DRAFT

To candidates: We would like to tailor this pledge so that most progressive candidates can agree to it but that it is also consistent with Vegan Australia's objectives. If you do not fully support some points, please suggest changes.

Vegan Australia is urging candidates and parties in the 2022 federal election to acknowledge the growing number of Australians who believe society needs to do more for animals. Please read the pledge and sign below.

If elected, I pledge to use the following principles to work towards a better outcome for animals.

Transparency: Enable public scrutiny of all animal agriculture practices.

• Ensure that the secrecy of the animal agriculture industries is no longer used to hide the suffering of vulnerable farmed animals behind closed doors.
• Apply this transparency to all other areas where animals are used or slaughtered, including sport, entertainment and research.

Independence: Enforce the independence of animal protection authorities.

• Establish a new independent statutory authority to protect animals.
• Ensure that all organisations authorised to prosecute violations of animal rights are independent of entities that support animal agriculture, such as animal agriculture industries and government agriculture departments.
• Empower these organisations to handle issues in all areas where animals are used, including farming, slaughterhouses, sport, entertainment, testing and research.

Recognition: Recognise animal sentience in law.

• Recognise in legislation the sentience of animals - that animals are capable of feeling pain and experiencing emotions, as other jurisdictions have done both in Australia and worldwide.
• Educate the public about the importance and scientific basis of animal sentience.

Sustainability: Act on the link between animal agriculture and environmental damage.

• Recognise that animal agriculture and its associated land use is a major (and growing) source of greenhouse gas emissions by endorsing the Plant Based Treaty.
• Ensure that Australia quickly reverses the detrimental impact of animal agriculture on the many other serious environmental crises, including biodiversity loss and species extinction, pollution, water shortage, ocean dead zones and the opportunity cost of past and current land clearing.
• Acknowledge the carbon sequestration benefits available from revegetating land and restoring marine ecosystems degraded by animal agriculture and aquaculture.

Just transition: Support the just transition from animal agriculture to other land uses.

• Perform a thorough public audit of government support for animal agribusinesses, including subsidies, taxation relief, grants and other payments and transfer this support to sustainable plant-based agriculture.
• Ensure a just transition with sufficient support and retraining given to workers, farmers and their communities previously reliant on the animal industries.
• Encourage the growth of the plant-based alternative industry and associated jobs by supporting research and development and export incentives.
• Develop carbon schemes to incentivise carbon capture (through regrowth, reforestation, carbon farming, biochar, biodiversity services) on land previously used for grazing.

Impartiality: Remove the influence of vested interests on public policy.

• Ensure that the development of public policy is evidence-based and not influenced by animal agriculture industries, in areas including dietary guidelines, animal regulations, health, environment, education and political donations.

Honesty: Label and advertise products truthfully.

• Introduce environmental labelling for all foods, showing the impact of production on greenhouse gas emissions, water use, etc.
• Mandate health warnings for all foods known to be carcinogenic, such as red meat and processed meats.
• Look into adding 'suffering statements' to labels which honestly detail the experiences of the animals used in making animal products.

Health: Enhance public and individual health.

• Guided by the Australian Dietary Guidelines, ensure affordable nutritionally balanced plant-based food is available to all, including those in remote areas, hospitals, aged and disability care, schools, prisons, the defence forces and all government-funded services and events.
• Acknowledge that animal agriculture dramatically increases the risk of new diseases and future pandemics.
• Ban the excessive prophylactic use of antibiotics for farmed animals to prevent antibiotic resistance.