Urgent need to change NSW Crimes Act to combat animal rights terrorists
Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party leader Robert Borsak says the NSW Government has allowed animal rights’ terrorists to flourish by refusing to criminalise their destructive behaviour.
“Under NSW law, convicted sex offenders have more rights to privacy and protection than farmers and legitimate animal-related businesses,” he said.
“I put forward a right to farm bill last year that would have changed the NSW Crimes Act to ensure people secretly filming, trespassing on and harassing farmers could be jailed for doing so,”
“The Liberals and Nationals refused to support my bill.
"They had eight years to deal with this problem, but have done nothing”.
Mr Borsak’s comments come after the Victorian Gippy Goat Café was shut down due to constant abuse and harassment by vegan activists. Similar groups also brought Melbourne CDB to a standstill on Monday morning.
“This sort of stuff is happening in NSW too. Enough is enough,” Mr Borsak said.
Helen Dalton, a Binya sheep and cattle farmer recently elected to NSW Parliament, said her family is provided with less protection than a convicted sex offender under current laws.
“Under Section 21E the NSW Offenders Registration Act 2000, a person who reveals the name of a convicted sex offender can go to jail for two years,” she said
“But animal activists can secretly film my farm, publish the names and address of my family and encourage vigilante-style behaviour with no consequences.”
“The major parties need to put politics aside and give farmers more protection than sex offenders, not less”.
Mr Borsak said current chest beating by National Party ministers mean nothing without proper action.
“The SFF will reintroduce our bill criminal animal activist behaviour in the new Parliament.”
“We’ll then see if the Liberals and Nationals side with farmers, or the activists again”.