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| Australia suspends live cattle trade to Indonesia | Australia suspends live cattle trade to Indonesia |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Australian government has suspended the live export of cattle to some abattoirs in Indonesia, after seeing their treatment of animals. | The Australian government has suspended the live export of cattle to some abattoirs in Indonesia, after seeing their treatment of animals. |
| Harrowing footage on ABC showed steers being whipped and taking minutes to die after having their necks slashed. | Harrowing footage on ABC showed steers being whipped and taking minutes to die after having their necks slashed. |
| The Greens and some independent MPs, whose support is crucial to the minority Labor government, want the trade with Indonesia to be banned. | The Greens and some independent MPs, whose support is crucial to the minority Labor government, want the trade with Indonesia to be banned. |
| The country is Australia's largest export market for live cattle. | The country is Australia's largest export market for live cattle. |
| "I have decided to halt the trade of live animals to the facilities identified by the footage," said Australia's Agriculture Minister, Senator Joe Ludwig. | "I have decided to halt the trade of live animals to the facilities identified by the footage," said Australia's Agriculture Minister, Senator Joe Ludwig. |
| "Further, I will appoint an independent reviewer to investigate the complete supply chain for live exports up to and including the point of slaughter. | "Further, I will appoint an independent reviewer to investigate the complete supply chain for live exports up to and including the point of slaughter. |
| "I reserve the right to add further facilities to the banned list, if required." | "I reserve the right to add further facilities to the banned list, if required." |
| He also issued an immediate moratorium on the animal restraint boxes that are used during the shipment of the cattle. | |
| Shocking insight | Shocking insight |
| At four Indonesian abbatoirs, steers were shown being whipped, kicked, slashed with knives and banging their heads against concrete floors. | At four Indonesian abbatoirs, steers were shown being whipped, kicked, slashed with knives and banging their heads against concrete floors. |
| One official from the animal welfare group, the RSPCA, said some steers might still have been conscious when they were dismembered. | One official from the animal welfare group, the RSPCA, said some steers might still have been conscious when they were dismembered. |
| The BBC's Sydney correspondent, Nick Bryant, says that many viewers who saw the gruesome footage broadcast on href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2011/s3228880.htm" >ABC's Four Corners programme said they were physically sick at the sight of Australian cattle being treated so cruelly. | |
| The Greens and some independent MPs want the government to go further. | The Greens and some independent MPs want the government to go further. |
| One Independent MP, Andrew Wilkie, said he would immediately introduce a bill to ban the live export of cattle to Indonesia completely. | One Independent MP, Andrew Wilkie, said he would immediately introduce a bill to ban the live export of cattle to Indonesia completely. |
| "We have cattle going to Indonesia which are being mistreated by numerous slaughterhouses on a scale that proves it is a systemic problem, not only in Indonesia... but it's a systemic problem in Australia's whole live export industry," Mr Wilkie told reporters. | "We have cattle going to Indonesia which are being mistreated by numerous slaughterhouses on a scale that proves it is a systemic problem, not only in Indonesia... but it's a systemic problem in Australia's whole live export industry," Mr Wilkie told reporters. |
| The Australian live export industry has shipped more than 6.5m cattle to Indonesia for slaughter over the last 20 years. | |
| It has suspended the supply of animals to three of the four abbatoirs featured in the programme. | It has suspended the supply of animals to three of the four abbatoirs featured in the programme. |