World Farm Animals Day – change is needed on our farms

Media Release: Friday 2 October 2009

"On World Farm Animals Day, we should take the opportunity to reflect on the plight of animals that are subjected to needless cruelty in factory farms and slaughter houses all around the world," Greens MP, Sue Pennicuik said today.

"Most Australians are appalled by animal cruelty – yet many are still unaware of the suffering endured by millions of animals in factory farms in Australia," she said.

"Greens around Australia are working with lawyers and animal protection groups to put a stop to practices that inflict unnecessary suffering on farm animals," she said. "As ethical human beings we must think hard about what we eat and the needless animal suffering that may be involved in the production of that food.

"For example, the 'Code of Practice for the Welfare of Pigs' which I tried to disallow in the state parliament in 2007, still permits pregnant sows in factory farms to be kept in metal stalls, where that they cannot turn around or walk or express their natural behaviours, for their entire 4 month pregnancy. Piglets can be castrated, and have their teeth and tails clipped without pain relief – practices that would be illegal if it was inflicted on domestic animals," she said.

"Battery hen cages will be banned in the EU in 2012, but there is no sign of a phase in Australia, where 11 million hens in battery farms are crammed in wire cages that they cannot walk around, indulge in their normal behaviours or even spread their wings.

"The regulation of farm animals in Victoria is too far skewed towards the commercial desires of farmers and animal welfare comes a very poor second.

"I will continue to work to reform animal welfare laws in this state," said Ms Pennicuik.