Thursday, 14 November 2019

 Mr MEDDICK (Western Victoria) (10:13): Yesterday it was revealed that three Victorian greyhound trainers have been suspended for live baiting. This follows another 17 Victorian trainers caught in 2015, and they were just the ones who were caught. Like most other Victorians, I am dismayed and appalled at these new revelations, but should we really be surprised? Only a few short years ago an investigation showed that live baiting was routine practice in the greyhound racing industry. These trainers have betrayed gentle greyhounds and possums by using cruel blooding techniques, and they have been given too many chances.

Greyhound racing and gambling are intimately connected. This inevitably leads to overbreeding and the killing of healthy dogs. The industry has also demonstrated a level of mendacity and cruelty that indicates it is beyond any form of regulation. The lives of greyhounds and animals used for bait are worth more than gambling profits. When animals and gambling are combined, it is always the animals who lose. This government must do something about it.