A sheep farmer who travelled more than 3,000 kilometres to protest against Labour’s ban on live sheep exports has walked out of parliament because he was “fed up with the disregard for farmers” by Anthony Albanese.
WA Farmers vice-president Steve McGuire travelled from his sheep farm in Kojonup, south of Perth, to Canberra on Tuesday to join around 1,000 others at the ‘Keep the Sheep’ rally outside Parliament House.
The demonstration was in response to new laws passed by parliament in July to phase out Australia’s live sheep trade over a four-year period, with a full ban in place by May 2028.
Farmers are furious, saying their homes and livelihoods are at stake and have travelled by bus from across the country to get the government to listen to their concerns.
Many attended Question Time at 2pm hoping that the Prime Minister would acknowledge their grievances and the many others they had expressed earlier that day, but things did not go as planned.
Mr Albanese said live cattle exports had declined by $1.5 million while the Coalition was in power, explaining that his government was “investing $107 million to support an orderly and well-planned transition away from what is already a declining trade”.
From the public gallery, one farmer shouted “Please speak up!” and another shouted “Lies!”. Both were quickly escorted out of the building by security, along with another who gave the middle finger to Sydney Teal MP Zali Steggall.
Mr McGuire was one of about 50 other farmers who voluntarily stood up and walked out, telling the Daily Mail Australia the group was fed up with the government “treating us badly”.
Pictured: Steve McGuire, a sheep farmer who travelled from Western Australia to Canberra for the demonstration.
Pictured: Anthony Albanese in the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon.
“You can tell when Albanese is trying to smooth something over because he starts speaking softly, and that’s what he was doing,” McGuire said.
“I could see it on her face: I’m fed up with so much contempt.
“They don’t think we matter, but you need a farmer three times a day: we prepare your food.”
He said the protest was an attempt to “make people in Australia aware that the government is treating us badly” and suggested that failure to change the laws would cost Labor seats at the next election.
“We don’t live in marginal districts,” he said. “We are important.”
Another farmer said he “completely” understood why someone shouted at the prime minister.
“The sheep on those export ships are actually treated very well, there’s a girl I know who looks after them and she got very angry when this happened, but they don’t know that,” she said.
“It’s extremely frustrating.”
Mr Albanese told the House he had met with farmers during the day and listened to their concerns but did not attend the rally.
Instead, he posed for photographs in the Parliament courtyard with the Labour parliamentary group.
The mass walkout was sparked by a question put to Mr Albanese by nationalist leader David Littleproud.
On Tuesday, around 1,000 farmers turned out for the ‘Keep the Sheep’ demonstration (pictured)
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is pictured addressing the crowd, alongside David Littleproud, Jacinta Price, Bridget McKenzie, Michaelia Cash and other Coalition members.
He asked: ‘If the Government continues with its ban on live sheep exports, Sudan is one of the countries that will take up Australia’s share of this market.
“Prime Minister, who has higher animal welfare standards: Sudan or Australia?”
Mr Albanese said the laws had been passed by Parliament and accused the Coalition of “playing politics”.
“During the decade that the Liberals and Nationalists were in power, live sheep exports by sea fell by more than $1.5 million. That’s just a fact,” he said.
‘We are giving certainty to sheep producers and the supply chain by legislating the phase-out and investing $107 million to support an orderly and well-planned transition away from what is already a declining trade.’
Mr Littleproud and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton addressed the roaring crowd as the demonstration peaked around midday.
Both have promised to lift the ban if the coalition wins the next election.