Summary

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The majority voted in favour of a motion that "calls on the Government to heed community expectations and definitively ban the export of live horses, ponies and donkeys for slaughter". the motion was introduced by Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon (NSW).

During the vote there was one rebellion, with One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts (Qld) crossing the floor to vote 'no' against the rest of his party.

Motions like these don't have any legal force in and of themselves. That is, they don't change the law or force the Government to do as they ask. But they do demonstrate to the Government the will of the Senate and so can be significant.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) recognises that:

(i) on 24 March 2017, following trade talks between the Prime Minister and the Chinese Premier, the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, the Honourable Barnaby Joyce, MP was widely reported as stating that if people want edible donkey skins, Australia is going to provide them,

(ii) the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources ("the Department") confirmed in hearings of the Budget estimates held in May 2017 it is working on Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) arrangements for horses, ponies and donkeys for the purposes of slaughter in the event an application for live export is lodged,

(iii) the Department has provided animal welfare groups with an exposure draft of the Export Control (Animals) Amendment (Equine Animals) Order 2017 for comment, and

(iv) the Australian Livestock Exporters Council, the peak body of Australia's current livestock export industry, has stated that it and its members do not support the commencement of any trade in the live export of horses and donkeys from Australia for slaughter; and

(b) calls on the Government to heed community expectations and definitively ban the export of live horses, ponies and donkeys for slaughter

Votes Passed by a small majority

There was 1 rebellion in this division.

  • Malcolm Roberts voted No against the majority of the Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party.
Party Votes
Cory Bernardi SA Australian Conservatives No
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 9 Yes 0 No
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Scott Ludlam WA Yes
Nick McKim Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Larissa Waters Queensland Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Australian Labor Party (80% turnout) 20 Yes 0 No
Carol Brown Tasmania Yes
Doug Cameron NSW Yes
Kim Carr Victoria Yes
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Yes
Jacinta Collins Victoria Yes
Sam Dastyari NSW Yes
Don Farrell SA Yes
Alex Gallacher SA Yes
Katy Gallagher ACT Yes
Chris Ketter Queensland Yes
Kimberley Kitching Victoria Yes
Gavin Marshall Victoria Yes
Claire Moore Queensland Yes
Deborah O'Neill NSW Yes
Helen Polley Tasmania Yes
Louise Pratt WA Yes
Lisa Singh Tasmania Yes
Glenn Sterle WA Yes
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Yes
Murray Watt Queensland Yes
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Absent
Patrick Dodson WA Absent
Jenny McAllister NSW Absent
Malarndirri McCarthy NT Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party No
Derryn Hinch Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Party Yes
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Absent
Lucy Gichuhi SA Independent Yes
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Independent Yes
David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party No
Liberal National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Matthew Canavan Queensland No
James McGrath Queensland No
Liberal Party (76% turnout) 0 Yes 16 No
Eric Abetz Tasmania No
Simon Birmingham SA No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania No
David Fawcett SA No
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Jane Hume Victoria No
Ian Macdonald Queensland No
James Paterson Victoria No
Marise Payne NSW No
Linda Reynolds WA No
Anne Ruston SA No
Scott Ryan Victoria No
Zed Seselja ACT No
Dean Smith WA No
Christopher Back WA Absent
George Brandis Queensland Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
Mathias Cormann WA Absent
Arthur Sinodinos NSW Absent
National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 4 No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
Fiona Nash NSW No
Barry O'Sullivan Queensland No
John Williams NSW No
Nick Xenophon Team (100% turnout) 3 Yes 0 No
Stirling Griff SA Yes
Skye Kakoschke-Moore SA Yes
Nick Xenophon SA Yes
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (100% turnout) 3 Yes 1 No
Brian Burston NSW Yes
Peter Georgiou WA Yes
Pauline Hanson Queensland Yes
Malcolm Roberts Queensland No
Stephen Parry Tasmania President Absent
Totals (84% turnout) 38 Yes – 26 No