Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you, Chair. We’ll get down to some detailed questions over the course of the next couple of hours, but I refer you to a report which I know you’re aware of called A Few Bad Apples by Animal Liberation Tasmania, who’ve done a very thorough body of research using various pieces of evidence over the course of one year.
What this report finds is that five per cent of all racing greyhounds that were listed as racing in that year are deceased, 50 per cent of them, half, died from track injuries, half of them died when they were less than three years old – just stopped being puppies really – and there’s about 30 dogs for which there’s no obvious trace.
Minister, do you agree that this report, again, paints the most damning possible picture of the greyhound racing industry, and if there’s anything that’s in this report that you do not regard as fact, perhaps you could share that with the committee.
Ms HOWLETT – I thank the honourable member for her question and her remarks. The report was given to me at approximately 11.00 a.m. today.
Ms O’CONNOR – Okay, that’s fair.
Ms HOWLETT – We had Primary Industries first.
Ms O’CONNOR – You haven’t had a chance to read it, that is fair.
Ms HOWLETT – Dr Woodruff presented me with the report. I told Dr Woodruff that I would certainly read the report. I look forward to seeking some recommendations on that report.
Ms O’CONNOR – That’s interesting. I just want to commend you also for agreeing that greyhound trainers and owners shouldn’t be able to advertise their dogs on Gumtree and that you, as minister, are going to take steps to address that. I think that’s really good. Thank you. That part of the committee made me quite happy.
If you determined, once you read this report, that there are really serious animal welfare and integrity issues – which there are – what will your next steps be under this new structure? Where would you take a report like this to drive the kind of change in the industry that you might regard as acceptable? Of course, the Greens want the industry to end, but if you want to restore the social licence, what do you do with the report like this, which paints a devastating picture?
Ms HOWLETT – As I mentioned this morning, I look forward to reading that report. I will certainly get back to yourself and Dr Woodruff. What I would do in future with that report would be discuss it with the Tasracing Integrity Commissioner, who sits above Tasracing and is completely separate to Tasracing. I would have discussions with the Integrity Commissioner. What I will say is that if you know of any animals that are ill-treated and have been identified, or any kennels or any stables that aren’t up to standard, I would suggest you present –
Ms O’CONNOR – It’s in this report.
Ms HOWLETT – Well, you shouldn’t have waited for the report. If there –
Ms O’CONNOR – I know what you are trying to do here. It’s actually not going to work, because this is not my report. I didn’t do the investigation, so I couldn’t possibly take anything I found out to the Tasracing Integrity Commissioner or police.
Ms HOWLETT – You only received the report today too.
Ms O’CONNOR – I received the report this morning. That’s right.
Ms HOWLETT – Right, so you’ve received at the same time.
Ms O’CONNOR – Probably a little bit earlier than you.
Ms HOWLETT – You’ve had a fair bit of time to read through it, noting your –
Ms O’CONNOR – Well, yes, Dr Woodruff actually did most of the core reading, because I have been at this table all day. But what this report shows us is that the Rules of Racing as they apply to greyhounds are allowing dogs to be confined without exercise. They’re allowing them to drink slimy water. They are allowing them to be kept in pens that are no more than a metre square. You don’t need this report to tell you these things. As minister, you know. They’ve come up before. We bring them up at the estimates table all the time. You know this industry has cruelty at its heart.
Ms HOWLETT – I know the industry well, Ms O’Connor. What I will tell you is that the majority of participants in the greyhound code, thoroughbred code, and the harness code, love and care for their animals. That’s what I can tell you.
Ms O’CONNOR – We can agree on that. We can agree, okay? That’s why it’s called A Few Bad Apples.
Ms HOWLETT – If there are any significant animal welfare concerns in that report – as you have stated, you have had a couple of hours to go through that report. I would have thought that those welfare complaints would have been provided to the RSPCA.
Ms O’CONNOR – You are the minister.
Ms HOWLETT – Now –
Ms O’CONNOR – You are the minister.
CHAIR – Order.
Ms HOWLETT – If you are so concerned about what is in that report, why have you not provided that to the RSPCA this afternoon?
Ms O’CONNOR – This is the most pathetic attack. It’s an absolutely pathetic attack. You are the minister. You have the power. These are issues that have been brought to government’s attention.
Ms HOWLETT – You have animal welfare complaints there in your hand.
Ms O’CONNOR – Do you know what? Most of this is –
CHAIR – Order. Do you have a question?
Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you, Chair. Most of what is identified in this report is actually lawful under the Rules of Racing. I’m not sure if I took it to the RSPCA there’d be much that they could do.
Ms HOWLETT – Right.
Ms O’CONNOR – Do you understand why the Rules of Racing are failing greyhounds?
Ms HOWLETT – Greyhounds, not thoroughbreds or harness racing. You’re talking about greyhounds.
Ms O’CONNOR – Were you confused about the report I was talking about?
Ms HOWLETT – I’m certainly not confused about the report that you’re talking about, not that I’ve had time to even open the report. The first point of contact for all animal welfare complaints in Tasmania is provided to the RSPCA. If you have any significant concerns in that report you should have phoned them an hour or two hours ago when you’ve clearly read the report.
Ms O’CONNOR – What a piss weak response, I mean, honestly.
Ms HOWLETT – Really? Order, Chair.
ACTING CHAIR – Order.
Ms O’CONNOR – Is she trying to attack me for her not doing her job.
ACTING CHAIR – The minister has pointed out that she will read the report. She hasn’t read the report yet. Do you have further questions?
Ms O’CONNOR – I’ll be back. Thank you.
Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you very much. This is a little bit personal for me because I met one of those dogs, a big, black greyhound called Billy, who is one of the two dogs that you approved for euthanasia. I’d like to ask if there are any protections in place for greyhounds being transferred between states, particularly in light of the Ross Work connection in the Ken Buxton animal cruelty case in Victoria and South Australia, which resulted in two dogs dying, including Tasmanian‑bred greyhound Wynburn Skye.
What are the protections for greyhounds that are sent interstate to race? Because there’s no lifetime tracking, it’s very hard for the Tasmanian authorities to offer any sort of protection to those dogs, isn’t it?
Ms HOWLETT – Ms O’Connor, part of your question is for Tasracing and you’ll have that opportunity in GBE scrutiny in December and –
Ms O’CONNOR – No, it’s an animal welfare issue.
Ms HOWLETT – I’m not sure if the director would like to add some more to the other part of your question.
Mr THOMPSON – Dogs regularly move between trainers. The trainers can be within the state or between states. In doing so, those dogs are still tracked while they are licensed racing animals. The racing authorities in the state that they move to know that those dogs are there. Through the stable and kennel returns, they are tracked and they would be subject to the same tracking and processes that they would be if they were still in Tasmania.
Ms O’CONNOR – Was this dog, Wynburn Skye, tracked into Victoria to Buxton’s property? They left the island and then died in Mr Buxton’s custody. And then I’ll –
CHAIR – The minister’s just taking some advice.
Ms HOWLETT – I don’t have any advice on the animal that you’re referring to. I’m not sure if the director does.
Mr THOMPSON – No, I don’t have anything specific on that. I do know that if a registered dog dies, the trainer or the owner has an obligation to immediately notify ORI. ORI then goes through a triage system to determine what our response is. That response could be a visit and an examination of the body of the dog, or it could be right up to a post‑mortem, depending upon what we think is the risk of foul play being involved in the death of that dog.
Ms O’CONNOR – My final question here on this – I’m backtracking to something you said earlier. Under the new racing arrangements, does the Director of Racing still have to approve an euthanasia request or will it be left to the chief vet alone?
Ms HOWLETT – The deputy secretary will talk through that.
Ms WILSON – In terms of the determination of approvals for euthanasia, there’ll be a transition period where the Rules of Racing will be updated – the Rules of Racing need to be updated before proclamation of the act. That will happen. The Chief of Racing Integrity Officer in the Integrity Unit may be an entity that would undertake that task, but it hasn’t yet been determined. It’s important to note that there’ll be oversight from the Tasracing Integrity Commissioner who can set integrity standards.
Ms O’CONNOR – That’s holistic. That’s not oversight of individual decisions that are made on whether or not a dog should be killed before its time.
Ms WILSON – The Tasracing Integrity Commissioner has the capacity to set standards and audit standards. The new bill or act will have a requirement for Tasracing to develop an annual animal welfare and integrity plan. The new TasRIC will have capacity to audit and also undertake investigations.
Ms O’CONNOR – Can I get some clarity then, Ms Wilson? The question was, will it be up to the chief vet themselves? Will they have the authority to make a decision to euthanise a dog under the new arrangements?
Ms WILSON – I think that that’s something that we have to determine through the model. The integrity unit and the chief racing integrity officer will take on many of the functions of the director. I indicate that that integrity unit and chief racing integrity officer sits within a particular unit within the new model. It reports to a board which will have two independent members, one of which will be the chair. Critically, the Tasracing integrity commissioner will have very strong, very significant oversight powers to ensure and can set, for example, standards.
Ms O’CONNOR – Must set standards under the act, because we fixed the act up for you.
Ms WILSON – Must. I’d forgotten that.
Ms O’CONNOR – You must. The commissioner must.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes, I do have one on horse racing. Minister, as you know, because I know our office and your office has been talking and it’s been an ongoing conversation which I hope we can get a good outcome out of. As a result of the legislation that’s now been passed, the racing regulation and integrity bill, the commissioner can set standards which Council amended to make best practice standards.
Tasracing has put out a code of practice for racing racehorse welfare which is a draft attempt to have a standard set for horse racing. It’s come under pretty heavy criticism from the coalition for the protection of racehorses. I’ve been thankful for your officers for the conversation that’s happening, but do you agree that we should have the best practice standards for the care of horses in this state? We can have a difference of opinion on the industry in terms of how animals in the industry are treated. Do you agree the standards should be the best practice?
Ms HOWLETT – I thank Ms O’Connor for her question. I believe that animal welfare should be paramount across all three codes, as I’ve said before and we’ve benefited from our officers engaging to have best-practice models and we will continue to do so.
Ms O’CONNOR – Can I ask, there’s a five-domains model of horse care and it came up in conversation on the floor in the Council when we debated it. It talks about what best practice is and, in fact, New Zealand’s racing industry has applied the five domain models to their practices across all three. Do you agree we have to have best practice?
Ms HOWLETT – As I’ve stated before, I want to see best animal welfare practices across all three codes –
Ms O’CONNOR – I think you are trying to be a bit tricky with words here. Do you agree our standards should comply with the law which now requires them to be best practice?
Ms HOWLETT – You were there, Ms O’Connor, during the debate of the legislation and may I state again the biggest legislative reform in decades for the industry and animal welfare is paramount throughout that legislation. That is my focus on having best animal welfare practices and restoring faith and integrity across all three codes of racing.
