The Legislative Council has voted to delay debating the greyhound racing ban until early next year. While this decision defers the passage of the bill, the fact has not changed that this industry is on its last four legs.
The greyhound racing industry has been lobbying members of the Legislative Council to delay the bill. The bottom line is that they don’t want the industry to end. Labor is their political cheerleader.
It’s clear Labor is not in line with public sentiment. Overwhelmingly, Tasmanians want this industry, its cruelty and the public subsidies that go to it, to be phased out.
The Racing Integrity Commissioner, Sean Carroll, has been clear the bill needs to go through the Parliament as soon as possible so the transition plan for the industry can begin. Deferring this bill will mean the transition period cannot be started in January as planned.
The delay of this legislation has real potential to give false hope for the greyhound racing industry. They deserve the certainty of a just transition away from an industry which has lost its social license.
Sadly, the deferring of this bill will have real impacts for the beautiful dogs caught up in this cruel industry. The Racing Integrity Commissioner confirmed breeding numbers are up, more dogs are being imported from interstate and more are being ‘euthanised’. Delay means dogs will continue to be exploited, abused and disposed of before the term of their natural life.
Despite the Greens opposition to delaying the greyhound racing ban bill, we will continue to provide the scrutiny voted on by the Legislative Council as a member of the committee for the transition of the greyhound racing industry.
We’ve been fighting to end greyhound racing for a decade, and we won’t stop just because of this delay. We’ll keep pushing for an end greyhound racing early next year, so these dogs can finally run free and be given the love they deserve.
