The Morrison Government plans to spend $2.2 million of taxpayers money on a research project in an attempt to work around the scientific conclusions of its own reviews of the live sheep trade.
The Government has gone from ignoring the science to fighting the science.
After investing in five costly reports including one by an Independent Heat Stress Risk Assessment Technical Reference Panel, the Government wants industry to invent a dehumidification machine to beat the wet bulb test which the experts say is the right measure of animal welfare.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud made the $2.2 million announcement in Western Australia today where he has been criticised by farm leaders for his handling of the live sheep trade issue.You can tell an election is near.
The $2.2 million should be used to help sheepmeat producers make the transition to domestic processing and higher value product markets.
This week the Morrison Government gave the green light to the re-commencement of live sheep exports in some of the hottest northern hemisphere summer months.
The unfortunate decision runs against the Governments own expert advice and will take effect before David Littleprouds research project even begins.