Australia's peak farm body has savaged a report on the Government's live sheep ban, released by the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee today.
Acting Chief Executive Charlie Thomas labelled the inquiry process a "hoax" designed to sideline the concerns of farmers.
"We're talking about cancelling an industry. Cancelling people's jobs and livelihoods.
"This ban is already causing real pain and suffering, and it will lead to a lot more.
"To rubber stamp the suffering this ban will cause with just two public hearings and four business days for submissions is shocking.
"13,000 submissions were received. Thousands of those haven't even been processed. Questions on notice have gone unanswered.
"This report is nothing but a political hit and run on the hard-working people whose livelihoods are at stake."
The NFF is now urgently calling on the Government to make good on its commitment to a Senate Inquiry.
"We had a commitment from Minister Watt in Senate Estimates that he would back a comprehensive Senate Inquiry to unpack the merits of this policy. It's time to make good on that. "This is clearly an incredibly complex and contested issue with a lot to unpack. We call on all Senators to urgently refer this to a Committee so that scrutiny can get underway."
