GREYHOUND racing will be banned in NSW from July 1 next year.
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The Greyhound Racing Prohibition Bill 2016 passed through the parliament in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 48 votes to 35.
Three National Party members crossed the floor on the crucial vote – Kevin Humphries, Katrina Hodgkinson and Chris Gulaptis.
The vote on the all-important second reading of the legislation occurred just before 3am, with debate concluding at around 3.40am.
Let’s not destroy an entire industry and way of life
- Opposition leader Luke Foley
While maintaining opposition throughout, Labor also moved several amendments during the course of the debate, all of which were defeated.
The amendments sought to:
- Suspend debate of the bill for three months pending the Supreme Court challenge launched by the industry against the government’s ban;
- Prevent the sale of tracks and public land currently used by the greyhound industry, saving facilities such as Wentworth Park from developers; and
- Make it mandatory that the Government bring forward a financial assistance package within three months.
Labor Leader Luke Foley reiterated Labor’s policy that Parliament should be used to strengthen animal welfare and integrity measures in greyhound racing, not ban the entire industry.
Under Labor’s policy a reformed greyhound industry would operate under the highest standards of animal welfare.
“Let’s throw the book at the bad people in the industry with life bans and prison sentences for those found guilty of animal cruelty but let’s not destroy an entire industry and way of life,” Mr Foley said.
“Regional and rural NSW has been let down by a National Party which has done little more than act as a lickspittle for a North Shore Liberal Premier.
“There are thousands of good and honest people in the greyhound industry that will have their livelihoods destroyed by this Liberal-National Government.
The ban is effective from July 1, 2017.