 |
AWI Legal Action must be short swift and decisive…says AWGA
“The latest suggestions that any legal action to counter animal
activists may take years to resolve are not in the best interest of woolgrowers”
says AWGA Chairman Chick Olsson.
Recent media and industry reports suggest that the AWI legal action against
animal rights groups may end up in a legal miasma for 3 - 4 years or longer.
“Put simply the wool industry and woolgrowers in particular can not afford to have this unwelcomed threat to our industry drag on over a period of years.” says Mr Olsson.
”Australian woolgrowers are looking for any positive outcome at the moment in relation to our markets; any good news will do. We all know our product is world class, but has to now compete with cheaper alternative fibres. It is a question of how we promote ourselves and our product to a worldwide consumer based audience.” states Mr Olsson.
Now more than ever, world attention is focussing on how we conduct our industry and promote our merino wool. The question is, have we the imagination as an industry to re market ourselves producing the worlds most useful and beautiful fibre, while dealing effectively with animal rights issues?
The trendy cause of animal rights needs to be understood intellectually, and only then can true resolution be found. Legal pugilism rarely works in cases where antagonists are motivated by the spiritual high moral ground, in fact, legal actions only fan the fire of fanatical enthusiasm, and that any recognition by an entity of their claim only gives them the craved attention they seek.
AWGA is only too aware of the wide levels of concern being quietly expressed by many woolgrowers and other interested parties.
“Many growers have made contact with me, and expressed their worry at the current legal action being undertaken, and genuinely hope that it achieves a result of tangible value for the industry” says Chick Olsson.
“ Most woolgrowers are gentle people who just want to make a decent living, and are uncomfortable that we are about to embark on an international blue with the largest animal rights group in the world, with no clean or easy outcome in mind”
“Should the next hearing date for this legal action fail to deliver a short and decisive outcome’ says Mr Olsson “AWI must in the interests of woolgrowers consult democratically with all Australian woolgrowers as to the next steps to be taken as their actions will have a dramatic outcome for every woolgrower. ”
News Archive 2003
Discussion Papers
Media Links