ANIMAL rights activists are being called on to be drug tested when working following a campaign attacking the shearing industry which backfired.
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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) attempted to reignite the 2015 campaign demanding drug testing for sheep shearers on Tuesday.
This time, the radical animal liberation group shunned nudity but upheld their traditional shock tactics.
The social media ad featured the gaunt face of a man beside the words ‘Dave has been up on ice for three days’ and ‘Shearing and drugs don’t mix’.
The campaign recycled Liberal Party delegate and wool producer Robert Lawrence’s drug concerns from last year.
However, the campaign fell flat when it was shared on social media site Facebook on April 1, with just 15 shares - most of which were mocking the ad.
Several of the 76 comments were calling on animal activists to be drug tested.
Michelle Thiele, Murray Bridge, South Australia, said PETA were out of touch with the reality of working on a farm.
“(I’ve) never met a shearer who did drugs other than a beer or two at the end of the day,” she said.
“Not sure what planet PETA are on but it is different to mine.
“I would put money on the population of PETA supporters being more drug addled than the population of shearers in Australia.”
WoolProducers Australia chief executive Jo Hall said the prevalence of drugs was a social problem, not an industry problem.
“Drugs affect the shearing industry no more or no less than what is happening in the general community,” Ms Hall said.
Last month, WoolProducers Australia, Shearing Contractors Association of Australia (SCAA), the WA Shearing Industry Association and Australian Wool Innovation released a poster for shearing sheds which outlined the responsibilities of both farmers and the shearing team while on the job. More than 40,000 posters have been distributed to woolgrowers across Australia.
“If they (PETA) were serious about protecting animals they would financially contribute to tangible things like research projects which would deliver real outcomes instead of sensational campaigns that only service to get their name in the media,” Ms Hall said.
“They are a publicity machine – their motivations are simple, to get their name out as much as possible to get more donations.”
SCAA secretary Jason Letchford said members supported the screening and testing of workers for drugs in the workplace if executed by state’s Workcover regulator - not small business operators such as shearing contractors or farmers.