The bill introduced by Australian Senator Lee Rhiannon, who is also Greens animal welfare spokesperson, aims to modify existing legislation, in particular the Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989 to ban cosmetics animal testing within Australia as well as the import and sale of cosmetics newly animal-tested abroad.
“We are encouraged that MPs from both Labor and the Liberals have pledged their support to the Be Cruelty-Free Australia campaign. This takes us one step closer to ending cosmetics animal cruelty in Australia,” Senator Rhiannon said.
Indeed, this landmark legislation follows more than a year of campaigning by Be Cruelty-Free Australia - a coalition of Humane Society International and Humane Research Australia. Thus, several federal politicians have already pledged their support for Be Cruelty-Free Australia, including the legislation’s sponsor Senator Lee Rhiannon, Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek, Leader of the Greens Christine Milne, Greens MP Adam Bandt, Labor MP Anna Burke, Liberal MP Jason Wood, Senator Scott Ludlam, Senator Richard Di Natale, Senator Penny Wright, and Senator Peter Whish-Wilson.
“There is overwhelming public support for a national cosmetics animal testing and sales ban in Australia, so we are delighted that politicians are joining with our Be Cruelty-Free Australia campaign to achieve this shared goal,”commented Hannah Stuart, Be Cruelty-Free Australia
The proposed new Australian legislation would mirror the test and sales ban introduced in the European Union in 2009 and 2013 respectively. “The European Union, one of the world’s biggest markets, is already cruelty-free and it’s great that Australia will be joining the list of cruelty-free countries,” said Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt.
A similar bill was introduced last week in the USA, in context where there is a global pressure to end animal testing.
