WA
15849 posts
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8283667/indo-workers-paid-to-abuse-cattle-for-tv
Indo workers 'paid to abuse cattle for TV'
A Liberal senator has told a parliamentary hearing meat workers in Indonesian abattoirs were paid to abuse live cattle for television footage that led to a ban on Australian exports.
Chris Back, a veterinarian, said a taxi driver used by Animals Australia made the payments.
One of the workers was later beaten-up by co-workers and his wife raped, the senator told a senate hearing in Canberra on Wednesday.
"There are now serious questions over the methods used to obtain footage by Animals Australia," Senator Back said of visits to abattoirs in Sumatra and Java by the organisation's campaign director Lyn White.
The footage was broadcast as part of a Four Corners report into animal cruelty at Indonesia abattoirs that led to the federal government imposing a temporary ban on live exports from Australia.
Ms White denied any knowledge of the payments.
"No, there was no payment at all," Ms White told reporters outside the hearing, adding it was the first time she had heard the allegation that meat workers had been paid to abuse cattle.
"It doesn't surprise me that workers would suggest that they were given some sort of inducement, they've obviously faced repercussions for allowing us to have access to abattoirs."
Ms White accused Senator Back of making a "clear attempt to distract" the Senate committee from its task of investigating animal welfare issues in Australia's live export markets.
Earlier, Senator Back quizzed Ms White about the payments using information he had received from an un-named Australian consultant in Indonesia.
He said a taxi driver, used by Ms White, had paid meat workers to whip or kick cattle in front of a cameraman.
One worker who was paid 150,000 rupiah - about eight days' salary - was asked to kick an animal in the head.
Since then the worker had been beaten-up by his co-workers "on a daily basis" and his wife and daughter raped, Senator Back told the hearing.
Head of the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association Luke Bowen says there may be some truth to claims that Animals Australia paid Indonesian meat workers to abuse cattle.
Mr Bowen, while observing the loading of the first post-ban shipment of cattle bound for Indonesia, said the industry had known for some time that meat workers had been paid to allow Animals Australia into the abattoirs.
He said the latest allegations had only just emerged.
"It sounds like there may be some truth in it," he said in Darwin on Wednesday.
"I've heard second hand that there are signed affidavits from the fellas in Indonesia saying they were paid to actually kick and abuse those animals."
Mr Bowen said Australians needed to be mindful that many animal advocacy groups had broader agendas in mind.
"For some of these animal lib (liberation) groups, this is just a convenient vehicle as a general sort of attack on livestock industries," he said.
"If it is true, it is outrageous.
"If it is true, it is actually shameful."
"A lot of these groups believe eating meat and wearing leather is exploitation of animals and they want to see (the livestock industry) gone."
505 posts
Do you really think anyone would risk the credibility of the organisation that they represent, and their own credibility for that matter?
QLD
3954 posts
Isn't the article saying that the anti cruelty mob got the footage and gave it to Four Corners??
Four corners acted in good faith, these crew just got footage that supported their cause. It's the perfect platform really, Four corners is one of the most respected shows in the country.
WA
56 posts
Doggie,
This report was being bandied around the livestock industry here in WA about 3 weeks ago. I talked with a representative from the Dept of Agriculture and Food in Perth who keeps me in the loop on the Live export situation and was informed they receive approx 2-3 different conspiracy theories a day. I heard an investigation was initiated and none of the claims could be proven and were deemed false. As of today Indonesian Abattoir owners and workers have officially denied this "paid to abuse" took place. I believe the denials went to press today.
A Number of Govt representatives have been there in Indonesia. Approx 2-3 weeks ago I was told, 3 of our State Veterinarians were refused entry to the Indonesian Abattoirs in question.
NSW
807 posts
^^^^
I saw on the news a couple of days ago the first shipment of live cattle going over. So it sounds like the answer is yes.
QLD
6158 posts
i fully expected them to have to pay to film them. I doubt they got them to do anything they wouldn't do normally. Do they alledge they got them to break the tail or something? That's BS. Like anything in that shxthole country, you have to pay a bribe to get something. in this case filming rights.
WA
56 posts
Yes a ship under an Elders Live Export permit has left OZ... This temporary ban was only for Indonesia. Other countries have been receiving our cattle continually. Australia exports cattle to Mexico, China, Turkey and throughout the Middle East, as well as Indonesia. I met Chinese buyers 4 weeks ago who bought Bulls for a breeding programme in Manchuria. They left 2 weeks ago for Victoria and then air freighted from there. Indonesia brought in a 350 kilogramme live weight ceiling on cattle they would accept starting at the beginning of the 2010 export season [a big game by them that hurt Aussie beef producers and has been part of their on going plan to reduce our live cattle exports to them, which dropped 33% in 2010]. With the good northern OZ season this year, many cattle were never going to be eligible for Indonesia 2011 anyway, ban or no ban - because too heavy... These cattle were sent to other markets [including interstate] in 2010 and same happened this year.
The Indonesian Ban did hurt many Northern cattle producers, with their lighter weight cattle. The 4 Corners report brought the shocking cruelty to world attention. Some people now say it was a set up, however that is being denied even from within Indonesia. Meat and Live Stock Australia and The Pastoralists and Graziers Assoc finally admitted during the ban that serious animal welfare issues, some of the type shown in the 4 Corners report had been officially reported as far back as 2007 [no action taken from within Industry or by our Govt]. A large Northern Cattle Company - Heytesbury, reported serious animal welfare issues in Indonesian Abattoirs during an interview in Feb 2010 with the Australian news paper.
So -
Animal cruelty/welfare issues in Indonesia with Australian cattle is a known and admitted from within our Industry.
The Ban happened, but only on the Indonesian market, not on other live export markets.
During the Indonesian Ban period, prices for young light weight Bulls suitable for the live export trade increased in value! I cant explain that one?
Indonesia has been deliberately implementing a plan to reduce live exports from Australia as of 2010. Ban or no ban, they want less of our cattle.
The Indo Ban has shown the Australian Beef industry that many of its Northern herds have been been operating with a major flaw - They are set up to be heavily reliant on only "ONE" market! Big mistake in most any business and it really showed here...
To the best of my knowledge Australia is the only major 1st world nation live exporting cattle in volume. Other major cattle producing 1st world nations are not doing it because it is a political, ethical and economic minefield... Will there be more problems in the years ahead for Live Export - I would just about bet my life on it!
