Animal Welfare

Supporting statement

Society has a duty of care to minimise the physical and psychological suffering of animals and that means ensuring the welfare of animals and protection for animals at risk.

Under capitalism, animals are not treated as sentient beings but as commodities to be exploited for profit.

There is growing opposition to how animals are used for clothing and in sport and entertainment.

In addition, there is a growing opposition to the profit-driven methods used to produce food and the impact this has on animal welfare, on the environment and on human health.

Socialist Alliance supports and campaigns for:

• A national framework for the protection of animal welfare and the implementation, monitoring and enforcement of existing laws that criminalise cruelty against animals and regulate conditions for the captivity, transport and slaughter of animals.
• Restricting experimentation on animals except where there is a clear need and where no alternative methods are possible.
• An end to the inhumane intensive, factory farming in meat, dairy and egg production.
• An end to the export of live animals for food.
• Tightening of comprehensive and enforceable standards for free-range farming practices for all agricultural animals.
• A national labelling system for foods and other products identifying cruelty-free, organic or free-range products, based on the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce, or better.
• A ban on whale slaughter and lethal and unnecessary research on whales.
• Alternatives to shark nets and the culling of sharks.
• A ban on trophy hunting of animals, including Australian native water birds.
• The abolition of cruel or inhumane use of animals for sport, recreation or entertainment.