The Hon. Lachlan Hunter, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food (WA), Media Release, 15 July 2025

The Opposition has slammed the Albanese and Cook Labor Governments over their deeply flawed $139 million live sheep phase-out package – calling it a political stunt dressed up as support, with no meaningful industry consultation and not a single dollar in new funding.

Despite repeated calls from the industry for clarity and genuine engagement, producers were given just one hour’s notice before Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins touched down in Western Australia to make the announcement just outside of Perth in Muchea – well outside the sheep producing heartlands that will bear the brunt of Labor’s ideological ban.

Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food Lachlan Hunter MP said the decision to axe live sheep exports without a credible transition plan or fair compensation was a betrayal to regional WA.

“This package is a slap in the face to the people who have built and sustained this trade for decades,” Mr Hunter said.

“Labor’s ‘co-design’ workshops were a box-ticking exercise after the decision had already been made. Industry leaders weren’t even told the Minister was coming until an hour beforehand – and now they’re expected to smile and nod as Labor cuts their livelihoods off at the knees.”

“We confirmed in Parliament that the Cook Labor Government is not contributing a single new dollar to this package. For a policy with such devastating local consequences, that’s an outrageous dereliction of duty.”

Despite a multi-billion-dollar state surplus, WA Labor has refused to lift a finger financially – leaving already-stretched farmers and processors to navigate this mess on their own.

WAFarmers and other peak bodies have already expressed doubt about the effectiveness of the package, which fails to provide the scale of investment required for genuine transition – particularly when many producers face the prospect of exit, not opportunity.

“There is nothing here that restores confidence, nothing that provides certainty, and nothing that justifies the destruction of a trade built on decades of hard work by WA farmers,” Mr Hunter said.

“The Opposition will continue to fight alongside the sheep industry to reverse this reckless decision. Labor’s ban has nothing to do with animal welfare and everything to do with politics. Regional WA deserves better.”  

Related story: Funding to support industry transition – phase out of live sheep exports by sea: Collins