Thursday, 13 November 2025

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:00): My question is for the Minister for Corrections. Since 2007 greyhounds that have retired from the horrors of the racing industry have been sent to minimum-security prisons across Victoria. This program has helped greyhounds prepare for adoption and people in the justice system prepare for life after incarceration. While it is clear that I have been in fierce opposition to the government’s approach on youth crime and incarcerating children, which I am sure will be debated fulsomely in this place very soon, in the event where it does occur, there are clear benefits to having relationships with animals. Such relationships have been proven to reduce recidivism and provide mental health benefits to prisoners. Minister, given the clear benefits, will you consider introducing this program at the soon-to-be-reopened Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:01): I thank Ms Purcell for her question and her ongoing interest in programs that do support rehabilitation and positive outcomes in custodial facilities. We just had a debate in this place about good ideas from the crossbench. Well, this is a good idea. I think programs such as the Greyhound Adoption Program, as you have recognised, have made a real difference at Tarrengower in terms of helping people with their rehabilitation. Obviously the announcement for Malmsbury was quite a recent announcement, and that planning work is underway. I do not want to pre-empt the work of the department, but I will say that I am happy to organise for them to meet with you, your office and your team to see how we can adopt this practice which happens at Tarrengower at Malmsbury, because as you know, relationships with animals are key. We do want to run a modern corrections system and a modern youth justice system that is focused on rehabilitating people, because we know that will make us all safer in the longer term. I look forward to seeing if this idea can be progressed. Obviously its operational environment will be different. We are committed to making sure that the Malmsbury facility will have a different approach to what it was in the past. It will be focused on rehabilitation and will have a cohort that is getting ready for reintegration back into the community. I will make sure the department reaches out to you to see if we can make a real difference to the young people and their lives and to all Victorians.

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:02): Thank you, Minister, for your response. I am glad that you raised the Greyhound Adoption Program, because currently all the dogs involved in this program in the prison network come through the GAP. We know that GAP, as a greyhound industry–funded program, often uses programs like this as a way to offload unwanted dogs. However, it is the community-run greyhound rescue groups who are bearing the brunt of the industry’s own overbreeding crisis and are rehoming more dogs than the Greyhound Adoption Program despite it receiving constant government funding and industry funding as well. Will any future programs implemented in Victorian prisons consider using dogs from groups that are based with non-industry-aligned rescue organisations?

 Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (12:03): I thank Ms Purcell for her supplementary question. It is a really good question, because I am a fan of the current partnership we do have with Greyhound Racing Victoria. I would say on that point we probably differ, but I think we should be open to partnerships with every organisation that wants to do that rehabilitative work in our custodial facilities. That is something that I will take back to the department to consider. If you have got suggestions, I am happy to hear them.