CATHERINE KING MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND MEDICARE
MEMBER FOR BALLARAT
TONY ZAPPIA MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR MEDICARE
MEMBER FOR MAKIN
TURNBULL BREAKS ELECTION PROMISE TO SHUT DOWN COSMETIC TESTING ON ANIMALS
The Turnbull Government has voted against closing a loophole that allows animal test data to be used in cosmetics, showing just how out-of-touch they are with Australian community expectations on this issue.
Australians know animal testing is cruel and unnecessary, but Turnbull has introduced legislation that allows newly animal tested cosmetic ingredients to still be introduced into Australia.
Labor moved an amendment to the Industrial Chemicals Bill 2017 to close the massive loophole – which gives the green light to the use of animal test data in chemicals, as long as the chemicals have a multiple end use.
As it is, the legislation will ban the use of new animal test data from 1 July 2018 – but only if an ingredient is solely used in cosmetics. If a substance is not used exclusively as a cosmetic ingredient, the ban would not apply and animal testing can still occur.
In voting against Labor’s amendment, Turnbull has broken its 2016 election policy commitment that it would ban the sale of cosmetic products tested on animals and caved in to industry demands rather than ending the unethical, unnecessary and cruel practice of animal testing for cosmetics.
A second Labor amendment would have ensured that a government register is kept of all chemicals introduced under the exempt category. As it now stands, the Government simply does not know what chemicals were introduced, when they were introduced and in what quantities.
Industrial Chemicals have both benefits and risks. It is impossible to manage the risks when the Government does not even know what chemicals were introduced.
Turnbull’s legislation is a breach of faith with people who trusted him to do the right thing on banning animal testing.
WEDNESDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2017