Emerson fends off animal-stunning revolt

SYDNEY (AAP) - July 09 - Trade Minister Craig Emerson says it would be a "bit rich" for Australia to insist that Indonesian abattoirs stun animals before slaughtering them, when some Australian abattoirs don't do so.
The federal government last Wednesday lifted the suspension on live cattle exports to Indonesia, which was imposed after graphic footage of cruelty shown on the ABC's Four Corners program sparked public outcry in Australia.
But nine Labor MPs have come out against the government decision because it does not insist on Indonesia stunning animals before slaughter.
"I would point out that in Australia there are at least a dozen abattoirs where stunning doesn't occur," Dr Emerson told Network Ten's Meet The Press program on Sunday.
"And it would be a bit rich to expect Indonesia to observe standards that we don't observe here in Australia."
The nine backbenchers signed a letter saying there were serious questions they aimed to resolve within the government.
"The first concerns the issue of stunning. The simplest and most effective way to ensure that cattle are slaughtered humanely is to stun them before slaughter," Kelvin Thomson, Melissa Parke, Darren Cheeseman, Anna Burke, Tony Zappia, Steve Gibbons, Steve Georganas, Laura Smyth and Mike Symon wrote.
Dr Emerson said on Sunday that he had read the letter from the MPs, which he described as "critical" of the industry.
"Obviously, those MPs, or many of them, would want stunning to occur," he said.
"Our Indonesian friends are committing, in any event, to upgrading their facilities."
Dr Emerson said by January 1, 2012, Indonesia must comply with international standards, which would be a "positive shift" in the right direction.
"It puts the industry on a sustainable basis," he said.
Dr Emerson said he was not concerned about the Labor backbenchers crossing the floor over the matter.
"We've had, in a minority government, claims that people are going to cross the floor left, right and centre," hesaid.
"We've now put through more than 150 pieces of legislation in this parliament.
"None of them (were) amended by the coalition, so we have been successfully implementing legislation."