Panel Founder and director Graeme McEwen appeared late Monday afternoon 14 September 2015 in Canberra at a hearing of the Senate Rural Affairs Committee convened to consider Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon’s Bill to establish a national statutory authority with animal welfare functions to act as a spur and a counterpoint to the federal department of agriculture.

 Here is the Senate video recording:

http://parlview.aph.gov.au/mediaPlayer.php?videoID=275719&operation_mode=parlview

The session commences at 1h.05m.00s.

 As best the Panel knows, the parliamentary Labor Party intends to introduce its own Bill to establish an independent office of animal welfare if it forms government.

 Immediately prior to Graeme’s appearance, Emmanuel Giuffre of Voiceless; Dr. Rosemary Elliott of Sentient, the Veterinary Institute for Animal Ethics; and Nicola Beynon , Head of Campaigns Australia, World Animal Protection ( formerly World Society for the Protection of Animals ) appeared before the Committee. Immediately following Graeme’s appearance, six representatives of the federal department of agriculture appeared.