Greyhound ban: Mike Baird’s legislation passes the NSW upper house without amendment
Opposition leader Luke Foley led the condemnation as Mike Baird’s government last night pushed through the upper house legislation that will see anyone who breeds or keeps a greyhound to race facing jail.
NSW
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ANYONE who breeds or keeps a greyhound to race will cop up to six months jail under Mike Baird’s legislation to kill the industry, which passed the state’s upper house last night without amendment.
The penalties come on top of up to a year’s jail for running a greyhound race after the proposed closure of greyhound racing in NSW in July 2017, as foreshadowed by The Daily Telegraph.
The laws also threaten people with jail if they live in NSW and breed greyhounds to race in Queensland as in other states — which can happen in places like northern NSW.
And they forbid people to retire, export or transfer greyhounds to other states without the written consent of Greyhound Racing NSW before the ban takes effect.
The controversial ban passed the first legislative hurdle last night as upper house MPs voted 19 to 12 in favour of the ban. It is likely to pass fully into law by the end of the month.
As the laws were debated in the upper house, Labor leader Luke Foley labelled the greyhound industry ban “extreme in its indecency” yesterday and accused the government of rushing it through as if it was “anti-terror” legislation.
Shooters and Fishers MP Robert Borsak labelled it a “bloody disgrace” and said “Would we be having this debate at all if we were eating greyhounds instead of racing them?”
Talking about the effect on thousands of workers in the industry of the laws, Mr Borsak said: “Can the premier or deputy premier commit that no-one will self-harm or suicide [as a result of these laws].”
Nationals MP Trevor Khan admitted that when it came to the situation of the thousands in the industry set to lose their livelihoods: “This is a terrible predicament ... it’s not a predicament that any one of the government finds attractive or palatable.”
But the most stinging speech came from Liberal MP Peter Phelps against his own side, when he asked: “Is this industry so irredeemable that it must be banned?”
Mr Phelps abstained from the final vote on the legislation.
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He said the ban was based on the evidence of 10 “dodgy” greyhound trainers who had testified to the McHugh inquiry. Mr Phelps said he would abstain from voting.
And he warned the ban could spread to horse racing.
“PETA or some other animal activists will recruit probably a bright young woman to go to a (horse) trainer probably in regional NSW.
“Every day she will come to work microphones up and she will have a hidden camera ... in the end the edited tapes will be handed over to Four Corners and we will be back here again.
“My concern is we are evoking the full suite of coercive powers of the state, violating freedom of association, freedom of action and ownership of property. A lackadaisical authoritarianism which I cannot and will not support.”
As politicians debated the laws, the Australian Veterinary Association said some dogs had already been “put down”.
“There was some almost ‘pre-emptive’ euthanasias right after the first announcement was made and members were concerned about that,” AVA spokesman Dr David Neck said.
“What we’re concerned about is that some of these dogs will be completely unsuitable for rehoming if they haven’t been socialised. Then euthanasia is the only solution — or ongoing financial support into their old age.”
The legislation explicitly says “compensation is not payable” as a result of the ban.
But the government said it would put together an “industry assistance package” once the laws were in place.
Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association boss Brenton Scott said: “We have had two meetings with the Premier and on both occasions he said he would ensure stakeholders were fairly treated.
“We would expect this would include some form of compensation and will be very disappointed if this is not the case.”
A spokesman for Mr Baird said tax revenue collected by the government on dog racing up until July 2017, potentially about $30 million, was being put into an industry assistance fund, and he would not dismiss “additional funding as required to ensure an orderly and humane transition”.
The Greyhound Racing Prohibition Bill was expected to pass the Upper House either late last night or this morning.
PRESIDENT SAYS COP RAID WAS A BIT STIFF
EXCLUSIVE Andrew Clennell
DUBBO Greyhound Racing Club president Shayne Stiff has complained about Deputy Premier Troy Grant to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after police searched his property over allegations of a “mass grave”.
He said the police raid came after he posted derogatory remarks about Mr Grant on Facebook.
Mr Stiff was involved in a meeting one week earlier with Mr Grant in his Dubbo electorate office, along with several irate greyhound owners. After the Dubbo meeting he called Mr Grant a “grub” on Facebook. The police search happened the morning after that meeting.
Mr Stiff said police found nothing but had told him they were acting on an “anonymous tip to Troy Grant’s office”.
Mr Grant last night said he was duty bound to report any allegations made to his office to police.
“On a number of occasions between early July and early August my electorate office received anonymous documents alleging illegal activity,” Mr Grant said.
“As required, my office passed this information promptly to police and my staff were interviewed by police after the first document was received.
“I have not made this public as it was a matter for authorities to investigate and determine the veracity of the allegation.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Grant added: “The office had received and passed on the anonymous information to police well before (the alleged Facebook) post was made.”
Mr Stiff said yesterday: “Of course we have had dogs die. They have all been humanely euthanased.”
He said he had records of his dead dogs and a plaque commemorating them.
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