Live exports:

Nicky Lee Seigo writes: The federal government has succeeded in making a mockery of the Australian public yet again. With a plethora of explicit documentation of the barbaric and cruel death exported cattle are exposed to, the government has succumbed to Meat and Livestock Australia’s protests, allowing 180 000 Australia cattle to be exported to Indonesian abattoirs immediately.

Rationality would have me believe that improvements regarding the treatment of cattle would have had to occur in order for the ban to be lifted. Unfortunately, one should never assume rationality, especially concerning the federal government and corporate profit.

There have been no significant changes regarding the treatment of Australian cattle in Indonesia; no mandatory stunning, no monitoring system, no training, nothing. Australian veterinarians and inspectors were denied access to the 600 abattoirs which “process” Australian cattle so the true abattoir conditions remain unknown.

Joe Ludwig has even gone on record stating that he is unable to guarantee that cattle will not be tortured in the manner which was documented on Four Corners. He also pathetically stated that stunning would still not be required, only encouraged. The haste in which the government crumbles to the MLA and the so-called “cattle farmers” is slightly disturbing. During the ban, members of the cattle industry attempted to appeal to Australian’s compassion by stating that they were going to have to begin killing their cattle and that the loss of income would be detrimental to their livelihood.

Firstly, to be shot at point blank is a far better death than the agonising sadistic method occurring in Indonesia abattoirs. Regarding loss of income, the MLA has a contingency account which is collected for redistribution to farmers during periods of economical uncertainty. No funds were distributed during this period, further evidence the mindset of the MLA board; profits above all!

There is no disputing that the Australian economy is reliant on the cattle industry but to what end? In this day and age, we have the technology to ensure slaughter is quick and painless and yet by lifting the ban, our government approves of methods which inflict excruciating pain onto animals. This is an embarrassment to the Australian public.

As an Australian consumer, I no longer wish to support an industry with such indifference to torture.

MasterChef:

Gavin Robertson writes: Re. “Last night’s TV ratings” (yesterday, item 19). Glenn Dyer asked yesterday “Why did the whole MasterChef crew have to fly off to New York? A jaunt for everyone involved, at Ten’s expense?”

He obviously didn’t actually watch the program. With big publicity in the show for Qantas, the hotel, Westpac (they even had Westpac logos on their chef’s whites, along with the “do you take Westpac?” chat to the shopkeepers) and New York tourism itself, I doubt if the cost to Ten of using NYC as a location were much more than the costs of shooting it in Sydney.

Everything would have been paid for by the sponsors.