Wednesday, 1 November 2023

 Tim BULL (Gippsland East) (09:46): I want to speak for a few moments about something fantastic that is happening right at this current time, and that is the Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne. Having attended the Caulfield Cup a little over a week ago and the Cox Plate on Saturday, we saw international racing at its very, very best. We have got Flemington just around the corner, and I know some of the members sitting just behind me will be supporting this fantastic industry there. We also have country racing at its very best; the Moe Cup Friday a week ago and Sale on Sunday were absolutely fantastic meetings. And even today we have got the running of the group 3 Bendigo Cup, and I certainly hope Interpretation can get over the line there and qualify for the Melbourne Cup.

But of course not all in this chamber support the racing industry. There is a quartet that sits up the back there in bay 13 who want racing banned. I should not actually call it bay 13, because people who go to bay 13 like to have fun, but these guys do not like racing. They do not like fishing, hunting or rodeos. All the things we like in the bush they do not like.

I am pleased to see the relatively new Minister for Racing has been out to a lot of the meetings. I do not think he would have been to a meeting before he got the portfolio, but it is great to see him embracing the industry. All of us in this chamber need to be steadfast in our support of racing. It is a great industry that goes back 200 years, and we should be behind it.