"The live animal trade is a major export industry of considerable significance to rural and regional Australia," Mr Mark Vaile, Minister for Trade, said in a release. "The present value of the trade exceeds $1 billion per annum, of which about 40 per cent is derived from sales of live sheep."
With Saudi Arabia being Australia's largest customer, there would be a discernable need to keep up the pretense. Vaile faced down Saudi ministers in Riyadh to hammer out some sort of quell. Among the concerns were that the best quarintined country in the world would be visited from veterinary inspectors to examine the sheep before departure. That's not paranoia, that's lack of respect. Like not believing in the workmanship of 5 year old children in factories.
Written on Friday, 12 December 2003