Australian Greens Senator and Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has described Senator Bridget Mckenzie's appointment as Agriculture Minister as a disaster for animal welfare.
Senator Faruqi has been a driving force in the fight against live exports and for the protection of animals.
Senator Faruqi said:
"We thought that the welfare of animals was already at an all time low under the Liberals and Nationals, but with Senator Mckenzie, I am worried it will get much worse.
"This is a Senator who literally wrote to the Queen to try and have the word Royal stripped from the RSPCA's title because of their work to protect farm animals from cruelty. That is how much contempt she has for the individuals and groups fighting to protect animals.
"I have no confidence in this Minister to hold the live export industry to account. Senator Mckenzie is one of this cruel industry's loudest advocates and now she will be responsible for regulating them, which is deeply concerning.
"It is clear that our work for the next three years is cut out for us. The movement to protect animals is gathering strength and we must work to organise and expose animal cruelty.
"We cannot allow animal welfare to be at the mercy of politicians. We need an Independent Office of Animal Welfare to drive change to protect animals, free from political interference," she concluded.
