PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT SATURDAY, APRIL 12 198~
FEDERAL COUNCIL -EXPORT OF HORSES TO JAPAN FOR SLAUGHTER%~
Question: export of horses to Japan in the conditions in the -wh-ich they
are currently being transported. The Victorian government has*
indicated its concern in the matter, and I would be grateful if the
Prime Minister could indicate whether the Federal Government is
proposing to take any action in the area.
Prime Minister:
Thank you for the opportunity of saying something about this subject.
The export of horses to Japan and the shipment that was unloaded in
Sydney does represent a disgrace of a very high order. They should
never have been loaded, should never have been allowed to. be shipped,
and we do owe thanks to the RSPCA for drawing the matter to attention.
I have got to say that this is not the first time that this has
happened. A shipment in December 1979 was also held up by the RSPCA
for a while, but as a result of that, agreed guidelines were
established for the export of horses to Japan.
In this particular instance, it is very plain that the guidelines
have not been addhered to, and the export should not be allowed.
Marshall Baillieu, i think, has seen the horses, and would confirm
the seriousness of t-he situation. Peter Nixon issued a statement
yesterday saying that he was calling for a complete review of the
procedures in relation~ to permits in these matters. Generally,
while the Comamonwealt; h is responsible, the States act as. agents
and are the authoiis that assess the matters and see whether
or not the shipmient meets the various circumstances.
I discussed this because we are both involved, this morning with
Dick Hamer, and we both agree that there needs to be a review as
Peter Nixon did announce yesterday, of the procedures, to make
sure that it can't happen again.
Now, the horses have been unloaded in Sydney. At the moment, I
understand that the RSPCA are paying for the stabling of the horses
and the feeding of them because I think that the owners have refused.
Well, I discussed it with Peter Nixon this morning, and we will not
allow these particular horses, this particular shipment, to be
exported. Export controls will be used to prevent it, unless the
owners pay for the horses and look after them in Sydney. Then they
can do what they like with them, and if they get them to a fit
condition to meet the guidelines to be exported in a proper way,
then that will be able to occur. But there is no reason why the
RSPCA should have to pick up the bill for the stabling of the
horses in Sydney, and with Peter Nixon, we agreed that the
Government should recompense the RSCPA for what it has done and
the costs it might have incurred in that particular instance.
I can't say any more about this at the moment. It is just one of
those instances that should not have happened. Something broke
down in relation to it. A Commonwealth veterinary of ficer did inspect
these horses in Sydney, and as a result of that, it was certainly
found that they didn't meet the standards. A number of the horses / 2
2-
were extremely ill, had been damaged and bruised, and almost looked
as if they had been knocked about well, they had been knocked about,
and many of them were not fit to travel.
Well, we have got to establish arrangements betweenthe State and
the Commonwealth to make sure that this sort of thing does not
and cannot occur again. It is the second time in a matter of
three or four months in which it has occurred, and I think in
both cases, out of the Port of Melbourne.