Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens Leader and Animal Welfare spokesperson
Another Melbourne Cup day, another opportunity for Tasmanians to understand the cruelty at the heart of the racing industry.
As we now know thanks to ABC investigative reporting, many of the beautiful horses born in to the racing industry are whipped to go faster and disposed of once their last race is run. They die horrifyingly cruel deaths and end up as pet meat.
Support for horse and greyhound racing continues to decline, and rightly so.
The breeding of sentient beings for industry profit is losing its social license, yet the Tasmanian Government subsidises racing to the tune of $30 million a year.
That’s state-sponsored cruelty. It’s also public money that should go in to hospitals, schools and desperately needed housing.
This year again, the Greens are joining animal lovers everywhere in saying Nup to the Cup.