Wednesday, 23 September 2026

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (20:33): (2836) My adjournment matter is for the Premier, and the action that I seek is for him to provide an explanation for all of the broken promises and inaction that he and his government have presided over. In the past term this government made big promises to animals, people and the planet. But the shameful reality is that the vast majority have been pushed to the side.

Let us begin with the most galling: ignoring their own report recommending a ban on duck shooting. In response to the parliamentary inquiry they committed to measures to reduce wounding, including shooter accuracy testing, by 2025. It still has not happened. The long-promised animal care and protection bill to replace our broken 40-year-old laws that are no longer fit for purpose has been ready and languishing on the desk of at least three premiers and was announced 10 years ago. We are also yet to see the new wildlife act. The existing laws are 50 years old and those are not working either. We were promised action on the sale of fur after multiple examples of misleading labelling, including cat fur being sold as sheepskin or wool. That did not happen, but the government sure wasted my time getting me to chair a taskforce.

The government still has not released its response to the parliamentary inquiry into wildlife road strike, which was due months ago, or implemented its commitments on pig welfare after that parliamentary inquiry. The inquiry into animal rights activism saw only the pro animal agriculture recommendations actioned, and that inquiry happened last term, but commitments to protect animals and improve consumer confidence have still been ignored. Even worse is what happened with the parliamentary inquiry into ecosystem decline, which I worked on with my former boss as a staffer in 2021 – five years later, that report still has not even been responded to. I am not confident that the review into our broken puppy farm laws will be made public, let alone actioned, and obviously it will not be legislated this term. Despite promising to address the law preventing pet greyhounds from running off leash at dog parks, all we have seen is another taskforce report – except we have not actually seen it yet. Poultry guidelines are delayed. It is easy to blame bird flu, but let us be honest, guys – you were not going to do it anyway. And despite Victoria being the only state continuing the dangerous practice of jumps racing, the government failed to act after the deadliest day in history, instead allowing Racing Victoria to investigate themselves. Promises to let victim-survivors prerecord evidence and protect counselling notes have been delayed until after the election – and that is only some of it.

As this term ends, there is still so much more to do for animals, people and the planet. That is why the Animal Justice Party in the next Parliament matters – so that these issues are prioritised or at the very least the government will still be held to account. Premier, you have had chances to make changes for good, and it is time to justify why you failed to act.