Page 5137 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 28 November 2017
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We are moving this motion to refer these two bills to the Assembly’s economic development and tourism committee to allow further investigation into the government’s attempts to ban greyhound racing here in the ACT. There are a number of reasons why we believe that further investigation and inquiry is warranted and, in fact, prudent. First and foremost, the government’s announcement of this policy was very much a kneejerk reaction to moves undertaken by the New South Wales government, and very little, if any, consideration was given to what these changes would mean in an ACT context.
Most certainly, there has been no opportunity for members of this Assembly, in a formal setting, to take evidence from members of the community on this matter and to form an educated and prudent opinion as to why this legislation should be given passage, given that it has such wide-reaching effects for the racing industry here in the ACT—not just for the animals that are involved but also for the many businesses and individuals whose livelihoods depend on this industry continuing here in the ACT.
The other reason is that on numerous occasions the Attorney-General, and in this case the Minister for Regulatory Services, has taken the ultraconservative approach to sub judice provisions and, particularly during annual reports hearings, has failed to answer a number of questions in relation to these bills, given his citing of current legal proceedings that are underway.
If there are questions that remain unanswered for members of this Assembly because of sub judice provisions, it would be prudent that the Assembly halt its proceeding to push this legislation through, wait for court proceedings to be finalised, which would then free up the Minister for Regulatory Services to answer all questions of members in this place. That would be the proper practice, the proper procedure and the due process that should be afforded to this bill before we give it passage.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Urban Renewal) (3.46): We will not be supporting this referral. We met with the opposition at the manager of government business meetings to decide on the legislation that was to be debated during the sitting week. This was agreed to be debated today and we are happy to debate this bill. It is a very important bill.
A lot of the community is ready for this. The government have provided detailed information about the provisions associated with the sport of greyhound racing in the ACT and our decisions in the past. They have been informed decisions, as I have said, based on detailed reports across New South Wales and the ACT as well. We are ready to debate this right now.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (3.47): The Greens will not be agreeing to this motion. This is not something that has just come to the Assembly. We have been talking about this for months. In fact, the Greens have been talking about this for years and years. I must say, on that note, that if we were going to refer it to a committee it would be a committee that was concerned with animal welfare, because
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