Not only will gentle dogs no longer be injured and killed for profit, but Tasmania’s budget bottom line will benefit from ending greyhound racing, despite Dean Winter touting industry claims. Labor Leader Josh Willie should listen to the majority of Tasmanians, including his own MPs, who know animal welfare is at the heart of the need to end greyhound racing.
Dean Winter has been touting industry figures that wrapping up greyhound racing will cost $40 million. He’s getting desperately disingenuous. This is another unbelievable claim from an industry and party operator desperate to hold on to a dying and cruel sport.
Of course there’ll be up front costs from ending greyhound racing and rehoming the hundreds of dogs it uses up, but there will no doubt significant savings in ending the public subsidies after the phase-out. What we do know is that keeping greyhound racing on life support will cost Tasmanian taxpayers more than phasing it out.
Economist Saul Eslake found $75 million in public subsidies had been dished out to the greyhound racing industry between 2009 and 2025. If another racing Deed is signed that includes greyhound racing despite the Premier saying it won’t, who knows how many tens of millions of taxpayer dollars will be needed to continue to prop up the industry?
If Labor really cared about the state’s budget instead of trying to play political games, they’d be right behind ending the greyhound racing industry.
Tasmanians know animal welfare is at the heart of this issue, and it’s why they want the industry and its public subsidies to end. It’s no surprise kind-hearted Labor MPs like Ella Haddad won’t say they support continuing these cruel practises.
It’s clear not all members of Labor personally support this state-sponsored cruelty. If Labor won’t shift their position on greyhound racing, Josh Willie should at least allow his Legislative Council members to vote on their conscience when the greyhound racing phase-out bill is brought back to Parliament.
Tasmania has a chance now to follow the lead of countries across the world like New Zealand, Scotland and Wales, and end this deadly industry for good. If Labor came to its senses and did the right thing by these sentient creatures, and support a just transition for industry participants who are part of a dying pastime, Tasmania would be a national leader in the ethical treatment of animals.
It’s a choice only they can make
