Tamworth’s Natasha Wing sends this open letter to Jason Baker, the director of campaigns at PETA.
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Dear Jason Baker,
Regarding your letter in The Northern Daily Leader (Tuesday, July 29), I regret to inform you that while accusing our Agriculture MinisterBarnaby Joyce of misinformation and blatant falsehood, you have in fact succumbed to the same faults.
Your claim of institutionalised cruelty is a direct accusation against the entire wool industry in Australia.
While you claim your investigators did not make any misrepresentation regarding the intended use of the video, you are misrepresenting the Australian wool industry saying that they all condone the behaviour seen in your footage.
You have accused the industry of turning a blind eye to animal cruelty, where in fact you are turning a blind eye to the amount of time and money the industry is putting into training and educating farm owners, farmhands and shearers on animal welfare and the best way to carry out animal husbandry practices.
You claim that the acts seen in your footage are systemic and entrenched, and yet, while there was some appalling footage, it was clear that a lot of the footage was from one or two particular people, not the entire shearing team.
I don’t watch the news at night and think that rape and murder are systemic and entrenched in Australia – there are just a few bad people in society.
Your own footage showed poor- quality shearing with damage to the fleece as well as to the sheep. Any quality wool producer would not tolerate this behaviour.
Shearers might get paid on a quantity basis rather than an hourly rate, yet as per most industries, if the work is not up to quality standards, you won’t get asked back and will end up with a bad reputation in the industry.
Like you, I believe that those found guilty of carrying out direct acts of animal cruelty should be charged. However, unlike you,
I don’t believe the entire Australian wool industry should be found guilty. Nor do I believe that consumers should be told not to purchase Australian wool products.
Because one person throws a punch in the Friday night rugby, does that mean that everyone playing rugby should punch each other and that the entire nation should stop playing and watching rugby?
Perhaps, Mr Baker, the wool is in fact pulled over your eyes!
I can only assume that your house and the houses of your friends and family are completely free of luxurious woollen carpets, woollen underlay, woollen bedding, woollen clothing, woollen felt (including pianos, hats, etc.), woollen upholstery, woollen insulation and, of course, woollen ugg boots.
Let alone not using any of the wonderful lanolin products, which could include adhesive tape, printer ink, motor oil and lubrication.
Oh, and of course, the lanolin used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals such as moisturisers, lipstick, mascara, shampoo and conditioner.
You stick to your warm, synthetic doona while I am snuggled up under my warm, breathable, temperature-regulating, weather resistant, mould and mildew resistant, anti-allergenic, sustainably grown, renewable and fire-retardant wool!
Thank you to the Australian wool industry, and the many producers who do respect animal welfare, for producing and providing such a wonderful and versatile product.
And for readers wanting evidence of quality shearing, have a look at the shearing displays at your local agricultural show – these are a much better representation of the quality shearers in the industry.