Federal Agricultural Minister Warren Truss has attacked an animal rights group, claiming it has been involved with terrorist groups in the United States.
Warren Truss says there is evidence linking People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to other groups that have conducted terrorist-type actions on farm industries, including blowing up delivery trucks.
PETA is involved in a campaign against Australian Wool, claiming practices such as mulesing are cruel to sheep.
Mulesing is the surgical removal of folds of skin in the breech of sheep as a measure against flystrike.
Mr Truss says the Federal Government is investigating whether it can legislate against PETA.
"I'm saying that we don't want that kind of activity in Australia and that organisations that are prepared to be associated with violence of that nature need that fact to be exposed," he said.
Federal Government investigates legal options against
PETA
The Federal Government is investigating legal options on legislation
to stop the animal rights group PETA attacking farmers.
James
Martin reports.
"This is quite an extraordinary story: not only is
the Federal Government looking at legal avenues to control groups like PETA,
Warren Truss has also linked PETA to two groups in the United States considered
domestic terrorist threats by the FBI.
"The groups are the Earth
Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front - the latter Mr Truss says has
bragged, in the past, about blowing up farm machinery.
"Mr Truss
also says the Government is currently taking legal advice on whether it could
legislate to protect farmers from groups like PETA from conducting certain
protest activities.
"He says this is being considered in the UK, he
wants to know whether similar laws could work in Australia.
"PETA
is trying to organise a boycott of Australian wool because it thinks the
flystrike protection practice of mulesing and live exports are cruel and
unnecessary."
"PETA has rejected the allegations from Warren
Truss and denies it's been involved in any terrorist activity or has any links
with terror groups.
"From the US, PETA's Jeff Kerr said Warren
Truss was simply trying to deflect attention away from the issue of mulesing and
live exports."
"These allegations are tired and overused, and they are
put forth by the mouthpieces for the industries like alcohol, tobacco, meat and
dairy, that make profits off the exploitation of animals."
"So PETA
denies any activity of a violent or terrorist nature?"
"Of
course."
This is a transcript from the ABC National Rural News that is broadcast daily to all states on ABC Regional Radio's Country Hour and in the city on ABC News Radio.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/stories/s1314405.htm
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