Geelong-based MP Andy Meddick has called for state government to temporarily close abattoirs amid a COVID-19 outbreak at a western Melbourne meatworks, describing meat as “not essential”.
But fellow Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur described the calls as “disingenuous and deceitful”, accusing Mr Meddick of exploiting the outbreak for his “ideological goals”.
On Wednesday Mr Meddick called for government to close all abattoirs, after 62 COVID-19 cases were linked to Cedar Meatworks in Brooklyn.
“Meat is not an essential item. It’s that simple,” the Animal Justice Party MP said.
“Mistreatment of animals started this pandemic, and now mistreatment of animals is continuing it.”
Mr Meddick repeated a statement by Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton that meatworks were “particularly vulnerable”.
“Across the USA, coronavirus clusters have been linked to a number of slaughterhouses,” he said.
“We can’t allow the same thing to happen here.”
But Mrs McArthur slammed her political rival for “weaponising” the coronavirus pandemic to call for abattoir closures and to cancel the 2020 duck hunting season.
“When the Animal Justice Party heard about the situation unfolding at Cedar Meats, they wouldn’t have seen endangered Victorians’ lives, but political ammunition,” she said.
“Mr Meddick is ideologically determined to shut down both hunting and abattoirs, and has been so since he stepped foot inside the parliament.
“Now, on the back of a public health crisis, the Animal Justice Party will go around pretending that all the country pursuits or agricultural practices that they detest, will coincidentally be responsible for community contamination!”
Mrs McArthur rubbished Mr Meddick’s claims that meat was “not essential”.
“The fact is, meat is an essential item for the diets of the vast majority of Victorians and its production keeps thousands of people employed,” she said.
“Abattoirs are essential for the provision of high quality food protein for our domestic population and vital for our export market in order to help feed the rest of the world.
“Mr Meddick is intent on exploiting a public health crisis to push his own political objectives, which are ultimately about bringing a total end to animal food and fiber production.”
“Virus outbreaks should be matters of public health, not political footballs for ideological goals.”
She urged government to ignore Mr Meddick’s call.
“Meat exports are one of the few but important avenues this country has to receive export revenue during this time of world economic crisis. Abandoning them would be lunacy.”
