I am writing to you, as one of your local constituents, to urge you to take action to fully end cosmetics cruelty in Australia by supporting amendments to the Industrial Chemicals Bill 2017 that would ensure it prohibits all new animal testing for cosmetics, not just some.
In June last year, the Federal Government introduced the Industrial Chemicals Bill 2017, which includes a ban the use of new animal test data only for ingredients used solely in cosmetics from 1 July 2018. Although I welcome this progress towards ensuring a ban on cosmetics cruelty in Australia, I'm very concerned. As most substances are not used solely as cosmetic ingredients (the Department of Health's latest figures show that the majority - 79% - of chemicals introduced that used animal test data were multi-use), the current wording of the ban means that some cosmetic ingredients will still be able to be newly animal tested and introduced to the Australia even after enactment of the proposed ban.
This is an important departure from existing bans in more than 30 countries, including the world’s largest cosmetics market the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, Israel, and India, which have all banned the use of newly animal-tested ingredients when introducing or marketing cosmetics.
I am very concerned that the current wording of the Bill will allow some ingredients newly tested on animals to slip into cosmetics sold in Australia, and I want to see a full ban that prevents all new animal testing for cosmetics, not just some.
The Government should stand by their commitment to “ban the testing of finished cosmetic products and cosmetic ingredients on animals in Australia, and the sale of cosmetic products and ingredients that have been tested on animals outside of Australia”, and enact a REAL ban that will actually prohibit cosmetics cruelty in Australia.
The loopholes within the Industrial Chemical Bill are unnecessary and are not consistent with the Government’s commitment to a ban, nor other global cosmetics animal testing bans. If the Bill goes through unamended, the ban would be very limited and the Government’s election commitment completely undermined.
I fully support the amendments recommended by the #BeCrueltyFree Australia campaign during the recent Senate Inquiry on the Bill, and the similar amendments now tabled in the Senate, which would ensure the animal test data ban applies comprehensively to all ingredients introduced for cosmetic purposes. These amendments would:
- ensure that animal test data obtained after July 2018 are banned for any and all chemical introductions for cosmetic use - thereby capturing 100% of cosmetic end uses, rather than just 21% with the current wording
- properly fulfil the government’s commitment to the electorate in 2016 to ban animal testing for cosmetics and the sale of cosmetic products and ingredients that have been tested on animals
- properly align Australia with the EU ban and best practice on this issue.
As one of your local constituents, I'm asking you to support a REAL ban on cosmetics cruelty by supporting these amendments to the Industrial Chemicals Bill which would prohibit all new animal testing for cosmetics, so that we can ensure Australia is the next country to truly say no to cruel cosmetics.
