Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rebuffed calls to apologise for making a live export joke to a room full of farmers, after WA’s Labor Premier Roger Cook said the gag “touched a raw nerve” in his state.
Speaking at a rural women’s awards night in Canberra this week, Mr Albanese said he had just come from dinner with Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto where they enjoyed “beautiful Australian beef – not the live export – we made sure it was dead”.
Though Mr Albanese was talking about beef some were offended by the comments, after the federal government’s recent decision to ban live sheep exports by sea.
That move, to take effect from May 2028, was fiercely opposed by farmers in WA, where the industry is strongest.
Mr Cook, who has been lobbying the federal government to provide more than the $107 million in assistance it has so far given to farmers affected by the ban, said the quip “would have rubbed salt into those wounds” of WA farmers struggling with the trade’s phase out.
“We’ve all had jokes that have fallen flat, me included,” he said.
“But this is a joke that would have particularly touched a raw nerve in Western Australia as farmers are coping with the Commonwealth’s decision to end live sheep exports.”
Mr Cook said he “wasn’t quite sure” what Mr Albanese was trying to say, “but it seemed to be moving towards the issue around live animal exports with regards to the cattle industry”.
“The prime minister should take the opportunity to apologise to WA farmers and clarify the Commonwealth’s position,” he said.
In response, Mr Albanese made no apology, and instead said: “The WA premier wasn’t there, with respect.”
Littleproud: ‘Far from funny’
The comments were also seized upon by the federal opposition.
Nationals leader David Littleproud, who has previously said the sheep ban would destroy thousands of livelihoods, said he had been contacted by unhappy farmers across the country.
“Mr Albanese’s so-called ‘joke’ was far from funny,” he said.
“It shows a prime minister who is out of touch and doesn’t understand the harm behind Labor’s decision to shut down the live sheep export trade and the pain still inflicted on those embroiled in a legal case, after Labor’s unlawful ban of the live cattle industry in 2011.”
At a press conference on Friday, Mr Albanese accused Mr Littleproud of trying to score a “cheap point”.
“There was no issue until the next day, a confected outrage from David Littleproud, which is what he’s good at.”
“The live cattle trade … is really important. That’s an industry which Peter Dutton and David Littleproud were calling to be shut off temporarily from Indonesia due to foot and mouth disease.
“What we did … is make sure that the industry kept going. It wasn’t paused or suspended, because we know how important the industry is.”
Mr Albanese also highlighted he was the first prime minister to attend the AgriFutures dinner, taking a swipe at both Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and former prime ministers for not attending.
“Everyone there was very supportive of my contribution.”
