Today’s most uncomfortable video comes to us courtesy of Johnny Depp and wife Amber Heard.
Looking a bit like hostages forced to shoot the public service announcement, the pair awkwardly talks about the reasons why Australia has such strict biosecurity measures.
Last year, the celebrity pair got into trouble when they snuck in their two dogs Pistol and Boo without declaring the critters. The Australian government threatened to expel the dogs.
The video was shown to a Gold Coast court on Monday before a magistrate hit Heard with a one-month good behaviour bond and a $1,000 fine over the debacle.
Heard, 29, o reached a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to one count of falsifying border protection documents after they dropped two charges of illegal importation.
Here’s what Australia’s agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce had to say:
I welcome the conclusion of court proceedings against Ms Amber Heard today.
I also appreciate Ms Heard’s willingness to take responsibility for her actions last year and her acknowledgement that she broke our national biosecurity laws.
These legal proceedings reinforce the clear message I sent internationally last year that we will not tolerate disregard for our biosecurity laws, no matter who you are.
These legal proceedings clearly illustrate the government’s serious approach to enforcing our national biosecurity laws, and the fact that there are no exceptions to these laws – they apply to everyone equally.
As an island nation, Australia is free of many pests and diseases common throughout the world that have harmed human health, agricultural industries, animals, plants and the environment.
We do not want diseases and pests such as rabies, foot and mouth, screwfly, the varroa mite or ehrlichiosis in our country, and we do not want people making their own arrangements for what they bring into our country.
Biosecurity is critical to the profitability of Australia’s $52 billion agriculture sector and therefore our national economy. The benefits of having such a strong biosecurity system flow throughout the whole country.
Our broad market access hinges on our reputation as clean and green exporter of high quality agricultural produce. A serious biosecurity incursion could put our access to those markets at serious risk.
Watch the whole awkward undertaking here:
