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Animal welfare should be non-negotiable, but the cruelty of the racing industry is being subsidised with $30 million a year of taxpayer funds.

More and more information is coming to light about the cruel practices that affect thousands of animals every year.

The 2016 Parliamentary Inquiry into Greyhound Racing, initiated by the Greens, exposed rampant cruelty of that industry within Tasmania. A series of high profile incidents and recent national news has also raised serious questions about the horseracing industry.

Giving public funds to these industries encourages more animals to be bred and killed. This taxpayer funded cruelty must be stopped.

 

What Can I Do?

You can contact the Minister for Racing and ask Minister Archer why she thinks the racing industry warrants $30m in government funding.

You can also contact Guy Barnett, Minister for Primary Industries (responsible for the Animal Welfare Act), and Labor’s Primary Industries spokesperson, Shane Broad and ask them to support the Greens’ Animal Welfare Amendment (Reformation) Bill.

 

In Parliament and the Media

Media Release

Tuesday, 7 April 2020

COVID-19 Racing and Animal Welfare Support

Cassy O'Connor MP - The Greens are glad to hear the government have placed a deliberate focus on the welfare of greyhounds and horses not currently racing because of COVID-19.



Media Release

Friday, 3 April 2020

Animal Welfare Must be Protected Through COVID-19

Cassy O'Connor MP - The decision to restrict the movements of Tasmanians is full of challenges but it’s required to save lives. The welfare of animals must also be protected during this time.



Media Release

Friday, 13 March 2020

Liberal Lies on Animal Welfare

Cassy O'Connor MP - Racing Minister, Jane Howlett’s defence of the government's record on animal welfare is pathetic.



Media Release

Thursday, 12 March 2020

Australia Receives a 'D' for Animal Welfare

Cassy O'Connor MP - The announcement that Australia has scored a 'D' in the Animal Protection Index will dismay every Tasmanian who cares about the welfare of animals.



Estimate

Tuesday, 3 December 2019

2019 Government Businesses Scrutiny Committee - Tasracing

Cassy O'Connor MP - Full transcript of the Tasracing Pty Ltd hearings in the 2019 Government Businesses Scrutiny Committee.



Speech

Thursday, 31 October 2019

Greens Matter of Public Importance - Racing Industry Cruelty

Rosalie Woodruff MP - Rosalie Woodruff speaks to the Greens' Matter of Public Importance on cruelty in the racing industry following on from the 7.30 Report on 17 October exposing what happens to racing horses at the end of their racing career.



Speech

Thursday, 31 October 2019

Greens Matter of Public Importance - Racing Industry Cruelty

Cassy O'Connor MP - Cassy O'Connor speaks to the Greens' Matter of Public Importance on cruelty in the racing industry following on from the 7.30 Report on 17 October exposing what happens to racing horses at the end of their racing career.



Question

Thursday, 31 October 2019

Thoroughbred Racing Horses - Transportation to Interstate Abattoirs

Cassy O'Connor MP - Cassy O'Connor questions the Minister for Racing on the grotesque cruelty inflicted on thoroughbred racing and trotting horses in Tasmania.



Speech

Tuesday, 30 July 2019

Adjournment - Horse Carcass Location

Cassy O'Connor MP - Madam Speaker, I rise on adjournment tonight to speak about a horse - again. During this year's budget Estimates we asked the Minister for Racing, Ms Archer, and Mr John King from the Office of Racing Integrity about the circumstances surrounding the death of a horse on 31 May at Brighton.



Speech

Friday, 14 June 2019

Adjournment - Race Horse Death at Brighton Training Grounds

Cassy O'Connor MP - Madam Speaker, I am off and racing because I want to speak briefly about the mystery of the horse death at the Brighton training grounds on Friday, 31 May.



Speech

Wednesday, 12 June 2019

Estimates Reply - Attorney-General

Cassy O'Connor MP - Cassy O'Connor delivers a reply to budget estimates, discussing the death of a horse at the Brighton training tracks.



Media Release

Sunday, 16 September 2018

Greens Table Bill to Strengthen Animal Rights

Cassy O'Connor MP - Tasmania’s animal welfare laws fail to protect the rights of animal to live free from cruelty and neglect, placing a heavy, disproportionate emphasis on the profits of industry. 



Media Release

Tuesday, 7 November 2017

Greens Back RSPCA Call to Ban Whips in Horse Racing

Andrea Dawkins - The Greens commend the RSPCA for their position to ban whips in horse racing industry, as a matter of priority. Banning the whip is a solid first step to making the industry more humane.



Media Release

Thursday, 2 November 2017

Greyhound Unmuzzling Changes Welcome

Andrea Dawkins - The Greens welcome the government’s amendment to the Dog Control Act that will allow rehabilitated greyhounds to be muzzle-free.



Media Release

Monday, 5 June 2017

Greyhound Muzzling Changes Welcome

Andrea Dawkins - The Minister for Local Government today confirmed, as a result of community pressure on amendments to the Dog Control Act, Tasmania's greyhounds are now on the pathway to becoming muzzle free.



Media Release

Sunday, 9 April 2017

Hundreds Rally to End Greyhound Cruelty

Andrea Dawkins - Hundreds rallied on Parliament Lawns today to call for an end to greyhound racing in Tasmania. It's clear there is still serious, well-founded public concern about this cruel industry.



Motion

Tuesday, 15 November 2016

Tasmanian Pacing Club Harness Racing

Andrea Dawkins - Call on the Minister for Racing, Hon Jeremy Rockliff MP to approach the Tasmanian Pacing Club with a strategy to revisit the whip ban and to consider animal welfare as a matter of priority.



Media Release

Tuesday, 11 October 2016

Baird as Weak as Hodgman on Greyhound Welfare

Andrea Dawkins - Tens of thousands of greyhounds will be condemned to misery and death as a result of NSW Premier, Mike Baird, caving in to the industry and reversing the ban he announced two short months ago.



Motion

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

Animal Welfare Act to Include Mental Suffering as Abuse

Andrea Dawkins - Andrea Dawkins tables a motion calling for the amendment of the Animal Welfare Act to include distress and mental suffering under the classification of animal cruelty.



Media Release

Wednesday, 14 September 2016

Greyhound Report Disappointing, Greens Call for Ban

Andrea Dawkins - The majority Report of the Joint Select Committee on Greyhound Racing tabled today will disappoint many concerned Tasmanians. People who care about the welfare of animals will be upset not to see a ban on greyhound racing among the recommendations.



Speech

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

Greyhound Racing Ban

Andrea Dawkins - In the wake of the New South Wales Premier, Mike Baird, passing legislation to ban greyhound racing, Andrea Dawkins asks the Premier if he will do the same.



Media Release

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

Liberals and Labor on Wrong Side of History on Greyhounds

Andrea Dawkins - The greyhound racing industry has lost its social licence. Both Labor and the Liberal parties are on the wrong side of history.



Media Release

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

Cruel and Weak-Will Liberals Ignore Greyhound Deaths

Andrea Dawkins - The Premier's response in Question Time today to the 1,608 greyhounds who have been killed over the past three years was heartless.



Motion

Tuesday, 23 August 2016

Greens Call for Tasmanian Greyhound Racing Ban

Andrea Dawkins - Andrea Dawkins tables a motion calling on the Premier to ban greyhound racing in Tasmania.



Media Release

Friday, 19 August 2016

Mass Greyhound Deaths Indictment on Industry

Andrea Dawkins - The Greens have obtained a list of 1,608 greyhounds who were killed or died before their time over the last 3 and half years from the Office of Racing Integrity.



Media Release

Thursday, 18 August 2016

Correction: Deceased Greyhound List

Andrea Dawkins - Our incorrect listing of Wee Fire as a deceased greyhound was unintended, and I will correct the Parliamentary record this evening. We apologise unreservedly to Wee Fire's owner and trainer for our mistake.



Media Release

Wednesday, 17 August 2016

Deceased Greyhounds List a Snapshot of Industry

Andrea Dawkins - TasRacing has released the names of 16 greyhounds reported deceased for the first six months of this year.



Motion

Tuesday, 16 August 2016

Call for Tripartite Support for Ban on Greyhound Racing with Exit Strategy

Andrea Dawkins - Andrea Dawkins tables a motion calling for Labor and Liberal Members to join with the Greens and commit tripartite support for a ban on greyhound racing in Tasmania.



Media Release

Monday, 15 August 2016

Greyhound Re-homing Won't Erase Cruelty

Andrea Dawkins - Tasracing's claim they will re-home all ex-racing greyhounds after 1 July 2019 is a sign of desperation from an industry whose social licence is well and truly gone.



Media Release

Sunday, 24 July 2016

Rally Reinforces Public Opposition to Greyhound Cruelty

Andrea Dawkins - Today's 'March for the Murdered Million' rally commemorated the thousands of dogs that die across the country every year as a result of the greyhound racing industry.



Media Release

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

Public Distaste for Greyhound Racing

Andrea Dawkins - More than half of Australians want greyhound racing banned, according to the national Essential Research poll released today.



Media Release

Thursday, 7 July 2016

Tasmania Must Follow NSW Greyhound Racing Ban

Cassy O'Connor MP - The New South Wales' Premier has recognised the inherent cruelty in greyhound racing and acted in a the best interests of animal welfare.  It's surely time Tasmania did the same.



Media Release

Thursday, 16 June 2016

Greens Table Petition to End Greyhound Cruelty

Andrea Dawkins - While live baiting incidents haven't been proven in any Tasmania, it's clear the we're not immune from the practice. And we are certainly not immune the underlying cruelty in the industry.



Media Release

Wednesday, 2 December 2015

TasRacing Soft on Animal Welfare Concerns

Andrea Dawkins - In GBE Estimates today, Tas Racing CEO, Doctor Eliot Forbes, seemed to struggle to accept the reality of animal welfare issues facing the racing industry. Minister Rockliff now has a job to do and show leadership with his GBE and its CEO.



Media Release

Tuesday, 1 December 2015

Appointments Welcome, Still No GBE Gender Balance

Cassy O'Connor MP - The announcement today of two new women appointed to the Board of the Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB) is a welcome step forward, but Tasmania's state owned businesses still perform poorly on gender equality.



Media Release

Wednesday, 25 March 2015

Greyhound Racing Industry

Cassy O'Connor MP - The Tasmanian Greens welcomed the release of the Report into the Review of Arrangements for Animal Welfare in the Greyhound Industry, noting that its findings and recommendations would provide foundational information and important recommendations for the proposed Joint House Parliamentary Inquiry.



Media Release

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Greyhound Parliamentary Inquiry One Step Closer

Cassy O'Connor MP - The Tasmanian Greens tabled a Notice of Motion to establish a Joint House Parliamentary Inquiry into practices in Tasmania's greyhound racing industry in the House of Assembly today.



Media Release

Sunday, 1 March 2015

State Greyhound Racing Industry Inquiry

Cassy O'Connor MP - A Greens' Motion to establish a Joint House Parliamentary Inquiry into Tasmania's greyhound racing industry looks set to pass the House of Assembly this month



Media Release

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

Greyhound Inquiry Pressure Grows

Cassy O'Connor MP - The Tasmanian Greens have expressed their disappointment with the Labor Opposition, who are sounding weak and indecisive on the need to properly investigate animal welfare standards in the greyhound industry in Tasmania.

State Greyhound Inquiry Concerns

Cassy O'Connor MP - The Tasmanian Greens will move to establish a joint House Inquiry into the greyhound racing industry when Parliament resumes in March.



Media Release

Thursday, 19 February 2015

State Greyhound Live Baiting Inquiry

Cassy O'Connor MP - If Racing Minister, Jeremy Rockliff, is serious about ensuring live baiting is not taking place in Tasmania’s greyhound racing industry, he should follow the New South Wales’ lead, establish a high level Taskforce and ensure Tasmania Police and the RSPCA Tasmania are involved in the investigation.



Media Release

Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Greyhound Cruelty Needs Independent Investigation

Cassy O'Connor MP - Primary Industries Minister, Jeremy Rockliff, must guarantee that any Tasmanian greyhound industry investigation into live baiting is independent and transparent.