I hope there is more to this story than meets the eye:Shock waves are continuing following the Federal Court’s ruling in favour of animal activist Ralph Hahnheuser, who broke into a sheep feedlot four years ago and contaminated the feed with shredded ham.
The incident seriously disrupted the live export trade and the immediate shipping of 72,000 sheep from Portland, Vic.
But Justice Gray dismissed the legal case by Rural Export and Trading (WA) and Samex against the activist on the grounds that Mr Hahnheuser had been acting in the interests of environmental protectionism, given sheep are part of the environment. He also believed Mr Hahnheuser had not intended to hinder trade.
Decisions like this will lead to chaos. And if animal activists can do it, why can’t pro lifers, gay rights activists, or anti-illegal immigrant proponents?
