Sheep farmers' live sheep export ban post attracts election attention

Australia Broadcast Center

27-04-2025

Veteran sheep farmers Grant and Chrissie Smith never set out to achieve social media fame.
But a Facebook post from the couple, who farm at Kojonup in Western Australia's Great Southern, explaining the practical impact of the looming ban on live sheep exports has gained them unexpected attention.
A screen grab of the Smiths's Facebook post.
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Supplied: Facebook
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The premise was simple — they wanted readers to go to their fridge and remove all the items they relied on farmers for, leaving it all but empty.
The post has been circulated thousands of times, leading them to join the campaign to overturn the Labor government and its impending ban on the live sheep trade from 2028.
"Someone asked me to put into perspective if farmers were over-dramatising the ban," Ms Smith said.
"I went home to Grant and said, 'We need to answer this question as honestly and authentically as we can to give people an understanding of what we do.'"
Farmers want to be heard
The Smiths sell sheep directly to meat processors, relying on exporters to buy their surplus stock.
The couple say they want Australians to think carefully about their vote.
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ABC South West: Kate Forrester
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"Our passion is producing food, that's what it comes down to. All farmers — whether it's beef, lamb or grain —produce food and that's what we love," Mr Smith said.
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I think the general public and politicians have lost sight of the fact that's what we do.
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The Smiths say Australian farmers are leaders in animal welfare standards.
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ABC South West: Kate Forrester
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Mr Smith said the viral post could be seen as a plea to Australians to think about how often they relied on a farmer.
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Did Albanese for a second think about how this is going to affect us and Australian farmers?
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One final push
After delivering a majority government to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in 2022, Western Australia could play a similar decisive role on Saturday.
After a
Keep the Sheep is campaigning to overturn the current Labor government.
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ABC South West: Kate Forrester
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Veterinarian and Keep the Sheep campaigner Holly Ludeman said the campaign was encouraging country residents to lobby friends and family in key seats.
"We are in the final quarter and we can't back down; this is one issue that is going to be on people's mind come election day," Dr Ludeman said.
"I'm really sad this is such an election issue — it just shouldn't be."
The vet, who contested Liberal preselection for the seat of Bullwinkel, said significant improvements had been made to animal welfare in recent years and opponents were relying on outdated arguments.
Holly Ludeman says she is confident the Coalition will reverse the ban.
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ABC South West: Kate Forrester
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"It's a very simple argument to say ban the trade and use the heartstrings of outdated footage — the activist's argument is very simple," Ms Ludeman said.
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The reality of the trade is so complex.
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'This is law'
Anti-live export campaigner Lisa Baker said she was not worried about the potential of the ban being overturned, since
However, the former state Labor MP is still rallying to make sure the Australian public takes its vote seriously.
Lisa Baker has campaigned against the live export trade for over 40 years.
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ABC South West: Kate Forrester
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"This is law. We are going to see the export trade finish in 2028 and I'm so grateful because that's what the Australian public wanted," Ms Baker said.
"What we are seeing at the moment is quite bizarre pushback from Liberals and Nationals parties threatening to overturn it, and it hasn't even started yet."
Supporters of the live export ban have continued their campaign.
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Supplied: Debra Edmonds
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Ms Baker said there was a particular audience anti-live export groups were targeting in the lead-up to next week's election.
"I think the generation that is voting for the first time, the 18–35 year olds, that group of people understand much more about the market into the future," she said.
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We need to stick with what we've been promised. It's the right thing to do.
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