Agriculture Dept responds to 'employment matter' of too-honest vet

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has provided a statement following media reporting of a “sacked” vet and author of a live export report that upset the industry. The story first aired on ABC’s 7.30 Wednesday night.

Dr Lynn Simpson, formerly of the department’s animal welfare branch, says her termination from that role was a “form of corruption” at the behest of the live export industry after a frank and fearless internal report was mistakenly published on the department website in 2013. That error was not Simpson’s, but made by others in the department.

She wasn’t sacked, as most media outlets have characterised the separation, the department says. That she was removed from her position has not been contested.

Simpson resigned on May 10 this year, three years after she was offered two alternative positions outside the animal welfare branch. She has since commenced federal court proceedings against the Commonwealth. As the matter is currently before the courts, the department says it is not appropriate to comment further.

The question that interests The Mandarin is to what degree industry can demand the removal of a public servant who had done nothing wrong. Should stakeholders have a say in which individuals represent the government in outreach and engagement? Has government forgotten what regulatory capture looks like? On this the department provided some helpful background on its position:

The department’s role as regulator and policy adviser

The department’s role in the export of live animals includes both regulation of the trade and the development of policy advice on behalf of the Australian Government.

Developing good policy and effective regulation requires consultation with key stakeholders, such as industry and non-government organisations. It is a usual part of government policy processes to seek stakeholder input and this helps shape the policy and regulatory environment.

As the regulator, it is important that the department can work effectively with the live export industry to ensure participants in the trade are meeting international animal welfare standards, while not imposing unnecessary red tape or unreasonable costs.

The department is committed to further improvements in animal welfare, and to ensuring the industry operates in an effective policy and regulatory environment.