Dr WOODRUFF question to MINISTER for RACING, Ms HOWLETT
Thanks to the Greens’ inquiry into greyhound racing, local rules were changed to require rehoming, and any requests to kill a dog must be approved by the Office of Racing Integrity’s (ORI) Director of Racing, the so-called ‘no-kill policy’. Last March, a leaked document from Tasracing’s throughput working group confirmed it wanted these principles weakened. They said:
Difficult end-of-life decisions will need to be made. A small number of greyhounds will not be suitable for rehoming via GAP. In some cases, euthanasia will be the appropriate step.
Last night, you and your Labor colleagues teamed up to pass a bill that transfers responsibility for signing greyhound death warrants to Tasracing and it gives Tasracing power to rewrite the Rules of Racing and remove the no-kill policy altogether. Do you agree more dogs are set to be killed under the new legislation? Is that why your government, backed by Labor, voted against the Greens’ amendment to require Tasracing to oversee a humane racing industry?
The SPEAKER – I will remind members that you cannot reflect upon a vote of the House within any contribution, so those elements of the question are out of order. However, the question around rehoming and the role of ORI within that is an appropriate question.
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I am so pleased that the bill went through last night and we have abolished the Office of Racing Integrity.
The SPEAKER – Minister, having ruled out the part of the question that dealt with reflecting on the passage of the bill, you may also not call on that in your answer, so I will draw you to the question.
Ms HOWLETT – I am absolutely committed to ensuring contemporary animal welfare outcomes are met by all three codes. To ensure full transparency regarding animal welfare, Tasracing is providing information in their annual reports on equine and greyhound track injuries, euthanasia, retirement and rehoming statistics. There is no hiding of any information. It is transparent and it is available.
Supplementary Question
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, Speaker.
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary.
Dr WOODRUFF – My question was, do you agree more dogs are set to be killed under the new legislation because it will be Tasracing responsible for both caring and choosing to kill greyhounds?
Mr BARNETT – Point of order, Speaker.
The SPEAKER – I will hear the point of order.
Mr BARNETT – The point of order is that you cannot reflect on a matter that is before the parliament.
The SPEAKER – You cannot reflect deliberately on the decision that was made by this House. The bill is now in its stages in the upper House. However, the member can rephrase to ask a question around whether or not the position that you hold is a circumstance that the minister believes will occur. Can we do it without reflecting on the bill, please? In your answer, minister, you should not refer to the legislation before the upper House or reflect on the vote, but you can, if you wish, address the question that was asked around rehoming and euthanasia.
Ms HOWLETT – Honourable Speaker, I thank Dr Woodruff for her supplementary question. Tasracing will have an integrity unit and I totally disagree with your comments that there will be more greyhounds euthanised, Dr Woodruff.
