Live export ban: WA Nationals candidate Paul Brown rips shreds off Feds’ $1600-a-day ‘transition advocate’

WA Nationals candidate and Keep the Sheep campaigner Paul Brown has labelled Federal Labor’s plan to hire a $1600-a-day live export “transition advocate” an “outrageous misuse” of taxpayer funds. In his first statement to the press since announcing on Monday that he will contest the Senate at the Federal election, the former State MP dismissed the lucrative role as a “Labor farce”. “No reasonable industry figure wants to be appointed as Anthony Albanese’s spin doctor, attempting to convince a thriving and sustainable industry they should roll over and accept defeat,” Mr Brown said. “$1600-a-day for 80 days work is an outrageous misuse of the funds Labor claims to have allocated to support the live sheep industry it is actively trying to destroy.” Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins launched the recruitment drive this week, after legislation to ban live sheep exports by sea from mid-2028 passed Parliament earlier this year despite heavy criticism from farmers nationwide. The Albanese Government has offered a $139.7 million package to help with the transition, including $1.7 million for the advocacy position and supporting staff to make sure communication flows between farmers and bureaucrats. But Mr Brown — a lead spokesman for the Keep the Sheep campaign — said it was a job “nobody wants”. “Perhaps the government is struggling to fill the transition role because the industry is persevering in hope a Coalition government will be elected and overturn the senseless ban,” he said. “No amount of spin can save the Albanese Government from the consequences of this decision.” Information for potential candidates revealed the Government was even willing to consider hiring a small group of people instead of just one person. If it goes to a single person, they are expected to work up to 80 days a year for the duration of the contract until June 2029, with pay between $1200 and $1600 a day. Members of a two-or-three-person advisory group would be paid $500-$800 a day and halve the anticipated workload of the transition advocate. Rather than helping the industry, Mr Brown said taxpayer funds were being “wasted” to support an “ideology-driven decision”. “The minister should be embarrassed — to promise an industry you’ll stand by them while overseeing their demise is one thing,” he said. “Pledging financial support and failing to deliver a single dollar to those who would benefit? It’s dysfunctional.” It comes after it was revealed last month farmers will not receive any funds from Labor’s wider transition package until at least July, and that to date, just $900,000 had been spent — all on administrative costs. Both the Nationals and the Liberal Party have pledged to repeal the ban if they win government at the next election, due to be held by May 17. The head of the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council has also expressed doubt anyone will put their put their hand up for the advocacy role. “Quite simply, no one wants to be a mouthpiece for the Government’s sheep ban policy,” ALEC chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said on Tuesday. “It’s clear that the transition advocate will have an impossible task.”