Vegan MP Speech that had Colleagues in Tears

Vegan MP, The Hon. Emma Hurst gave her first speech in NSW Parliament. Addressing the Upper House for the first time, new senator for the Animal Justice Party, Emma Hurst, criticized the Government for failing to protect animals, and implored members from both sides of Parliament to work with her to change the way our society treats animals in NSW.

In her address she said, “Animal cruelty is not a left or right issue. But sadly it is one that our government has failed to respond to. And that’s why I decided to become part of this Parliament. I believe in NSW we can do better.”

“The fate of each of these animals rests with our willingness to choose kindness over greed, respectability over indifference, and to be leaders instead of led.” The vegan bodybuilding MP spoke of the 4Corner’s live animal export vision exposed in 2011 and gave explicit examples of animal suffering on farms in NSW which saw visitors in the gallery and various MPs in tears.

The MP’s promise ‘to the animals’, was the climax of her speech stating, “No matter if you are skin, scales, fur or feathers, no matter the supposed value of your financial worth, or lack thereof, native or non-native, rodent, or fish, or cow, or dog, I will protect you. I stand by you. I will fiercely defend you. It is our party that will keep that promise, and we will never, ever let you down. You have all of me.”

She is now one of two Animal Justice Party MPs elected to the upper house in NSW who hold the balance of power with nine other crossbenchers.