Inspector-General of Animal Welfare
Submission overview
During the 2022 Federal Election, the Australian Labor Party committed to establishing the “office of the independent Inspector-General for Animal Welfare” (IGAW) in recognition of Labor’s support for strong animal welfare standards and belief that all animals should be treated humanely. The Government’s subsequent October Budget indicated that this would be delivered by simply “expanding the functions” of the current Inspector-General of Live Animal Exports.
The Alliance for Animals strongly encourages the Government to review this proposed model with a view to enacting more meaningful reform. At a time when Australia is facing increasing international pressure from trade partners to lift its animal welfare standards and strengthen its assurances, limiting the scope of the IGAW in such a way would be a missed opportunity.
For further background to these and other reforms, please see our report, Building a fairer Australia for animals.
Read our submission
In this submission, the Alliance for Animals outlines the importance of establishing a truly independent national Inspector-General for Animal Welfare.
Photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur/WeAnimals.