I am writing to you, as one of your local constituents, to urge you to take action to end cosmetics cruelty in Australia by supporting a ban on cosmetics animal testing and the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics.
A ban in Australia would be beneficial for animals, consumers and science alike, and opinion polls clearly demonstrate that it's what the overwhelming majority of Australian citizens want too. A 2013 Nexus Research poll showed that 85% of Australians oppose animal testing for cosmetics, and 92% of over 13,000 respondents to a recent animal testing policy public consultation supported a ban on cruel cosmetics.
Toxicity testing on live, sentient animals causes suffering and death in procedures that are outdated and not reliable for assessing human safety. It is entirely possible to produce innovative and safe cosmetics using existing ingredients, without new animal testing, as demonstrated by the hundreds of cruelty-free beauty brands.
More than 30 countries around the world have taken principled positions on this issue and banned cosmetics animal testing and the sale or import of newly animal tested cosmetics, including the world's largest cosmetics market the European Union, Norway, Israel, and India. There are also similar bills to ban cosmetics cruelty pending in Canada, the United States, Brazil, and Taiwan, among others.
Most recently, the Coalition Government announced their policy to ban the testing of cosmetics on animals within Australia and the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals outside of Australia. This commitment follows a series of positive actions by MPs to end cosmetics cruelty, including the passing of cross-party Motions in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as the incorporation of commitments to ban cosmetics cruelty in the national platforms of the major political parties, indicating strong bipartisan support from Australian politicians.
It's time for Australian legislation to reflect both the global trend to end cosmetics cruelty, and the will of the Australian public which opposes using animals in the development of cosmetics. As more and more nations recognise the moral and scientific imperative to end cosmetics animal testing, those countries that continue to allow it will appear increasingly isolated.
That's why, as one of your local constituents, I'm asking you to call on the Government to stand by their commitment and immediately bring forward meaningful legislation that bans both cosmetics animal testing and the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics.
Please make Australia the next country to say no to cruel cosmetics.
