NTCA's David Connolly rips into Albanese on live exports and trading off ag

The president of the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association David Connolly did not mince his words in expressing the collective disdain pastoralists have for the live sheep ban and the lack of movement on paying court-ruled compensation for the 2011 Labor Government ban of live cattle to Indonesia.

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He did, however, present a clear way the government might exit the live sheep ban with grace.

Speaking at the NTCA's 38th annual conference, in front of a huge audience including Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, Mr Connolly said the live sheep ban was not based 'on a skerrick' of scientific fact but a statement made in 2018 when live export emotion was running high.

It was that threat that spurred the industry 'to get off its collective backside and clean up its act', he said.

It put in place systems, processes and regulations that have turned it into a world-leading animal supply chain.

"The Labor Government should be singing from the rooftops about its part in forcing the industry, which was not good enough, to bring about sustainable change," Mr Connolly said.

This was the ladder it could now use to walk down from a move that would close the income streams of law-abiding citizens of the bush, he said.

Cattle producers simply do not believe the Prime Minister's claims he won't pursue their live trade next.

"Why should we?" Mr Connolly said.

"This is a PM whose chief agricultural advisor was one of the leaders of the campaign to close our businesses in 2011, and who has publicly stated a belief that all 'mainstream animal farming is inherently cruel'."

The Agriculture Minister was likely genuine in his assurances cattle live-ex was not going to be next, Mr Connolly said.

"But both Minister Watt and I have a boss who pays the salary that feeds our family and when my boss says go chop the wood, I go chop the wood," he said.

"If the minister's boss says go close the cattle trade, what do you think will happen?"

Mr Connolly said it was an unimpeachable truth that losing the live sheep trade would do nothing but 'empower those who do not just oppose live export but livestock farming in general.'

"Those who would seek an end to our livelihoods because they believe farming and the people who do it to be evil, to have outlived our utility for modern society," he said.

"Which industry is next - cattle, pigs, chickens, or will we see fertiliser and glyphosate banned?"

As for the commitment to implement the phase out in an orderly manner that seeks to mitigate harm to producers and trading partners alike - that was simply not possible, he argued.

"Why is it that the government won't change its mind on this election promise when we have already seen movement around other commitments made during the election campaign?" Mr Connolly said.

The NTCA is among 25 peak industry groups to sign a letter stating the ban represents a red line that cannot be crossed.

"Now the entire ag sector doesn't trust a government that trades them off for inner city votes," he said.

"And don't tell the industry that they can process these sheep. If they could, they would already be doing it. Processing capacity has shut down in WA. Processors can't get workers, capacity is at an all-time low and, anyway, if you only have one market to sell to, the grower will be shafted."

As for joining the consultation process on the phase out, Mr Connolly said: "Do not expect anyone in this industry to take part in a process designed to inflict pain on others."

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