All changes made to the description and title of this
division.
View division
|
Edit description
| Change |
Division |
|
senate vote 2018-12-03#6
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2018-12-07 17:19:56
|
Title
Motions — Greyhound Racing- Motions - Greyhound Racing - Cease export if no 'passport'
Description
<p class="speaker">Anthony Chisholm</p><p>I seek leave to make a short statement.</p> <p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p>- The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by Greens Senator [Mehreen Faruqi](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/nsw/mehreen_faruqi) (NSW), which means it succeeded. Motions like these don't make any legal changes on their own but can be politically influential because they represent the will of the Senate.
- ### Motion text
- > *That the Senate—*
- > *(a) notes that:*
- >> *(i) the Yat Yuen Greyhound racing track at Macau, known as the Canidrome, has been described by Grey2k as a "death camp for dogs" where tens of thousands of greyhounds have been killed over the last 50 years,*
- >> *(ii) in 2013, Greyhounds Australasia blacklisted Macau on animal welfare grounds and stopped issuing 'greyhound passports',*
- >> *(iii) between the start of 2013 and the end of 2015, at least 590 greyhounds were approved for export by the Australian Government to Macau, against the wishes of animal welfare organisations and Greyhounds Australasia,*
- >> *(iv) following the closure of the Canidrome in July 2018, hundreds of dogs are waiting to be rescued, many of whom originated from Australia, and*
- >> *(v) the Australian Government still allows the export of racing greyhounds to countries that are blacklisted by Greyhounds Australasia;*
- > *(b) recognises the Commonwealth Government's role in allowing the export of Australian greyhounds to Macau, and its obligation to assist in the rehoming of these greyhounds; and*
- > *(c) calls on the Commonwealth Government to cease issuing export documents for racing greyhounds without greyhound passports.*
<p>Leave is granted for one minute.</p> <p class="speaker">Anthony Chisholm</p><p>Labor supports the motion and urges the current Australian Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, David Littleproud, to review the Greyhound Passport Scheme and to assist those in the greyhound industry who are wanting to ensure the animal welfare of greyhounds is being addressed. Greyhounds Australasia itself has introduced a passport scheme which requires compliance to prevent greyhounds being exported to countries that do not meet Australian animal standards. However, Greyhounds Australasia can only impose the passport scheme on its own members. Nonmembers are not currently legally required to comply and may choose to export their dogs to countries with poor animal welfare standards.</p><p>All of us in this place know that the former agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, undermined animal welfare standards through his reckless actions in abolishing the Animal Welfare Strategy in 2013 and ignoring issues such as the requirement of a passport number before the export of greyhounds can occur. The Australian community expect action on this matter.</p> <p class="speaker">Mehreen Faruqi</p><p>I seek leave to make a short statement.</p> <p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p><p>Leave is granted for one minute.</p> <p class="speaker">Mehreen Faruqi</p><p>Hundreds of Australian greyhounds were exported to be raced to death in Macau. This is Australia's shame. With the closure of the Canidrome, hundreds of Australian greyhounds have been rescued and are awaiting rehoming. It's time the government took responsibility for their role in this disgusting chapter and helped these groups desperately working to save these really gentle animals. At the moment, there is nothing to stop this travesty from happening again. While I think we should ban greyhound racing altogether, stopping the export of dogs to countries with no animal welfare standards is one of the very rare things that I agree with the greyhound racing industry on. Animals are not property to be abused for profit. They are living, sentient beings, and we will not stop fighting for them.</p> <p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p><p>The question is that general business notice of motion No. 1269 standing in the name of Senator Faruqi be agreed to.</p>
|