Parliament dismisses 470,000-signature ban on live exports
A petition with more than 470,000 signatures for a live export ban was presented to parliament but not officially recognized.
Andrew Wilkie, a Tasmanian independent, presented the petition to parliament's upper house. The petition was gathered by animal rights advocate Lisa Margetts via Change.org.
The petition began in 2015 and is now one of Change.org Australia's top 10 largest petitions ever. The government already has a live sheep export ban in place by 2028.
Industry leaders said parliament's response was appropriate and called the petition a non-event. They noted that some signatures came from overseas and that 11 years of effort went into gathering them.
The government has stated its ongoing support for the live cattle trade.
- 470,000+
- Petition signatures
- 2015
- Petition started
- 2028
- Sheep export ban deadline
- 11 years
- Years to gather signatures
Why it mattersIt shows that mass petitions alone do not shift government policy when the government has already moved on that issue.
AustraliaIt reveals how parliament prioritizes existing government policy over mass petitions when positions are already set on animal welfare.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 d ago
