examining community sentiment, indicating that public sentiment towards live exports is more positive than ever show the Government’s decision to ban live sheep exports by sea is unjustified.
Nutrien Ag Solutions Livestock Exporter Young Achiever of the Year 2024: Dr Charles Vaughan
05 November 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) and Nutrien Ag Solutions are pleased to announce veterinarian, Dr Charles Vaughan, Live Export Manager at AAM Investment Group, as the winner of the 2024 Livestock Exporter Young Achiever of the Year award. Dr Vaughan was recognised for his outstanding leadership, industry knowledge and commitment to the sustainable future of livestock export.
ALEC refutes Minister's claim on inadequate sheep funding package
15 October 2024
Today Minister Julie Collins stated in a doorstop press conference that ALEC was one of the groups that pushed for additional funding as part of the Government’s ‘transition’ plan when it bans live sheep exports in 2028.
Exporters decline Minister's visit request, saying 'too little, too late'
14 October 2024
Tomorrow, the Hon Julie Collins will tour Western Australia and is likely to announce grants as part of the Albanese Government’s grossly inadequate $107 million transition package – of which only $60million is slated to be delivered on the ground over the next four years.
Walkout in Parliament question time as farmers insulted by Government
10 September 2024
Despite an invitation, the Albanese Government failed to front the historic National Ag Rally in Canberra, attended by over 2000 people, in a move ALEC Chairman David Galvin described as “cowardly”.
ALEC seeks nominations for Nutrien Ag Solutions' Young Achiever of the Year
04 September 2024
Together with sponsor Nutrien Ag Solutions, the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council is now seeking nominations for the Livestock Exporter Young Achiever of the Year award.
PM's defence of live sheep ban shows the Government out of touch on Ag
02 September 2024
Responding to comments by Prime Minister Albanese in Perth on Monday, Australian Livestock Exporters CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton refuted statements that the Live Sheep Ban is “good policy”, and that the government won’t face voter backlash in the West.
Vale Luke Bowen
26 August 2024
Vale Luke Bowen
Alongside the Australian agricultural community, the Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC) extends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of Luke Bowen.
ALEC welcomes MLA leadership to Indonesia
20 August 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC) has thanked recently appointed Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Managing Director Michael Crowley and MLA Chair Alan Beckett for making Indonesia a priority during a visit this week to the crucial live export market partner.
Statement on mortality event during air shipment
18 August 2024
ALEC regrettably advises that a small air freight consignment of breeder sheep to Jakarta experienced a mortality event of approximately 80 sheep on the evening of 17 August.
This was immediately reported to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as the industry regulator.
Expert tells Sheep Conference that compensation package “a joke”
09 August 2024
A renowned red meat industry expert has told a packed auditorium at the LambEx convention that the Government’s ban on live exports was “the front door to a world of pain for farmers”.
NSW inquiry shows that concern about live sheep ban a national issue
06 August 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council said that the Parliament of New South Wales’ new inquiry into the Impact of the phase out of Australian live sheep exports by sea on NSW demonstrated that farmers across Australia were concerned by impacts to the industry and that it was not confined to Western Australia.
More pain ahead for Western Australian sheep farmers?
28 July 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters Council said today that the announcement of the new Minister for Agriculture was an opportunity for the incoming minister, Julie Collins MP to take fresh eyes to the agriculture portfolio and reset the relationship with the sector.
A black day for agriculture as red line is crossed
02 July 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters Council said today that 1 July 2024 will forever be marked as a black day for Australian agriculture. However, CEO Mark Harvey said it also marked the last day that governments could wilfully ignore facts and evidence and choose activism.
Government's lack of transparency on sheep ban bill shameful
27 June 2024
Mark Harvey-Sutton, CEO of the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council said today that the government’s refusal to hold an inquiry was a shameful attack on Western Australian farmers, truckies and the regional towns that support them.
ALEC commends Chaney on voting against live sheep ban and calls on Senators to do the same
26 June 2024
Mark Harvey-Sutton, CEO of the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council said ALEC wanted to give credit where credit was due to independent Member for Curtin, Kate Chaney MP for voting against the Government’s ridiculous live sheep ban bill today in the House of Representatives and said she had set the benchmark for the Senate.
'Political bastardry' - ALEC damns passing of sheep ban bill
26 June 2024
Mark Harvey-Sutton, CEO of the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council said the passage of the sheep ban bill through the House of Representatives was an act of ‘political bastardry’.
Senate scrutiny urgently needed after Labor's bad faith sham inquiry
26 June 2024
ALEC has today condemned the Labor controlled House of Representatives Agriculture committee for failing to do the right thing and for presiding over a sham inquiry.
Prime Minister jokes while farmers despair over live sheep ban
18 June 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has continued his government’s detachment and displayed a galling lack of empathy for the Western Australian agriculture industry during a radio interview yesterday on 6PR.
Opening statement to HoR Inquiry into Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024
12 June 2024
While not intending any disrespect to this committee’s members, and the time they are committing for this inquiry, Minister Watt committed to a Senate Inquiry with hearings in WA during a Senate Estimates hearing on 30 May, only to backflip less than a week later and assign the task to a House of Representative committee instead.
44,000 reasons to reverse the ban on live sheep
06 June 2024
Today, ALEC CEO, Mark Harvey-Sutton celebrated the achievement of community group Keep the Sheep, on reaching over 44,000 signatures and growing and said it was further evidence that the community doesn’t support the Albanese Government’s ban on live sheep exports.
Minister Watt flip flops on live sheep ban with eleventh-hour inquiry
04 June 2024
Speaking today as the Government announced a House of Representatives inquiry into the live sheep ban, ALEC CEO, Mark Harvey-Sutton declared the move was “outrageous” and was an attempt by the Albanese Government to jam through a policy that is universally unwanted across the agriculture industry.
ALEC rides with convoy in support of West Australian farmers and truckies
31 May 2024
Today, ALEC CEO, Mark Harvey-Sutton was pleased to ride in the cab of a truck as part of the rally organised by WA locals to protest the Albanese Government’s ban on live sheep and said that the mood on the ground in Western Australia reflected the dismay in the policy.
Sheep exporters to Watt: we're not going anywhere
20 May 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters Council is today sending a very clear message to farmers in Western Australia as well as to the Albanese Government – We’re not going anywhere!
Government's live sheep ban announcement a complete and utter disgrace
11 May 2024
Today, ALEC CEO, Mark Harvey-Sutton denounced the Government’s announcement of the package for the phase out of live sheep by sea as a disgrace, saying it was clear that the Government was throwing out Australia’s vital agricultural industries in favour of activist ideologies, as well as a few votes.
Exporters strengthen trade ties with Indonesian and Vietnamese beef customers
08 May 2024
Today at Beef Australia in Rockhampton, ALEC Chair, David Galvin welcomed members from the Indonesian and Vietnamese beef industry visiting Rockhampton for Beef Australia.
Silence from Canberra deafening, while WA sheep farmers suffer
02 May 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council said that while the last week had brought a brief reprieve for WA farmers with the announcement of financial support from the state government, the silence from Federal Minister, Senator Murray Watt was deafening.
Government’s sheep ban panel used as “human shields” for deeply unpopular policy
06 May 2024
Today at Beef Australia in Rockhampton where the Government’s Phase Out of Live Sheep by Sea panel member Sue Middleton, was speaking at the Cattle Australia breakfast, ALEC CEO said the comments about the Government’s live sheep ban policy were enlightening.
ALEC applauds Minister Jarvis for her efforts to keep the sheep
24 April 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council applauded the efforts of WA Minister for Agriculture, Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC for her efforts in supporting the live export trade out of Western Australia by writing to her Federal counterpart, Minister Watt to call for a delay in the shipping moratorium start date.
ALEC Statement on Freedom of Information footage from 2018 released today
12 April 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) is aware that the Freedom of Information Commissioner has granted the RSPCA access to Independent Observer footage of a voyage that departed Fremantle in May 2018.
Government needs to go back to the drawing board on live exports
27 March 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) today warned Labor MPs speaking on live sheep exports were simply using tired and factually incorrect arguments in parliament when debating a private members motion put forward by the Member for Grey, Rowan Ramsay on Monday.
Statement on cattle deaths at sea
26 March 2024
ALEC understands that a shipment of cattle to Indonesia experienced a significant mortality event during a voyage to Indonesia that discharged on 24 March.
Time to start listening to farmers
13 March 2024
Today at the National Farmers Federation National Forum on Mental Health in Agriculture, ALEC CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton congratulated the NFF on putting on the forum and highlighting the importance of the issue.
Activists hamper DAFF in Bahijah decision
09 February 2024
Following the publication of the full statement of reasons by the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) this afternoon, for its refusal to grant the exporter responsible for the MV Bahijah permission to re-export livestock, the Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC) considers the decision detailed and extensive.
ALEC Statement re MV Bahijah decision
05 February 2024
On 5 January 2024, the MV Bahijah departed Fremantle, bound for Eilat, Israel, with a mixed consignment of approximately 15000 sheep and 2500 cattle. This consignment was approved by the Federal Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and was undertaken by Bassam Dabbah, an exporter that is not a member of the Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC).
ALEC calls out blatant activist lies on Bahijah
01 February 2024
Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton has today launched a blistering attack on the blatant lies being perpetuated by activist groups and politicians about the MV Bahijah issue.
“Once again, activists are spreading lies to further their own cause and it’s time it was called out” said Mr Harvey-Sutton.
ALEC urges Government to reconsider live sheep ban in light of stage three tax turnaround
24 January 2024
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council has today reminded the Albanese Government that fairness doesn’t only apply to taxation. It noted the Government’s backflip on the stage three tax cuts and reminds it there is another area where a reconsideration of policy is needed: reversing the planned phase out of Australian live sheep exports.
ALEC CEO, Mark Harvey-Sutton said the Government should change its mind.
Government must take action on serious cash for cruelty claims in Parliament
01 December 2023
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) today called on the Government to take serious action on the concerns raised by Rick Wilson MP and Senator Slade Brockman in Parliament in the past two weeks about activist group Animals Australia. These concerns involve allegations of cash payments Animals Australia to livestock vessel crew.
Out of touch activists must condemn Singer if serious about animal wellbeing
21 November 2023
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) today called on the Australian Alliance for Animals Chair, Hon Dr Craig Emerson to condemn and immediately expel its member, Animals Australia, for continuing to actively promote its co-founder Peter Singer, despite revelations in social media posts and in the West Australian that Mr Singer seemingly endorses zoophilia; the sexual fixation between animals and humans.
ALEC to PM: Give the live export industry a sporting chance
15 November 2023
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) today reiterated its calls for the Albanese Government to reverse its live sheep ban policy, as the damage is being increasingly felt by Western Australian farmers, their families and friends.
Oliver Thorne named 2023 Young Achiever of the Year
08 November 2023
Nutrien Ag Solutions and the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) are pleased to announce the winner of the 2023 Livestock Exporter Young Achiever of the Year award, Oliver Thorne, Business Development Coordinator at AUSTREX.
ALEC backs Keep Farmers Farming campaign
26 October 2023
The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC) has thrown its support behind the National Farmers’ Federation’s Keep Farmers Farming campaign against anti-farming policies.