Senator Leyonhjelm said his party would be running a candidate in Farrer at the next federal election, saying Ms Ley’s call to ban live sheep exports was “reprehensible” and showed an “appalling lack of support for the thousands of farmers in her electorate”.

What’s truly “reprehensible” and “appalling” is the way those sheep were treated on their way to the Middle East, not Ms Ley’s call to ban live exports.

Ms Ley is a former farmer and self-described “shearer’s cook”. In other words, she knows the lay of the land.

There are no bigger advocates for animal welfare in our region than our farmers and sheep producers themselves.

RELATED

Ken Crossley is just one of thousands from across the Riverina who were left feeling angry after seeing stock suffering and mistreated.

As Ms Ley wrote in a column on Saturday: “No reasonable farmer wants to see stock they have grown with pride leave their care only to perish in such horrific circumstances”.

Senator Leyonhjelm said ending all live exports would severely affect the region’s sheep and lamb industry but that was described a “lazy, non-argument” by Ms Ley, who wrote that the future remained bright with increasing urbanisation and changing tastes in the Middle East.

In short, despite being a relatively minor player in the live sheep export market, we can continue to produce some of the best meat in the world while finding a better solution for sending it overseas.

Federal Agriculture and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud said he didn’t want to punish those exporters and farmers who have done no wrong with a blanket ban.

Having spent 17 years in Parliament, Ms Ley hasn’t been one to break ranks with her party often. She’s read the play and is comfortable enough to express her views on a sensitive subject.

If the Liberal Democrats want to run a candidate at the next election, that’s great as competition is a good thing.

But Senator Leyonhjelm might be shooting blanks if he thinks they’ll win on the back of Ms Ley’s call to ban live exports.