Outspoken Boyup Brook sheep farmer says external review of live export studies is ‘insulting’ and ‘shameful’

As the live sheep export industry continues to wait for a report on how it will be wound down to be released, an outspoken Boyup Brook sheep farmer has slammed the Federal Government’s decision to have an external consultant review research on the trade. The West Australian revealed earlier this month that Pegasus Economics — a consultancy firm that has previously done work for animal advocacy bodies but denies taking a position on the trade — had been hired by the Agriculture Department to look over existing studies on the industry. The West also revealed pro-agriculture firm Episode 3 was tasked with contributing to the subsequent report on the industry’s phase-out, but was asked to remove language that would imply a particular course of action should be taken. Reacting to the news, Charles Caldwell said “you couldn’t expect anything other than this from an incompetent agriculture minister and an incompetent prime minister.” “Honestly, it reads like a script for Utopia, the ABC TV show, or Yes Minister from the BBC,” he said. “They simply need to acknowledge they have read the review and realised their policy to phase out live exports was stupid and wrong and reverse the decision.” Mr Caldwell said the decision had caused “massive financial damage” to a “world class industry”. “This federal Labor government has no respect for hard-working people involved in the sheep industry,” he said. “Their continued dithering on this is insulting and shameful behaviour.” The independent panel’s report was submitted to agriculture minister Murray Watt in October last year but it is yet to be publicly released, with an Agriculture Department spokesman telling The West last week it would happen following “appropriate consideration by Government”. “All reports commissioned by the panel should be seen as the work of the respective consultants and should not be seen as representing the views of the independent panel nor the Commonwealth,” the spokesman said.