{"id":757788,"date":"2019-07-22T08:54:06","date_gmt":"2019-07-22T12:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/animalrightswatch.us\/?p=757788"},"modified":"2019-07-22T10:30:38","modified_gmt":"2019-07-22T14:30:38","slug":"it-isnt-clear-how-the-new-bill-against-animal-rights-activists-will-protect-australias-farmers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/animalrightswatch.us\/?p=757788","title":{"rendered":"It isn\u2019t clear how the new bill against animal rights activists will protect Australia’s farmers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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It isn\u2019t clear how this bill will 'protect the well-being of farmers'. Rather, its target is behavior that would 'cause detriment to a primary production of business' (i.e., meat industry).<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\n

BETH DALEY:<\/strong> ‘The Morrison government has introduced new legislation responding to recent protests by animal rights activists in Australia. The bill \u2013named The Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019 \u2013 will tighten up existing laws, creating harsher penalties for those who incite others to trespass on farms… The legislation may not affect the sanctions animal activists already face for protests like the recent unauthorised sit-in in Melbourne CBD. Instead, it would mean activists may have to be more careful about distributing evidence of animal cruelty online to encourage people to take action against the meat industry… The government claims this bill will protect farmers\u2019 privacy and security, and avoid risks of biosecurity hazards posed by unauthorised entries of activists.<\/em><\/p>\n

But if this were really the goal, we would not need a new bill. The use of \u201ca carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence\u201d is already punishable under section 474.17 of the Criminal Code. In fact, the legislation doesn\u2019t even mention farmers\u2019 personal safety. Rather, its target is behaviour that \u201cwould cause detriment to a primary production business\u201d… So it isn\u2019t clear how this bill will \u201cprotect\u201d the well-being of farmers. What is clear, however, is that this bill is part of a growing trend of creating heavy-handed \u201cspecial offences\u201d punishing protesters that go beyond merely symbolic actions. Meanwhile, the government claims to respect the freedom of assembly and right to protest…<\/em><\/p>\n

Rather than engaging with activists\u2019 demand for more transparency in the meat industry, the government has now made it a crime for them to \u201cdemand\u201d more transparency, when the latter might be detrimental to the business. What\u2019s more, farmers aren\u2019t the only ones facing personal threats. Activists who have taken action to denounce the unethical practices allegedly employed in Australian abattoirs have also been subject to serious threats because of their choice to criticise the meat industry. But the government seems less concerned with the privacy and safety of citizens when their conduct may cause \u201cdetriment\u201d to the interests of business’.<\/em> SOURCE…<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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