Media Release
Tuesday 24 May 2016

Actress and pioneering animal rights activist Lynda Stoner is one of 53 candidates standing for the Animal Justice Party in the coming federal election. Ms Stoner will stand for the Senate in New South Wales.

In addition to contesting the Senate the AJP will stand around 41 lower house candidates. Over sixty five per cent of AJP candidates are women.
 
National AJP President Professor Steve Garlick said today, “With a double dissolution election, the AJP has a reasonable chance of picking up the last Senate seat in a number of states and by targeting marginal lower house seats we aim to influence the outcome of the entire election.”
 
Professor Garlick said that the AJP aimed to stop cruelty to animals and improve the well-being of domestic, farm and native animals. “We need to restore the balance between the human, natural and animal worlds and to examine the potential impact on animals of government actions at federal, state and local levels,” he said.
 
“There are a growing number of political parties throughout the world focusing on animal welfare in countries ranging from the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal to Turkey and Cyprus. With the Netherlands, the AJP is the second of the world’s political parties for animals to have a representative elected to one of its nation’s parliaments.

“Since we had a representative elected to the NSW Legislative Council last year, interest in the Party has grown considerably. Our membership is now six times what it was when we competed in our first national election in 2013. We expect our primary vote at the July 2 election to also increase”.

Professor Garlick said the Turnbull Government regularly demonstrated its lack of concern about cruelty to animals. “Since taking over the prime minister’s position Mr Turnbull’s government has dramatically increased the appalling live trade industry, given marketing support to the violent commercial kangaroo killing industry, allowed export of greyhound dogs for overseas racing and gambling industries and removed protection for flying foxes,” he said. 

“The Turnbull Government’s Budget gives scant attention to animal welfare, except to say it has become a state responsibility, although we know that many decisions made by the Commonwealth may impact negatively on the lives of animals.

“In the current era of multi-lateral free trade agreements, the Commonwealth’s abrogation of responsibility for animal welfare is simply unacceptable. Commonwealth Government responsibilities in animal welfare have now been watered down to mean virtually nothing. This has to change.”

Candidate and contact details:
  

END

Contact Points:

Victorian contact: Bruce Poon, Victorian Convenor and lead Senate candidate 0400 248 226
NSW contact:  Anna Hall, NSW Convenor, 0466 506 404
National contact: Professor Steve Garlick, President, 0428 880 564