In 2020, ruminant livestock exports brought over $261.5 million into the New Zealand economy, capturing a large portion of the total livestock export trade globally. This revenue is crucial to the wellbeing of New Zealand's rural communities. It is also important to remember New Zealand's breeding livestock, particularly dairy cattle, are highly valued in the international agricultural community, and that our high standards of animal welfare increase the desirability of our breeding livestock. Rather than legislate just to end New Zealand's livestock export capabilities, we should develop a gold-standard approach for our livestock export capability. This could be achieved by aligning our practices with those of Australia to ensure that supreme animal welfare conditions are upheld by livestock exporters, while also preserving our stake in the livestock export market. By choosing to ban the live export trade, the Government is turning its back on animal welfare rather than taking up the opportunity to globally influence and contribute to better animal welfare into the future. The demand for livestock in established foreign markets will subside or disappear if New Zealand bans the export of live breeder cattle. Livestock will be sourced from other countries without the animal welfare support and the regulation that our law could provide for. 