Australia’s Animal Justice Party (what to learn)
In England, we have our own Animal Welfare Party, a fringe party that is doing wonderful work to make the world a kinder place for creatures of all kinds. Alas, so far it has not made many inroads.
So let’s pop over the border (actually the other side of the world!) to discover how Australia’s Animal Justice Party is thriving, with three elected MPs and a party that has actually managed to change many laws for creatures over there. It’s obviously doing something that we are not doing here?
Fringe parties do make a difference. Neither party is obviously ever going to become a government. But just one or two MPs (or even more importantly perhaps, some local councillors) can make a real difference to regional, national and sometimes even international policies.
The first Party for the Animals (which gained two MPs in The Netherlands) did change some laws in that country, which spurred an international movement.
The newest is Animal Justice Party in New Zealand (it has not yet elected any candidates, but is well-known and well-liked across the country). Yet in England hardly anyone has even heard of our animal welfare party.
Australia’s Animal Justice Party currently has three MPs:
- Emma Hurst has a background in media campaigns for animal welfare. Her focus is on changing policies to prevent bushfires, and domestic abuse victims with pets find safe homes.
- Amanda Dorn MP is a businesswoman whose main focus is on the party’s Veticare Scheme, which would bring affordable vet care to all (due to concerns over rising vet bills and emergency care).
- Georgie Purcell is a former pole dancer (she says her past helps her deal with difficult people!) who took degrees in law and politics. She campaigns to ban puppy farming, duck shooting, greyhound racing and investing in climate-smart agriculture (to feed people in developing countries).
The party’s many policies include one that our own animal welfare party also wants: an Independent Office of Animal Protection. We have a department of environment, housing, safeguarding etc. So why not one for the millions of species, they need their own department, considering the abuse so many animals suffer?
This would ensure that their welfare was taken into account across all sectors: food, fashion, travel, pets, wildlife, marine creatures, racing industry etc.
If you feel upset at current politics, this is a more hopeful party to inspire. And if you feel that ‘fringe parties can’t make a difference’, just look at what this party has managed to achieve so far!
Achievements of Australia’s Animal Justice Party
- Introduced a Private Member’s Bill to create a Wildlife Rescue Authority in Victoria, and secured millions in funding to upgrade wildlife shelters.
- Passed a Family Violence and Animals motion, so pets in violent homes are removed from abusers to live in safe foster homes (funded by government).
- Banned recreational shooting of wombats (native creatures to Australia) and also locked in budget funding to treat mange (one of the biggest risks to wombats), by applying medical treatment to flaps on their burrows. It has also secured a wombat gate trial (fixing gates to fences to stop them burrowing onto properties where they could be harmed by landowners).
- Passed a motion after a national petition to ban ‘convenience killing’ of shelter animals (after a fostered greyhound was put to sleep by a large shelter, due to anxiety which could easily have been treated).
- Has been instrumental in educating the public on humane medical research benefits (over animal experiments) and protecting children from watching animal abuse footage (and bringing in stronger laws for animal abusers).
- Preventing the creation of a kangaroo slaughterhouse.
- Ended the use of dolphins and whales for ‘entertainment’.
- Obtained mandatory lifeline bans on ‘owning’ animals for serious abusers (who are no longer allowed to work with children).
- Worked with many councils, to ban the sale of fur.
Does this party not make you feel more hopeful? Just imagine if all voters asked whichever party they support to do more to help all species. It’s possible – it’s already been done, as you can read above!
