Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Labor supports the motion and urges the current Australian Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, David Littleproud, to review the Greyhound Passport Scheme and to assist those in the greyhound industry who are wanting to ensure the animal welfare of greyhounds is being addressed. Greyhounds Australasia itself has introduced a passport scheme which requires compliance to prevent greyhounds being exported to countries that do not meet Australian animal standards. However, Greyhounds Australasia can only impose the passport scheme on its own members. Nonmembers are not currently legally required to comply and may choose to export their dogs to countries with poor animal welfare standards.

All of us in this place know that the former agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, undermined animal welfare standards through his reckless actions in abolishing the Animal Welfare Strategy in 2013 and ignoring issues such as the requirement of a passport number before the export of greyhounds can occur. The Australian community expect action on this matter.