2023-10-20
Summary
A Senate inquiry into the Greens’ bill to ban greyhound exports including reproductive material, the Customs Legislation Amendment (Commercial Greyhound Export and Import Prohibition) Bill 2021, will recommend the bill not pass after Government and the Liberals have banded together to stop the ban.
Australian greyhounds continue to be exported, through loopholes and a complete failure of industry self-regulation, to countries where they suffer egregious harm and deaths.
Racing and gambling donation beneficiaries, Labor and Liberal parties have endorsed the status quo for greyhound cruelty to continue. This is despite extraordinary support from submissions and stakeholders, and industry admission that at least 464 greyhounds have been exported illegally under their watch. The Greens believe real numbers are far higher.
Senator Faruqi’s dissenting report to the Committee report is here.
Background:
- The Green’s Customs Legislation Amendment (Commercial Greyhound Export and Import Prohibition) Bill 2021 amends customs laws to prohibit the exportation and importation of greyhounds for breeding, racing or any other commercial purpose. This ban includes a ban on the export or import of greyhound reproductive material.
- In the Senate inquiry, Greyhounds Australasia admitted that 464 Australian greyhounds have been exported illegitimately since 2015. This is despite the industry passport being mandatory for export since 2010. The Greens believe this is only the tip of the iceberg and the real numbers are much higher.
- Consequences for breeders and trainers are a slap on the wrist despite Australian greyhounds fetching up to $220,000 in the lucrative international trade.
- Euthanisa numbers remain distressingly high, with 6198 greyhounds euthanised nationally since FY2019, and the Greens and animal welfare groups believe this number is underreported, considering estimates were up to 17,000 euthanised per year in 2015 after the Special Commission of Inquiry
- There is overwhelming public and expert support for the bill. The Senate Inquiry received around 1700 supportive campaign submissions, 640 short statements of support, and an overwhelming majority of 216 stakeholder submissions expressed support for the ban.
- The biggest opponents of the export ban were the greyhound racing industry.
- The Greens’ bill would also ban the export of reproductive material, which continues to enable this industry overseas. Figures provided by the Greyhounds Australasia to questions on notice from Senator Faruqi show that from FY2019 to FY2022, 602 semen units have been exported, 8004 female greyhounds were serviced, and 7007 litters were whelped.
- Australia is only 1 of 7 jurisdictions where greyhound racing isn’t yet banned, and Australia makes an overwhelming contribution to global greyhound cruelty. According to Animal Liberation, Australia has more greyhound racing tracks, and accounts for more gambling revenue, than all other countries worldwide.
- Australia is falling behind other countries. In the lead up to the New Zealand election, both major parties pledged to ban greyhound racing.
Quotes attributable to Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of The Australian Greens and Spokesperson for Animal Welfare:
“Australian greyhounds continue to end up overseas in terrible conditions exploited for breeding and racing. Thousands demanded an end to this brutal trade in misery, but the government refused to do so when it had the opportunity.
“Rejecting my bill to ban greyhound exports will just perpetuate the suffering of greyhounds. It is indefensible and disgraceful.
“Vested racing and gambling interests have trumped animal welfare yet again, with both major parties endorsing the cruel and inhumane fate awaiting greyhounds exported overseas.
“The greyhound racing industry only cares about gambling profits and the major parties look away because their pockets are filled with these dirty donations.
“The industry is unable, and unwilling, to regulate greyhound exports. The passport scheme is a complete failure with the industry's own admission that hundreds of dogs have been exported illegally. The only way to stop this trade in misery is to ban greyhound exports altogether.”
“Anything short of a ban on the entire trade is not enough, but I will push the government to implement a desexing requirement and limit on semen exports as a step in the right direction.
“By strictly limiting greyhound semen exports and desexing greyhounds before they are exported, we can start to limit the incentives for export standards.
“This issue will not go away. Animal welfare groups will continue to campaign. Media will continue to expose this cruelty, and the Greens will continue to fight until greyhound racing is completely banned in this country and export is banned. The tide of public opinion is on our side.”