Protesters outside NSW Parliament House have called on Adam Marshall, NSW Agriculture Minister, to support the phase-out of battery cages for hens.
Over sixty supporters gathered to hear from various animal welfare groups, Abigail Boyd of the NSW Greens party, and Emma Hurst from the Animal Justice Party (AJP).
Earlier this year Marshall ruled out supporting a 10-year plan to phase-out conventional cages for layer and breeder hens before even seeing the proposed welfare standards, reported the ABC.
Rochelle Flood, Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection, said the Minister is blatantly ignoring expert advice and putting a national process for hen welfare at risk by supporting the cage egg industry.
“It’s safe to say MP Adam Marshall has been left with egg on his face after showing his complete lack of genuine consideration on this issue, opposing new hen welfare standards in March, before even seeing them. This is as more than nine-million-layer hens suffer in battery cages every year, with less space than an A4 piece of paper.”
The ABC reported earlier in the year that Marshall had ruled out supporting a 10-year plan to phase-out conventional cages for layer and breeder hens before even seeing the proposed welfare standards.
Flood said NSW has the most layer hens of any Australian state and the State’s support is crucial to ensuring new welfare standards are adopted.