Greyhound owners in New South Wales "have begun moving dogs interstate after the state government’s vote to ban the sport, amid warnings that the jobs of thousands of people associated with the industry may be on the line," according to Kylar Loussikian of THE AUSTRALIAN.
Legislation banning the A$335M ($255M)-a-year industry passed parliament in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with five government MPs defying Premier Mike Baird "to vote against or -- abstain from voting on the prohibition of racing." The government "plans to ban the industry by the end of June next year," after a report prepared by former High Court judge Michael McHugh found "systemic" cruelty and mass killings of dogs. Despite the passing of legislation, the government has yet to finalize plans about the fate of Wentworth Park in Sydney and the Dapto Showground near Wollongong, "nor has it appointed an administrator for governance body Greyhound Racing NSW or provided details of the industry compensation package" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/25).
'OVERREACTION': In Sydney, Sarah Martin wrote Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull criticized the NSW Liberal government at a private dinner in Perth for shutting down the greyhound industry, suggesting the "shock move" was an "overreaction." MPs who attended a dinner with Turnbull said that the PM "expressed the view that closing down the industry in response to animal-welfare concerns was not a proportionate response." An MP said, "He was critical of the decision and the message was, 'If we are shutting down an industry on the basis of what happens to rabbits, well, we are not very nice to rabbits in this country; they are a pest.' It was Malcolm Turnbull the farmer talking." Another MP made clear that Turnbull "was not indicating support for live baiting, but confirmed he had criticised how the state government had handled the issue" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/26).
