SPCA hits back at senator's claims August 11, 2011 - 5:12PM
The RSPCA has denounced as baseless a Liberal senator's claim that Indonesian abattoir workers were paid to abuse cattle for television cameras.
Footage of the abuse, aired on the ABC's Four Corners program in June, led to a temporary ban on live cattle exports for a month while the government attempted to clean up Indonesia's slaughter practices.
A Senate committee, investigating animal welfare practices in Australia's live export markets, heard from the RSPCA and Animals Australia yesterday. Advertisement: Story continues below
But representatives were subject to interrogation by Coalition senators who questioned the veracity of the abuse claims.
Liberal Senator Chris Back said a taxi driver used by Animals Australia made payments to meat workers to abuse cattle.
The animal welfare organisation has denied any knowledge of the payments.
RSCPA Australia boss Heather Neil said she was bitterly disappointed with the inquiry hearing.
"This was a forum to talk about the endemic cruelty in the live export industry," she said today.
"Very few questions related to the terms of reference of the inquiry."
Senator Back's line of questioning was not only baseless but "deeply offensive" for anyone working to protect animals from cruelty.
The RSPCA conducted a thorough scientific analysis of the hours and hours of raw footage from Indonesia, Ms Neil said.
"There is absolutely no doubt that cruelty is routine and widespread."
The first load of live cattle since the ban was lifted left Darwin yesterday.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said senators had every right to bring their their thoughts and evidence to upper house inquiries.
"It's up to the committee to make appropriate judgments, to give us an appropriate report," he told reporters in Perth.
When asked whether he backed Senator Back's line of questioning, Mr Abbott said: "He is a senator, he has material he is going to present to the Senate committee and that's a perfectly appropriate thing for him to do."