Page 134 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 December 2016
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All we would have achieved is that we would have crushed these people who love their dogs. That is all we would have achieved—nothing else. Whatever we do, greyhound racing will continue. They have got five years to sort out all of the drama in New South Wales. Whatever decision is made here, greyhound racing will continue.
The ACT greyhound racing industry has a significant presence within our community. It has about 50 people dependent on it for their livelihoods. It generates about $2 million of economic activity. It has about 400 participants, will stage over 50 meetings this year and employs three veterinarians for those events. In 2015 some 5,300 greyhounds participated in meetings here in Canberra and other events, including various trials. Of those 5,300 participations, seven animals were diagnosed with catastrophic injury and, based on veterinary advice, had to be humanely euthanased. That represented 0.13 per cent of race participants.
The ACT greyhound racing industry has been with us for 37 years. In that time, along with many other sporting organisations, it has played a vital role in the diversity of leisure and sporting pursuits in what is a wonderful Canberra community. It has served to enrich the social fabric of Canberra with a dedicated cadre of supporters and fans both in Canberra and in the surrounding region.
The value of this industry is not only recognised by its supporters. A few short years ago, in response to the ICRC report into the ACT racing industry, the government said:
The Government recognises the economic and social contributions the racing industry—
including greyhounds—
provides to the ACT community.
It is bewildering to think that this particular sporting activity has been put under threat without any evidence pertaining to the ACT being furnished by its detractors and it is frightening to think that an elected government, a government responsible for governing for all Canberrans, has set out to attack this community body.
As far back as July, a former minister was reported as acknowledging that there was no evidence that anything inappropriate had occurred in the ACT, and since then I have not seen any evidence. No evidence has been brought to the attention of the ACT greyhound industry. No evidence has been produced by this Greens-Labor government. We seem to be doing this all on hearsay. There is no record of breaches committed or charges being laid against the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club.
If this government wants to be in the business of banning particular practices, they should go through the proper process involving the gaming and racing commission and a full inquiry into greyhound racing in the ACT. We all know why they are not going to go down that road. I know. We know. You all know. They know. We know that any such inquiry would not find sufficient evidence to warrant a banning of the sport. We all know.
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