Live export ban: Labor’s $1.9m advertising campaign slammed as ‘outrageous misuse’ of transition funds

Nearly $1.9 million from the Albanese Government’s $139.7m package to help sheep farmers transition away from live exports has been spent on a new advertising campaign, in what industry leaders have called an “outrageous misuse” of funds. The campaign, launched on December 16, includes newspaper and radio advertisements encouraging farmers to prepare for Federal Labor’s ban, which is due to take effect in mid-2028. In response to enquiries from the Countryman, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry confirmed on Friday the campaign cost $1,890,903 and was funded through the transition package. Earlier this week, WA Nationals candidate and Keep the Sheep spokesman Paul Brown dismissed the campaign as “spin”. “Producers won’t see a cent from the transition package until next financial year,” he said. “Using those funds now for advertising would be an outrageous misuse.” In November, the Government revealed during Senate Estimates the WA sheep industry would not see any funds from the transition package until July 2025. The revelation, which came after Nationals frontbencher Bridget McKenzie grilled Agriculture Department official Andrew McDonald, triggered widespread anger across the industry. The new advertisements direct industry stakeholders to information on available support services and funds via the DAFF website. “There’s a $139m package for sheep producers and supply chain businesses to help transition away from the export of live sheep by sea,” the advertisements state. “We encourage you to prepare, so you are ready when the trade ends in 2028.” Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council CEO Mark Harvey Sutton called the campaign a “colossal waste of taxpayer money”. “They are using Government funds to advertise a program no one in industry called for and that will have no benefit to anyone in the supply chain, with the exception of expensive consultants in Canberra,” he said. “To do this right before Christmas when WA farmers and rural small businesses are already feeling the pinch of inflation is callous, even for this government.” The DAFF spokesperson said the advertisements would run across WA and in “rural centres in other sheep producing States” until February 28. While he did not specify which States, the Countryman understands print and radio advertisements have run in Adelaide, Far North Queensland, Wollongong and Tasmania. Mr Harvey-Sutton noted none of those regions were involved in the live sheep trade, which is an almost exclusively WA-based industry. “Rather than listen to people’s concerns and walk back this harmful legislation, the Albanese Government has chosen to indiscriminately spray ads around without any regard to them even reaching those they are intended for,” he said. Applications have recently closed for the first round of grants aimed at growing boxed sheepmeat markets overseas in preparation for the ban. The grants, valued at $2m, will go towards developing domestic and international market demand for Australian sheepmeat by providing research and analysis and building business relationships. Both the Liberal Party and the Nationals have vowed to overturn the ban if they win government at next year’s Federal election.