ABC report

Please help spread the word on this Animal Liberation petition.
#10;ey-with-fridge-or-freezer-purchase">http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/bing-lee-stop-the-offer-of-a-free-turk
ey-with-fridge-or-freezer-purchase. It relates to Animal Liberation's expose earlier this year at an Inghams turkey slaughterhouse where turkeys were beaten repeatedly.

Lateline Report with video footage (Text below)

Lateline Report transcript

Australian Broadcasting Corporation Broadcast: 20/03/2013
Reporter: Michael Vincent

Animal Liberation has obtained video footage of workers apparently bashing and kicking turkeys at a major poultry processor on the outskirts of Sydney.

Transcript TONY JONES, PRESENTER: Police are being asked to investigate video footage that appears to show repeated acts of animal cruelty at a major poultry processor on the outskirts of Sydney.

The video, showing some workers bashing and repeatedly kicking turkeys, was obtained by Animal Liberation at an Inghams plant.

And a warning: there are some graphic and disturbing images. This exclusive report from Michael Vincent and producer Sashka Koloff.

MICHAEL VINCENT, REPORTER: For two weeks hidden cameras tracked workers as they took turkeys from crates and shackled them before they were stunned and slaughtered

A fallen bird is kicked. Then kneed. Distressed, it flaps about helplessly and is kicked again.

The bird's distress appears to bring joy to this worker.

Finally the bird is picked up and slammed onto the floor and bashed into the cages four times.

A co-worker observes without intervening.

And then a final act of cruelty: the turkey is repeatedly stomped on until it is still.

This is just one incident from two weeks of covert filming at Inghams' turkey processing plant in Sydney's south-west.

Here, another bird is bashed and kneed.

On another day, a bird is kicked five times.

It appears to be common behaviour.

Sometimes the workers take it in turns to knee then kick the same bird as it hangs in its shackles on the production line.

A few seconds later, the two workers appear to celebrate. Then one of them slams a bird against the factory wall.

These live birds are treated like toys to be ridden or bashed.

EMMA HURST, ANIMAL LIBERATION: I think this is definitely some of the worst that we've seen.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Emma Hurst is from Animal Liberation which provided the footage to Lateline.

EMMA HURST: You're just seeing this whole - complete disconnect from the suffering that these animals are experiencing as though these animals are just mere objects and that they're there for their enjoyment to torture
them.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Here, a worker apparently tries to separate the bird's head from its body, stretching its neck from the cages while it is attached to the moving shackles. He fails. But later, there's another attempt. The bird
breaks free.

EMMA HURST: Every single day we found incidences of concern where workers are going out of their way to intentionally abuse these animals and to cause harm on these animals. And that's - it's just absolutely horrendous.

MICHAEL VINCENT: It's not just the intentional harm; there are also serious concerns about the general handling of the birds.

EMMA HURST: Because these birds are so large, it's not appropriate for them to be shackled. If you think about an eight to 17-year-old - eight to 17 kilogram animal, it's almost the same weight as a three-year-old child being
hung upside down by its ankles and we're seeing feet actually rip off the animals as well.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Animal Liberation says these images capture legs being separated from live birds.

This, however, is perhaps the most telling image captured in the entire two weeks.

Look at this. The worker - you can actually see him - he looks around, sees his work colleague, goes and has a check of the doorway and then comes back to line up the animal.

EMMA HURST: Yeah, so, it's looking around to make sure - he knows there's something wrong with this. It's not that these people could argue that, you know, "We thought that this was perfectly fine. They know that this is unacceptable.

MARK SIMPSON, VETERINARIAN: Having done work for a number of welfare organisations, it's amongst the worst I've ever seen.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Dr Mark Simpson is a vet who has viewed the footage. He's been asked by Animal Liberation to prepare a report which will go to police and animal welfare authorities.

MARK SIMPSON: If this sort of behaviour was witnessed in general public, there'd be a huge outcry. There'd be - the people involved would be physically restrained, I'm sure, police would be involved, the full force of the law would be brought immediately to prevent any further pain and suffering to animals.

MICHAEL VINCENT: At Inghams' processing plant the production line was continuing today. Inghams is Australia's largest turkey processor.

This afternoon we went to Inghams' Sydney headquarters to show their CEO the footage.

We've just spent an hour in the office of Inghams chief executive Kevin McBain. He sat silently while watching the entire footage. He's declined to give us an on-camera interview, but he did provide us with this statement:

KEVIN MCBAIN, CEO, INGHAMS (male voiceover): "We want to reassure Australians that Inghams does not tolerate the mistreatment of our livestock. We condemn the animal abuse we have seen in the footage and will - as a matter of urgency - work to review, retrain and reinforce our animal welfare standards throughout our organisation. We are investigating and working with all relevant parties to address and resolve these intolerable incidents."

MICHAEL VINCENT: Animal welfare groups are now demanding constant CCTV monitoring in all abattoirs.

MARK SIMPSON: I'll be making a strong call in my report for mandatory video monitoring of these critical stages in the process of slaughtering animals. They're - you know, these animals give their life for the benefit of humans and we have a responsibility to make sure where that happens, it happens as humanely as possible.

MICHAEL VINCENT: New South Wales police have been asked to investigate the Inghams footage.

Michael Vincent, Lateline.

TONY JONES: And you can read Inghams' full statement on the Lateline website, below.

20 March, 2013

Media Statement

"In light of the footage that we have viewed today we want to reassure Australians that Inghams does not tolerate the mistreatment of our livestock.

We condemn the animal abuse we have seen in the footage and will - as a matter of urgency - work to review, retrain and reinforce our animal welfare standards throughout our organisation.

Inghams has a strong commitment to animal welfare. We have Best Practice Animal Welfare Programs and Standards in place. We work with regulatory animal welfare specialists to ensure these programs are active and operating throughout all aspects of the company. The programs are regularly audited internally and by second and third party auditors to ensure compliance with standards.

We are investigating and working with all relevant parties to address and resolve these intolerable incidents."

Kevin McBain, CEO, Inghams Enterprises Pty Limited