Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On Saturday 14 November I met with members of Central Coast Claws 'N' Paws Pet Rescue. The group was launched in 2012 and has successfully rehomed in excess of 2,000 domestic pets. In 2014, Claws 'N' Paws became involved in rescuing greyhounds. In two years, they have rehomed 109 greyhounds, but, unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The greyhound industry has been plagued with multifaceted animal welfare issues. Unfortunately, the industry and governments have failed to change the culture within the industry. Consequently, the brief lives of 96 per cent of greyhounds bred in Australia for racing are horrendous and filled with exploitation, cruelty and abuse. There has been endemic evidence of cruelty and the euthanising of thousands of healthy greyhounds. Greyhounds are euthanised because of injury, lack of speed, lack of aptitude or a multitude of similar reasons. Unfortunately, the industry is all about making money, and the greyhounds are deemed a disposable commodity. This is something that is totally unacceptable in Australia. We value the lives of animals and do not support cruelty. Unfortunately, the greyhound industry lacks transparency, and governments have neglected to regulate the industry properly; the focus has been on gambling and revenue.

Recently, the greyhound industry has been thrown into disrepute because of its failure to address issues that have been endemic in the industry. It is imperative that governments at both state and federal level act to change the culture and regulate the industry. I was appalled when I learnt of the suffering of Australian animals that were being exported overseas, in particular to Macau, and the failure of the federal government to act. Greyhounds that are exported to Macau face the grimmest of fates. In Macau, Australian dogs are housed in appalling conditions at the greyhound racing stadium, the Canidrome, where they are kept in cages so small that they can barely turn around. And then each and every time they run, they are running for their lives. In 2010, greyhounds were killed at the rate of one a day. These healthy dogs received a death sentence simply because they failed to finish in the top 3 in five consecutive races.

It is time that the Australian government stopped this cruelty. Greyhounds Australasia have argued for better regulative oversight by the federal government and are becoming frustrated by the lack of government support. During Senate estimates, Minister Joyce's department demonstrated a lack of knowledge of the passport system and discussions about making it mandatory. That the department was unaware that its own Greyhound Export Declaration form calls for a greyhound passport number to be provided is very worrying. Unfortunately, the current passport system cannot be enforced outside Australia, which leads to many of the atrocities that are occurring.

I now refer to a letter from Greyhounds Australasia. They state that they remain frustrated with the lack of government support for better regulatory oversight of the exportation of Australian racing greyhounds. They state that a large number of jurisdictions are not supported by GA because they lack the controls to maintain an adequate standard of welfare for these animals. In the letter they wrote to the minister they say that there are some key outcomes that need to be reviewed. They point out that the current scheme cannot be enforced outside Australia. They call on Minister Joyce to meet with them. Unfortunately, he stated that the government is not prepared to impose additional regulations. Animal welfare, as stated in this letter, is a significant issue for the industry. My message to Minister Joyce is that he needs to act on this. It is not good enough that Australian animals are being exploited in the way that they are. The minister is showing absolutely no concern for animal welfare by refusing to properly regulate the export of Australian greyhounds and by failing to listen. This carnage must stop.

I thank the Central Coast Branch of Paws 'n' Claws for making me aware of this important issue and for the great work they do in rehousing greyhounds and other domestic pets. (Time expired)

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