Farmers have been left ‘disgusted to the core’ after Anthony Albanese cracked a joke at an agriculture awards dinner about banning the livestock trade.
The Prime Minister made the bizarre comment while addressing about 600 people at the black-tie AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award gala at Parliament House on Tuesday night.
Referring to a meal he shared with the Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, Mr Albanese said: ‘We had dinner, beautiful n beef – not the live export, we made sure it was dead.’
Earlier this year, Labor announced live sheep exports would be phased out over a four-year period, with a total end to them by May 2028. The decision was widely criticised by farmers who said the ban would decimate their businesses.
One gala guest said on X there was an ‘audible murmur of discontent in the room’ when Mr Albanese cracked the joke.
On Wednesday, Nationals leader David Littleproud said he was contacted by farmers who saw the comment as mocking their industry.
‘Why the Prime Minister would choose the AgriFutures awards – a night celebrating our agriculture industry – to mock our industries is beyond me,’ Mr Littleproud said.
He said farmers were planning a rally outside Parliament House on September 10 over the live export ban, and that more people would now likely join the demonstration.
Farmers also took to social media to slam the PM.
‘Seriously???,’ one X user wrote.
‘On the night, which celebrates the outstanding contribution of rural women, how could Anthony Albanese be so out of touch to think a joke about [live export] is going to land.
‘Wonder if he will front the #FarmyArmy on 10th September?’
Another said: ‘If this isn’t enough reason to stand side by side at the National Ag Rally in Canberra on September 10th then I don’t know what is .’
A third user wrote: ‘Wow. Literally unable to read the room. What a disgusting comment.’
WA Livestock and Rural Transporters president and ‘Keep the Sheep’ spokesperson Ben Sutherland said he felt betrayed and hurt.
‘I am disgusted to the core,’ he said.
‘Labor throws rural communities into the wind and continually keeps laughing about it. It’s no joke, in my eyes it’s quite scary to have a government that doesn’t care about regional .’
He accused the Albanese government of taking farmers for granted and destroying livelihoods.
A spokesperson for Mr Albanese told Daily Mail the comment was supposed to reinforce the importance of the beef industry.
‘Exports of beef to Indonesia hit a record high in 2022-23,’ they said.
‘The Government fulfilled an election promise on the live sheep export ban and has offered an adjustment package.
‘We will continue to discuss this with the industry and the WA Government.’