Thursday, 31 October 2019

 Dr READ (Brunswick) (11:23): My question is for the Minister for Racing. I wonder if the minister could explain to the house why the government allows the whipping of racehorses in 2019?

 Mr PAKULA (Keysborough—Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Racing) (11:23): I thank the member for Brunswick for the question, and it seems Mr Meddick in the other place has got the Greens party on the hop.

In regard to the question of whipping of racehorses, the member clearly misunderstands the decision-making process. The question of whether or not horses can be whipped is a matter for Racing Australia. The CEO of Racing Victoria, Mr Giles Thompson, indicated only yesterday in fact that it was Racing Victoria’s view that a cessation of whipping was ‘probably in the medium term inevitable’. But it is a significant issue in regard to the safety of jockeys. It is not something that any single jurisdiction could ever make a decision about. Could the member imagine if a horse that runs in Sydney could be whipped and then, if it comes to Victoria, it could not be whipped? Could you imagine if a jockey could use the whip in one state and not in another? This is something that can only be resolved nationally, and I would have thought that the member for Brunswick would understand that.

 Dr READ (Brunswick) (11:24): I thank the minister for his response, but I think a lot of Victorians could imagine that whipping could be banned in Victoria and would wonder why—and this is my supplementary question—legislation is not passed to make Victoria a safer place for horses, so that those that are whipped in Sydney can race in Melbourne without fear of being whipped?

 Mr PAKULA (Keysborough—Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Minister for Racing) (11:24): I thank the member for the question, and I wonder whether he would be so outraged about the safety of those horses being punched by demonstrators at protests. I would say to him that, yes, I am sure that some people may imagine that, but it is also important for the facts to be on the table. And the facts are that safety is not just about the question of the safety of the animal. It also needs to contemplate the safety of the rider, and the safety of the rider is a very important matter.

There have been trials in various places about not just whether a whip can be used but how it can be used, whether it can be held in one hand or two, the way it can be brandished and how many times it can be brandished. Of course the whip now is a padded device, which it never used to be. So for the member to assert or to imagine that these things are not within the consideration of racing authorities is simply wrong.