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Labor’S Lax Livestock Attitude – Slap On The Wrist For Offenders

The Bracks Government’s blasé attitude towards livestock theft is reflected in the weak penalties issued for the crime, Shadow Minister for Agriculture Philip Davis said in Parliament today.

By Philip Davis - 13th December 2004 - Back to News

Mr Davis told Parliament he shared victim’s anger that even crooks pleading guilty to the offence were getting away with a mere slap on the wrist.

"The Bracks Government does not treat livestock theft as a serious crime and this is reflected in its light penalties," Mr Davis said.

"Recently a man who pleaded guilty to stealing 350 sheep from three different properties and selling them at the markets received a mere 18 month suspended sentence.

"Victims of livestock theft experience enormous stress as a result of these thefts which rob them of part of their livelihoods.

"It’s not just about the cost of purchasing or breeding replacement animals, it is also the cost of lost production, the risk to bio-security on farms, the loss of genetic material from selective breeding programs and all of the resources and hard work that have gone into developing those animals for a specific purpose."

Mr Davis said farmers were sick and tired of Labor’s treatment of livestock theft as a petty crime.

"Livestock theft should be investigated and enforced like any other similar theft such as the burglary of a home or a business, as the thief is invading private property for the specific purpose of stealing goods (livestock) which are readily convertible to cash," he said.

"Until the Bracks Government takes action to change the way livestock theft is treated by the law and the courts, farmers are going to continue to be targeted."

The Liberal Party is committed to restoring the Stolen Livestock Squad and has released a policy paper on the issue.

"At a time when CrimeStoppers has issued a warning to farmers to be more vigilant in monitoring their stock because of a potential increase in livestock theft, the Bracks Government must wake up to itself," Mr Davis said.

"I am at a loss as to how Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron can continue to deny livestock theft is an issue when you have farmers jumping up and down asking for tougher penalties and crime groups warning of worse to come.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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