Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to acknowledge that we are speaking to this bill in our role as the voice for animals in Tasmania and as the voice for all Tasmanians who care about the welfare of animals.
Despite harness racer, Ben Yole, being the subject of the Murrihy investigation's findings of team driving, race fixing and animal neglect, and two subsequent bans by Tasracing, whose actions were upheld by the Supreme Court, Mr Yole was back racing on Sunday.
The decision to allow Ben Yole and other harness racing figures named in the Murrihy Report to return to the track will stun every animal loving Tasmanian.
Puppies born that do not survive because they are not used to race; they are wastage to the industry.
Tasmania is one of the last places on Earth where greyhound racing has been allowed to continue. The industry has been exposed repeatedly for terrible cruelty towards these gentle, sensitive dogs - on and off the track.
Yole Stables’ domination of Tasmanian harness race meets in the last two months highlights the complete failure of Racing Minister Felix Ellis to deal with key findings from the Murrihy report.
In their submission to the draft Racing Regulation and Integrity Act 2023, Tasracing indicated they want additional funding.
A poll conducted by EMRS said that 62 per cent of Tasmanians oppose greyhound racing, and three quarters of Tasmanians support defunding racing.
The conditions raised in that extensive report sound extremely the same as something we could imagine might be occurring in Tasmania.
We understand that Tasracing is planning to spend $400 000 to upgrade security at the Greyhound Adoption Program.
