[Greens-Media] NSW greyhound racing ban should be replicated across the country

[Newman, Freya (Sen L. Rhiannon)]

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MEDIA RELEASE
7 July 2016
NSW greyhound racing ban should be replicated across the country

Australian Greens spokesperson for animal welfare Senator Lee Rhiannon said the ban on greyhound racing announced by the NSW Government today should be replicated across the country.
"The Baird government has announced that greyhound racing will be banned in NSW after the special commission of inquiry found evidence of systemic animal abuse and cruelty, including live baiting and mass slaughter of greyhounds. The inquiry noted that the industry was not capable of reforming in the short or medium term.

"This is a very welcome announcement from the NSW government. The critical thing now is that these dogs are not just shipped interstate, or overseas, for racing.

"The Greens will also continue to call for an end to the export of greyhounds overseas for breeding and racing.

"In many jurisdictions in the US, and now here in NSW, governments have taken the proper steps to ban greyhound racing in the interests of animal welfare.

"There is no reason why governments in other states across the country should not follow suit.

"Thanks are owed to animal welfare activists who worked tirelessly for this for many years - including Animals Australia and Animal Liberation - and to the investigative journalists who resolved to expose the brutality of the industry.

"Big thanks are also due to my colleague Dr Mehreen Faruqi, and my late colleague Dr John Kaye, for their work in NSW Parliament.

"Now we need to turn our attention to other states where this cruel industry is still legal. Today Greens in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia have called upon their state governments to ban this industry.

"The evidence that caused the Special Commission of Inquiry to be established in the first place may not have happened under various 'ag-gag' bills proposed around the country, so today we recommit to fighting those proposed laws.

"The Criminal Code Amendment (Animal Protection) Bill 2015, known as ag-gag, seeks to criminalise investigators and to protect the profitability of industries which trade in the abuse of animals.



Media contact: Freya Newman 0411 669 022