Page 4692 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 31 October 2017
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industry will be ending as we govern in relation to the community values of the ACT.
MR PARTON: Minister, when will you applaud the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club for not committing a single breach of animal welfare legislation in its entire history?
MR RAMSAY: It is interesting at times that we hear about the unblemished record and the applause that is supposed to be passed on. What we have always said in relation to the review that has taken place in New South Wales and the review that was also taking place here is that the clear evidence is that the greyhound industry is filled with difficulties, with problems of governance, with problems of oversight.
Let me simply note for members of the Assembly in this space that the winner of the most recent Canberra greyhound racing cup, who was also the winner of three previous Canberra cups, has been disqualified from racing three times since 2005 on the discovery of prohibited substances in her greyhounds, including cocaine.
She is also one of 178 trainers who has been charged by Greyhound Racing New South Wales with the unauthorised export of dogs to Macau, where healthy Australian dogs are kept in appalling conditions and used for barbaric entertainment.
Her husband was also disqualified for a year for presenting a dog affected by amphetamines in December 2015. These drugs, cocaine and amphetamines, are drugs that are not just of interest to animal welfare regulators. It can hardly be claimed that there is an unblemished record when we see the evidence of what is truly taking place.
MRS JONES: Minister, why will this government not recognise that the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club has the best animal welfare record of any track in Australia?
MR RAMSAY: I thank Mrs Jones for the supplementary question. As we have said—the evidence is clear—the Canberra greyhound racing industry is unable to be extricated from the New South Wales industry with its plethora of governance and welfare problems. We will be ending the greyhound racing industry as we have promised.
ACT Emergency Services Agency—open day
MS ORR: My question is to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Could the minister please provide the Assembly with information on Sunday’s successful ESA open day?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Orr for her interest in community safety right across the territory. I had the pleasure of attending the ESA open day just last Sunday, 29 October, along with 5,000 other Canberrans. The event was promoted as an opportunity to meet the people who keep our community safe, and for the community to learn about how they can take care of what matters during an emergency. As promised, there was also plenty of family fun. On these counts alone, the day was an outstanding success.
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