2024-12-19
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and Spokesperson for Animal Welfare, has unveiled the Greens' Animal Welfare Election Platform.
Establishing national animal welfare laws, restricting political donations from the racing and gambling industries, shutting down commercial horse racing, strengthening the live export ban, prohibiting the shark fin trade, and phasing out factory farming are key priorities. A particular focus will be federal action to end greyhound racing and halt greyhound exports, following Aotearoa New Zealand’s recent decision to shut down this cruel industry.
Senator Faruqi will launch this policy today at a dog walk in Sydney Park at 5.30 pm.
Quotes attributable to Senator Mehreen Faruqi:
“People expect the government to step up and protect animals from suffering and harm. Yet every day, policies and inaction fail them. Animals are sentient beings who deserve care and respect, and we urgently need federal laws that reflect these values.
“Australia is one of the few countries that still allows the cruel racing of dogs. We’ve seen leadership from across the Tasman in Aotearoa New Zealand. Now it's time to do this across Australia. Greyhounds have suffered enough.
“The Greens will not stop till this cruel industry is shut down, and the commercial export of Australian greyhounds is banned. No greyhound is safe in racing, inside or outside this country.
“We have had decades of evidence of cruelty, deaths and drugging of dogs in the greyhound industry, not only tolerated but subsidised by State Governments drunk on gambling money. Labor and Liberal have repeatedly shown they have no interest in ending the cruelty, so we need Federal action.
“Federal laws continue to permit some of the cruelest factory farming practices, such as caged egg production, the use of sow stalls, and other inhumane industrial farming methods. The Greens will also enforce genuine free-range standards for all animals.
"The Greens are proud to have pushed the Labor Government to deliver the live sheep export ban, following years of campaigning with the community. We will do the same for cruel animal racing.
“A vast majority of people are concerned about animal cruelty. More and more people want the abuse and death of horses and greyhounds in racing and gambling to end. They want elected representatives who care about animal welfare. With more Greens in Parliament, there will be more voices for animals and stronger animal protections.
"The gambling and racing industries have a corrosive influence on our democracy. They prey on vulnerable people and are built on the cruelty and death of racing animals. Both Labor and Liberal continue to accept huge political donations to do the industry’s bidding — we urgently need to break this toxic nexus.”