In the Corridors of Power, 1979–91

Abstract

The 1980s represented a period of progress and constraints. This chapter explores one of the primary methods that activists used in the 1980s: lobbying. Activists pursued a path of political lobbying, at both state and federal levels, for greater animal protection, which rested on the tactical premise of integration and cooperation. Through an interplay of lobbying, alliance-building, and participation, activists were able influence and shape Australian politics. However, progress was also founded on compromise and containment. One of the most evident limitations that is explored in this chapter, which thread through the politics of human–animal relations in Australia, is the property status of animals and the economic interests that actively resist deeper changes.