Vanstone faces accusations of animal cruelty over her share in piggery July 13, 2006

A Piggery part-owned by the Immigration Minister, Amanda Vanstone, is breaching industry guidelines by keeping pigs in cramped conditions, animal welfare activists allege.

Animal Liberation said it lodged a complaint yesterday with South Australian police, complaining of conditions at the Wasleys piggery,  near Adelaide.

Senator Vanstone said she owned shares in the piggery but had nothing to do with the running of the operation, thought to be one of the largest in the state.

She said she did not condone cruelty to animals. "I am simply one shareholder in this business," Senator Vanstone said through a spokesman. "I have nothing to do with the running of it.

"Any suggestion that I support cruelty to animals is both untrue and defamatory."

Animal Liberation's executive director, Mark Pearson, claimed Senator Vanstone had shares in the piggery worth more than $1 million, and her husband, Tony, was a director of the operation.

Mr Pearson alleged the piggery was breaching industry codes of practice by keeping pigs in severe confinement. The group released images appearing to show pigs in cages barely big enough for them to move.

"Not only are the pigs tormented by the cruelty of their confinement where they can never walk or even turn around, but they are kept in cages that are even smaller than federal regulations allow," Mr Pearson said. "An urgent, thorough and transparent investigation is crucial to ensure help is provided for these desperate animals as soon as possible.

Senator Vanstone told The Age in April how she came to be involved in piggeries.

"We came into [the industry] through friends," she said. "I don't know much about pigs, but I like a ham at Christmas and I think there is nothing wrong with eggs and bacon.”