Dr WOODRUFF - Thank you, Chair. Minister, on 10 September, an Animal Liberation Tasmania investigator, using a false name, arranged to collect a greyhound offered on Gumtree and they met at a public dog wash. I have a couple of photos of the dog they picked up. I thought you might like to have a look.
As you can see, the dog's condition is terribly poor. She was flea-ridden, had a bloodied ear from scratching, a broken tail and patches, and she was emotionally withdrawn and lethargic. They found from her tag and birth date that she was a female greyhound called Zipping Princess. She had been born in 2020. She was palmed off between five trainers across four separate states and she did not remain with a trainer for longer than a couple of months. Her last race was in Tasmania on 24 July. Three days after they picked her up, she was rushed to the vet and found to have adhesions from infection and trauma that were strangling her bowel, tissues were dying and she was subsequently put to sleep. Her last race in Tasmania was on 24 July this year and she was just three when she died.
Zipping Princess, minister, is not an exception. Her story is not a rare one and it is what many consider to be the brutal and flea-ridden underbelly of the industry. You look at the photos of that sensitive dog and how can you tell people that greyhound racing is a proud part of the Tasmanian way of life and an industry full of people who care for their animals?
Mr ELLIS - Firstly, let me say very strongly that there is no place for animal cruelty in this state and there is no place for animal cruelty in racing. I find any occurrence of that profoundly shocking because our animals should be looked after and loved. Indeed, the broad racing community are very strong animal lovers and I think efforts by the Greens to tar a whole community of people with a brush of animal cruelty -
Dr WOODRUFF - Can I draw your attention to the dog, Zipping Princess, and the fact that she is not an exception; that it is normal experience that is increasingly being brought to light. Thank you, Animal Liberation Tasmania, amongst them, for bringing this industry to visible surface for Tasmanians.
Mr ELLIS - As I say, I reject the categorisation that this is normal. This is a community of people who love animals. That is why they are involved in racing. Of course, there is absolutely no place for animal cruelty. That is why it is important we have a tough cop on the beat when it comes to any accusations of animal cruelty in racing, agriculture or any part of our state.
Dr WOODRUFF - You accept that, Anthony Bullock, who was the leading trainer in Tasmania, was a person who perpetrated these sorts of abuses, which is why he is now being banned for life?
Mr ELLIS - Obviously, there is an appeal under way as part of that process.
Dr WOODRUFF - So, you do not accept the judgment?
CHAIR - Dr Woodruff, allow the minister to answer.
Mr ELLIS - There is an appeal under way, so I am not going to comment specifically on Mr Bullock's particular circumstances but I will say that animal baiting attracts a lifetime ban in Tasmania. That is for good reason because that kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable. Obviously, there is a process to work through around the specifics with Mr Bullock, so I will not comment any further on his specific matters but I will say that I think it is appropriate that there are very strong penalties for any animal baiting, live baiting or other abuses against animals.
Dr WOODRUFF - Minister, you said earlier that you have zero tolerance for animal cruelty and that it is 'completely unacceptable', so are you grateful to Animal Liberation Tasmania for exposing animal abuse, particularly in the case of Anthony Bullock?
Mr ELLIS - We welcome any information provided on any allegations of animal welfare issues or concerns, or integrity matters. As I have said previously, all members of our community should feel welcome to make accusations when it comes to racing to the appropriate authorities; that is important, any walk of life. Obviously we fundamentally disagree in terms of whether there should be a racing industry, and acknowledge that difference of opinion, but when it comes to any matters of animal welfare or integrity, all members of the community should feel welcome to report it to authorities.
Dr WOODRUFF - Good. Mr Jenkins, both leading trainers, Anthony Bullock and Ben Yole, are under investigation and banned for life. Do you admit it looks a lot like you have to break the rules and put animal wellbeing last in order to win?
Mr JENKINS - No, not at all.
Dr WOODRUFF - Just a happenstance? Do you acknowledge the fact that that's what is happening is what's causing more and more people to reject all codes of racing?
Mr JENKINS - I reject that more and more people are rejecting codes of racing. If you look at our attendance, wagering figures and engagement with racing, that's simply not factual.
Dr WOODRUFF - Have you looked at the figures being done, the recent survey of Tasmanians' opinion?
Mr JENKINS - I have - a very small and discrete survey, as compared to 110 000 people coming through our turnstiles on an annual basis.
Dr WOODRUFF - Statistically significant, though, and it finds that a majority of Tasmanians don't support the racing industry and in fact that only a tiny proportion of Tasmanians go to the races.
Mr JENKINS - Well, no, again; 110 000 times our turnstiles are activated year on year and it was a very small survey.
Dr WOODRUFF - But statistically significant. After several reports that Anthony Bullock had presented greyhounds with fleas at racing events and those dogs were subsequently scratched or stood down, we understand Tasracing's chief vet and animal welfare officer, Dr Martin Lenz, was sent to investigate the greyhound at Bullock's and inspect those conditions. Did that occur, and if so, when did that occur?
Dr WOODRUFF - Okay. Do you know what the findings of the welfare of those dogs at Mr Bullock's property were?
Dr LENZ - That is a matter that has been reported on, and it's something that ORI would certainly have access to. I did read it but it was some time ago, so I couldn't give exact details, but there was a report into that visit and it is available.
Dr WOODRUFF - Minister, on animal welfare, in budget Estimates this year, the Greens raised the issue of the Greyhound Animal Welfare Manual with your predecessor. On page 13 of the manual, in the Frequently Asked Questions, the question is, why should racing people 'use animals?'. Your Greyhound Animal Welfare Manual's response to that very reasonable question is to quote the Bible, Genesis 1:28 to be exact, as though that's an answer to the question.
In Estimates, Madeleine Ogilvie, who was the minister, suggested it might have been a historic reference but it is still on Tasracing's website and, as far as we can see, it hasn't been replaced. Minister, do you think the Bible has anything to do with contemporary animal welfare rights?
Mr ELLIS - That’s a little bit of a kooky question. In terms of the Bible -
Dr WOODRUFF - Only as kooky as quoting the Bible in the Greyhound Animal Welfare Manual.
Mr ELLIS - It is a very widely quoted document, Dr Woodruff. I am reasonably comfortable with it.
Dr WOODRUFF - Do you think that the Bible and the concept of dominion in Genesis can justify the pain and suffering of animals in the racing industry?
Mr ELLIS - Obviously, we have a totally different view when it comes to the racing industry. You don't want to see it exist; I want to make sure it has a bright future. In terms of where people draw their quotes and all that sort of stuff, I am not particularly fazed.
Dr WOODRUFF - It's a government policy document, minister. Can you see how people in the Tasmanian community in 2023, the majority of Tasmanians, would find it totally inappropriate to use the Bible as a justification for animal welfare standards?
Mr ELLIS - Dr Lenz might want to provide an update.
Dr WOODRUFF - Or possibly the chair of the board because it is a policy document of Tasracing.
Mr PHAIR - I defer to Dr Lenz.
Dr LENZ - Dr Woodruff, thank you for the question. It is a dated document and, in fact, I have here a draft document which will totally replace two documents that are in existence. Let me assure you that the current draft document is based on five provisions of animal welfare, which is a much more up to-date way of looking at animal welfare. David Mellor you are probably familiar with. This document is in draft and will go through some consultation and then be released and certainly replace two documents, one of which you referenced.
Dr WOODRUFF - Public consultation process?
Dr LENZ - Correct.
Dr WOODRUFF - Thank you. Can we also look at page 2 because it says, inappropriately, it is an anachronistic, offensive reference to man and dog's relationship. Obviously, completely out of date.
Dr LENZ - As I said, this document, once it is fully drafted and has gone through the correct consultation process, will totally replace existing documents that are there.
Dr WOODRUFF - I'd just like to clarify, I think with the CEO if that is correct, I asked earlier about the Leading Trainer Awards and if Tasracing or you thought it looked like you had to break the rules and put animal welfare last to win. Given Mr Winter's line of questioning about Ben Yole and that terrible accident and his obvious responsibilities, do you want to revisit that comment?
Mr JENKINS - No, I don't believe so. I have stated my understanding of the current policy and also reiterate that the current policy is a matter, or matters across the three codes that will be considered by the Racing Rules and Policy Committee and potentially the full Tasracing Board. We acknowledge that there may be room for adjustment or amendment to those policies.
Dr WOODRUFF - Will you undertake an investigation into those policies?
Mr JENKINS - They will be reviewed by the Rules and Policy subcommittee of the board and, more than likely, the Tasracing Board.
Dr WOODRUFF - Speaking of policies, there was a leaked draft of the GAP throughput working program. which flagged a reconsideration of GAP's euthanasia program. Has that been implemented and, if not, is it likely to be?
Mr JENKINS - Yes, I acknowledge the document and thank you for the question. There are elements of that draft document that have been incorporated into programs that are operating at GAP. In a moment I will ask Dr Lenz to comment further as it is his operational area, but the document in and of itself has not been adopted in its entirety. It was a draft document that was discussed internally at Tasracing with GAP staff and with industry participants.
Dr WOODRUFF - Could we have a copy of the updated document, please?
Dr LENZ - The document still exists in that same draft. We have already operationalised a number of the recommendations in that draft document and, to put it into perspective, the idea of that document, while the attention has been focused on euthanasia, euthanasia was never mentioned in the document per se. What the whole document is about is increasing the throughput of greyhounds through the program and the way we have already operationalised that aspect of it is to -
Dr WOODRUFF - Sorry to interrupt, just to clarify, I'm reading from the document. It said, 'in some cases euthanasia will be the appropriate step.'
Dr LENZ - That's very much a side-track.
Dr WOODRUFF - I'll correct you, because it was mentioned in the document, very clearly.
Dr LENZ - Okay, the word is there, but the thrust of the whole document is about increasing the number of dogs that are responsibly rehomed by GAP and the way we've approached that is to actually increase the amount of behavioural training that not only the staff are receiving - sorry, I'll back up. We've substantially increased the number of staff on the program since that document and we have also introduced specific training of our staff, specific dog behavioural training, so that our staff have the tools now to help progress dogs through the program.
Dr WOODRUFF - Could you please release the document as staff work to at the moment then, please?
Dr LENZ - The document itself is still in that same form.
Dr WOODRUFF - So, it does endorse euthanasia as an appropriate step in some situations, which is what it says?
Dr LENZ - I am happy to talk to you specifically about euthanasia.
Dr WOODRUFF - I'd like to ask the questions, thank you, but thank you for that answer. So, the document was a draft but it is the existing document that guides operations at GAP?
Dr LENZ - The document still exists in that current form.
Dr WOODRUFF - Okay.
Dr LENZ - What we have done is taken on aspects of items that were mentioned within that document and turned them into operational reality. One of the main areas that we've focused on is how do we increase the progress of dogs through the program.
Dr WOODRUFF - How long do they have to comply before they are euthanased?
Dr LENZ - There is absolutely no time limit set on any dog. We do have dogs on the program that have been there for a considerable amount of time.
Dr WOODRUFF - Roman, Knuckles, Expresso and Star. What is their current status? They have been there for a long time.
Dr LENZ - All have been there for a long time. I think some of them would be approaching two years. There's absolutely no time limit. Time is not a priority; the priority is to be able to place dogs into Tasmanian homes responsibly. We work on dogs to try to achieve that outcome, but if we look at other agencies whose primary focus is rehoming dogs, none of those programs - I just make that distinction where their focus is the rehoming of dogs - and none of the GAP programs in other states have a zero-euthanasia policy.
There are two side effects of zero euthanasia: one is that you either place unsafe dogs into Tasmanian homes. That is one potential outcome. The other is that you can either palm them off on the unsuspecting public, which is not something that we are about, because we are a responsible rehoming agency. The other thing that you can do if you have a zero-euthanasia policy is you basically confine those dogs to your premises for a long time. As I said, we don't have a specific time limit, but those are the two options you have if you adhere to a zero-euthanasia policy.
Dr WOODRUFF - Do you recognise that those dogs are the end result of a brutalising and neglecting industry and it's not working upstream?
Dr LENZ - Not at all. Like any other program, the dogs arrive onto the program in all manner of states of re-homability. Some of them pass through very quickly. Others require quite an amount of retraining to achieve behaviour that can then qualify those dogs to be responsibly rehomed.
