[Greens-Media] FW: MEDIA RELEASE: 'NSW Government to Introduce Ag-Gag By Stealth Under Guise of Biosecurity' (Greens NSW MP Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC)

[Matthew Hilton]

Media Release
10.12.14
NSW Government to Introduce Ag-Gag By Stealth Under Guise of Biosecurity

NSW Greens MP and Animal Welfare spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC, has reacted to NSW Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson's stated intentions to misuse biosecurity concerns to prosecute animal welfare activists.

"It is clear that the Minister intends to target animal welfare activists under the spurious grounds of 'biosecurity'.

"The Primary Industries Minister has let the cat out of the bag that a biosecurity bill will involve significant penalties for animal welfare activists. The proposed biosecurity bill will be 'Ag-Gag' in disguise.

"Ag-gag laws, such as the ones proposed by the Minister, seek to silence animal welfare activists and have backfired around the world, on consumers and on the industry itself.

"In the absence of any serious monitoring of animal welfare outcomes in factory farming by the Government, animal welfare activists have been filling the void.

"Animal welfare activists should and overwhelmingly do meet biosecurity expectations and shouldn't be specifically targeted as foreshadowed by the Government.

"The Government should be in the business of helping to improve animal welfare outcomes by working with industry to introduce enhanced standards, not trying to avoid scrutiny and criminalising those that expose animal mistreatment.

"Biosecurity is too an important an issue to be misused for the narrow political interests of the National Party.

"Trespass and the use of undercover surveillance devices are already unlawful, and thus do not need any further criminal sanctions in any proposed biosecurity bill" Dr Faruqi concluded.

Further Background: http://www.9news.com.au/national/2014/12/09/17/20/nsw-animal-activists-face-crackdown