Minor parties, including the Animal Justice Party, are often asked, 'how much can you really achieve?' The answer is: a lot! The Animal Justice Party's wins are consistently mounting.

With elected representatives in Victoria, WA and NSW, we have been able to affect real change for animals and the environment by pushing the major parties and holding them accountable.

Without Animal Justice Party MP's in Parliament, there would be no voice for animals.

Emma Hurst and the Animal Justice Party NSW has demonstrated this, with an incredibly successful term in the NSW State Parliament so far. Emma has passed more private members’ bills than any other sitting MP.

Here's a snapshot of what Emma and her team have achieved so far:

Passed 5 Private Members Bills

• Crimes Amendment (Animal Sexual Abuse) Bill 2025: This Bill created tough new laws which modernised the offence of ‘animal sexual abuse’ and closed critical gaps that were allowing animal sexual abusers to escape convictions. As a result of this Bill, and other reforms passed by Emma, NSW now has the toughest laws on animal sexual abuse in the country.

• Animal Research Amendment (Prohibition of Forced Swim Tests and Forced Smoke Inhalation Experiments) Bill 2024: Animals were being near-drowned in ‘forced swim tests’ and suffocated to death while cigarette smoke was forced directly into their nostrils in ‘forced smoke inhalation experiments’. This Bill banned these cruel and unscientific experiments, making NSW the first jurisdiction in the world to implement a ban - and we hope other states and countries will soon follow suit.

• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment (Prohibition for Convicted Persons) Bill 2022: This Bill strengthened laws preventing animal abusers from being able to work with animals

• Companion Animal Amendment (Rehoming Animals) Bill 2022: This Bill outlawed the ‘convenience killing’ of animals in council pounds, by requiring pounds to work with rescue and rehoming organisations and advertise animals for adoption.

• Animal Research Amendment (Right to Release) Bill 2022: This Bill gave animals in medical experimentation the ‘right to be released’ and find forever homes, instead of being killed at the end of experimentation.

Other Major Animal Protection Wins

• Banned puppy farming in New South Wales. 

• Outlawed the breeding of cetaceans for entertainment.

• Secured eight-fold increase in animal abuse penalties.

• Obtained mandatory lifetime animal bans for serious abusers
  

• Banned the production, possession, and distribution of bestiality and animal crush videos
  

• Changed laws to recognise the link between animal abuse and domestic violence
  

• Included animals on ADVOs
  

• Amended the Working With Children Check system to ensure animal abusers cannot work with children

• Stopped by-laws banning animals in strata complexes
  

• Ban the use of glue traps in NSW

• Secured a 3-year ban on all fishing of blue gropers

• Legalised the joint burial of deceased companion animals and humans in cemeteries in NSW

• Secured the NSW Government’s commitment to establish a Great Koala National Park

Major Campaign Focus Areas

• Saving greyhounds from the racing industry 
• Protecting our native kangaroos  
• Keeping beaches safe by removing shark nets
• Freeing hens from cages

Massive Funding Wins

During Emma’s term, she has secured over $100 million in government funding for initiatives such as:

• Promoting wildlife-friendly roads
• Cat desexing programs
• Grants for companion animal rescues (including greyhound rescues and rehoming of animals from experimentation)
• Domestic violence and animal abuse refuges and peak bodies
• Alternatives to animal experimentation
• Farmed animal sanctuaries

Parliamentary Inquiries

In 2023, Emma established the Animal Welfare Committee, the first standing parliamentary committee on animal welfare anywhere in Australia. 

Since Emma was elected in 2019, she has established and been involved in a record number of inquiries on critical animal issues, including:

• Battery hens
• Use of animals in experimentation
• Use of animals in entertainment
• Horse racing industry
• Live animal export
• Cat management
• Vet shortage crisis
• Pound crisis
• Killing of brumbies (wild horses)
• Enforcement of animal cruelty laws
• Puppy farming
• Dairy industry
• Ag-gag laws
• Licences to harm native animals
• Greyhound racing industry (aka the ‘Drake’ Inquiry)

Advocating for Animals, People and Planet

Emma is not only a voice for animals - her advocacy spans a broad range of social and environmental justice issues, including women’s health, child protection, equality, criminal and youth justice reform, workers’ rights, climate justice and biodiversity protection. 

Some select examples of her work include:

• Chairing a world-first Inquiry into Birth Trauma, which has been described as the next ‘Me Too’ Movement for women 
• Passing an amendment requiring mandatory child abuse training for every person seeking a Working With Children Check, as part of a survivor-led reform from the Australian Childhood Foundation.
• Secured funding for endometriosis education programs in public schools in the NSW Budget
• Secured $44.8 million to increase access to midwifery led continuity of care, and the establishment of a Chief Midwife within NSW Health,
• Establishing and chairing Parliamentary Friends of Women’s Health

Every reform we’ve achieved, every inquiry we’ve launched, and every animal we’ve helped has been made possible because people like you demanded better.

It is clear that the influence of the AJP is growing, and our demands are being taken seriously by the major parties.

👉 Join us here and be part of the next wave of wins for animals.