Vote 1 for Senator Andrew Bartlett !!

If you're an Aussie you'll undoubtedly have heard of Senator Bartlett – and if you haven't – you will soon.

He's charming, outspoken and he looks great in lashings of Max Factor!

He takes his job as a Senator with the Democrats seriously – just as seriously as he takes his stance on animal rights.

I wouldn't trust a politician as far as I could throw 'em (that's a good old Aussie colloquialism) but I would trust Andrew.

Interview by June Bird, August 2000.

I am personally very committed to encouraging us all to give more consideration to the welfare and rights of animals. The lack of consideration humans give to each other in the world today is exceeded only by the lack of consideration we give to the other animals we share the planet with. My personal belief is that there are compelling environmental and ethical grounds for encouraging people to stop eating animals.

Vegetarianism has a long ethical tradition in our society. There are also very sound theological arguments in the Christian biblical tradition against the eating of meat where practicable, as Senator Woodley would acknowledge. I have found many people acknowledge some of these arguments, but not enough to stop their meat consumption. I guess the spirit is willing, but the flesh is just too tasty for many people.

Whilst I understand the traditional, cultural and economic reasons why animals are imprisoned and killed for human consumption, I believe the time has come for us to look to move beyond that. There are too few voices for the welfare and rights of animals in our society, let alone in our parliaments. I hope I can provide a voice for them in this place.

The best part is being able to reduce the unnecessary suffering of animals. I think this was the main motivation I had for trying to go vego – if I can stay alive and healthy without eating animals, then there seems no reason why they should have to die just to suit the desires of my tastebuds. Since I became vegetarian I've also become much more aware of the massive additional environmental damage which meat production causes.

(Picture right: Andrew at work in the senate.)

I find rodeos to be particularly appalling – they are so obviously cruel and don't have even the flimsiest justification other than some people find it fun to torture the animal. They're almost as bad as bullfighting in my view. I can see no justification for animals in circuses either. Whilst I am not comfortable with zoos – a well run wildlife park is much better than a zoo any day – there can be at times some benefit by maintaining animal numbers with endangered species. Although this should never be used as a substitute for trying to maintain habitat and numbers in the wild. There has been some improvement in the conditions at zoos in recent years, but there is still a lot of room for more improvement. I believe that some animals, particularly larger ones such as elephants, lions and the like should not be allowed to be kept in captivity except in exceptional circumstances. Unfortunately these also tend to be the animals that draw people into zoos and keep them profitable.

(Picture right: Senator Bartlett helping with the rescue of sick and dying hens in a huge battery cage shed.)

Hopefully millions – though it's always hard to judge! I try not to seem too much like I'm trying to convert people – more like putting forward an example of a good way to reduce environmental degradation and animal suffering. As a strong environmentalist, as well as the Democrats' environment spokesperson I'm often talking about ways we could better care for the planet, so it fits in well with the vegetarian message.

Certainly a number of people have told me they've become more aware of animal issues as a result of me – sometimes just on one issue that particularly disturbs them and sometimes in their overall approach. Sometimes the people who have expressed for an animal rights issue have surprised me – including Senators from other parties. Occasionally I get the feeling some politicians don't speak out so much on the issue because they're worried it's seen as a 'fringe' issue and might damage their credibility.

I disagree strongly – I have found that, while people may not be vegetarian many of them still have concern about animal suffering and there is an enormous amount of unnecessary and preventable suffering and cruelty that is being inflicted on animals. I do a lot of statements and speeches on a huge number of issues – tax reform, welfare issues, gay rights, environmental protection, immigration, refugees, multiculturalism, housing, tourism and more – and I've found the most positive public responses I have had have been on animal rights issues.

Banning the battery cage is certainly more popular than the GST I can tell you that.

(Picture above right: The famous postcard to highlight the plight of the battery hen. It certainly did that, plenty of people are still talking about it. (Click on the pic to see a larger version of the image).

The basic message I try to give out is that vegetarianism is an easy way to help the environment and reduce animal suffering. Whilst I'm personally not that interested in the health impacts, there is also no doubt that a vegetarian diet is as healthy, if not more so, than a meat-based diet.

On animal rights more broadly, I try to raise awareness about the reality of the suffering that is deliberately inflicted on so many animals when it doesn't need to be. Once people know what's happening they are more likely to support moves to changes things. People can make changes to their own lifestyle in a manner and at a pace that suits them – you don't have to be a purist in everything – but the first step is to be aware of what's actually being done to animals and then showing people what they can do to change things. This might be through pressuring industry or governments to change things, or changes they can make to their own actions.

In a sad postscript to this interview, Andrew's much loved rottweiler Oscar passed away not long after this interview was done. So, pictured right is Andrew and Oscar.