Public attitudes to livestock exports: overarching research results

In November 2012, Sexton Market Research conducted 1,000 interviews across Australia on behalf of the National Farmers Federation to unearth public attitudes toward livestock exports, and the political ramifications of a phase out or ban. Questions were contextualised within other issues to eliminate bias. 1,000 interviews were conducted in total, consisting of 400 as a national sample and 600 in marginal electorates, specifically Brand, Capricornia, Corangamite, Deakin, Eden Monaro, Greenway, La Trobe, Lingari, Moreton, Page, Petrie and Robertson. There was very minor difference between national and marginal results, so results below show the aggregate findings. Top line results show that: Live exports simply do not rate as an unprompted issue. Of the 1,000 respondents, not one raised it. When prompted, two thirds of respondents supported continuing the live export trade, rather than banning it or phasing it out and, of these, three quarters held that opinion strongly. When simple arguments for and against continuing or phasing out a ban are proposed, support for continuing the trade increased very marginally. When asked if the trade should be phased out if humane treatment cannot be guaranteed support for this notion climbs momentarily to 65 percent, however the instant any consequences of such a ban are raised, support for the idea of a ban or phase out collapses and support for continuing the trade and working with industry climbs to 69 percent supporting and 21 percent opposing. When asked if they would be pleased or concerned if their MP supported a ban or phase out, 60 percent said they would be concerned and only 22 percent would be pleased. Among all voters, 44 percent said they would definitely or probably vote against their MP were a ban or phase-out implemented. This collapse of public support and consequent political damage is similar to the real-life situation during the Indonesian live export suspension, where initial support for the suspension due to the poor treatment of animals fell once the human consequences of the suspension became apparent.