Wednesday, 3 December 2025

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (09:53): Another year has rolled by, and I would like to once again use my final members statement for the year to encourage kindness over the holiday season. Turkeys love companionship. They happily chat to one another and have unique and distinctive voices, just like we do. Pigs adore belly rubs, wag their tails when they are excited and will trot over for affection from people that they trust. Cows are gentle giants who form best friendships and nuzzle as a form of affection. Chickens have unique personalities and love to find a sunny spot to sunbake in. Lambs especially love to run, leap and play together, often skipping and hopping like puppies. But especially around this time of year, turkeys are killed at around 10 weeks old, most commonly by electrical stunning and by decapitation. Pigs as young as six months old are lowered into gassing cells, and cows are shot in the head with a captive bolt gun or firearm. Chickens are trucked to slaughterhouses in crowded crates, and lambs have been raised in freezing winters so that they can be eaten at a time that suits people’s demand. But we all have the power to change these animals’ futures. So this holiday season, if you plan to have a pig, turkey, lamb, chicken or cow at Christmas, please be sure to give them a good seat at the table.