THE Tamworth electorate now has five candidates to choose from at the upcoming state election, with Emma Hall putting her hand up to represent the Animal Justice Party.
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The Tamworth local has been involved with the party for about a year, and founded the local branch.
“I think it’s important for animals to have a voice,” Ms Hall said.
“I’m not running for me, I’m doing this for the animals.”
While extreme animal-rights activists have called for a ban on many animal-based industries, Ms Hall said she was “realistic”.
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“We can’t ban everything, that’s not going to happen,” she said.
“However, there are things we can do to make the conditions as good as can be.”
She pointed to the expansion of poultry producer Baiada as a local issue that needs addressing.
“I don’t think Tamworth is the right place for it multiple reasons,” she said.
“In the DA, it says there’ll be millions of chickens but no increase in water use. I just can’t see how that’s possible. It’ll be using water we already don’t have.”
The Animal Justice Party wants to form an office of animal protection and give police the authority to investigate and prosecute animal abuse, rather than leaving it in the hands of the RSPCA.
Ms Hall is also concern about Gunnedah’s koala population. While the NSW government has announced a $6.5m koala hospital, Ms Hall said the “Koala Capital” was at risk of losing its title.
“It’s not going to help having a big fancy building if we get rid of the trees they need,” she said.
Ms Hall joins Nationals Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson, SFF’s Jeff Bacon, Labor’s Stephen Mears and independent Mark Rodda.