Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The greyhound racing industry in Australia results in animals suffering unspeakable and entrenched industrial-scale cruelty , which is why I've long campaigned for an end to the appalling industry.

Indeed animal welfare issues in the industry are well documented and widespread. They include outrageous levels of injury and death, physical overexertion, inadequate housing, lack of socialisation and environmental enrichment, cruel training practices, illegal live baiting, administration of banned or unregistered substances , and euthanasi a of poorly performing and unwanted dogs.

Many in the community share my disgust at this industry and its appalling practices , so y ou can imagine just how welcome is the Tasmanian government's recent decision to phase out greyhound racing.

But the truth is that Tasmania is a small player in a much larger industry. And while that industry is in decline, Australia has the ignominious honour of hosting the largest greyhound racing industry in the world.

Indeed, Australia has more than half the world's remaining operational greyhound tracks and, following a recent decision by New Zealand, will be one of just four nations in the world that maintains a legal, operating greyhound industry.

Mercifully though, the greyhound racing industry in Australia is in decline, in terms of both participation and perception.

In fact, a recent report commissioned by economist Saul Eslake found that in Tasmania attendance rates were down around 11 per cent between 2011 and 2023 on the industry's own figures, and that the number of races also fell by six per cent. And it's not just in Tasmania, with Greyhound Racing NSW being forced to plan for the closure of 11 of its 26 tracks due to a significant decrease in demand.

Public perception of the industry has also been shifting, with more and more Australians recognising its inherent cruelty. Indeed, in September this year, 66.5 per cent of people surveyed by McCrindle were concerned about the treatment of greyhounds in the greyhound racing industry. And an October 2022 poll commissioned by GREY2K USA and the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds found that 57 per cent of Australians supported an end to dog racing. What's more, recent EMRS polling in Tasmania found that 74 per cent of Tasmanians supported the announced greyhound racing ban.

But what continues to prop up the industry is online wagering. And while not quite at the peak of $10.7 billion in 2022, last year still saw around $7.5 billion wagered on greyhounds in Australia. Appallingly though, but sadly unsurprisingly, wagering on Australian greyhound racing accounts for roughly 70 per cent of all bets placed on dog racing worldwide. This is a frankly staggering amount of money that only serves to perpetuate cruelty and suffering on an industrial scale.

And the real cost? Well, so far this year there have been 99 greyhounds die and 9,663 greyhounds injured on greyhound racing tracks in Australia, with New South Wales having the highest injury rate in Australasia—60 per cent higher than the rate that led to New Zealand banning the industry. Mind you, it's Victoria that kills more dogs on its tracks that any other state.

Furthermore, off track, the industry continues to breed far too many dogs and rehoming programs are failing. No wonder I suppose that over 1,600 greyhounds were euthanised within the industry just in 2024, the highest national toll since 2019.

In other words, greyhounds are being abused and dying in the name of this industry, and Australians want it to stop.

Which brings me to the purpose of this refreshingly straightforward bill, simply to amend the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 to remove the exemption for wagering services which relate to betting on greyhound racing. In effect, this would end online wagering on greyhound racing and hasten the demise of the industry.

Sensibly the bill provides for a period of two years to allow the industry to adequately plan and provide for the welfare of dogs following the anticipated sharp drop in revenue.

Now, I stand by my long-held belief that the only way to actually ensure the safety of greyhounds is to ban the industry entirely. Frankly, there is simply no conceivable way to conduct races in a way that adequately meets animal welfare standards. No wonder community pressure is building on state governments to follow the example of the ACT and Tasmania and end the cruelty.

But until all state governments get their act together on this, federal pressure needs to be brought to bear on the industry. And that's where this gambling ban comes in.

To close I'll quote Alexander von Humboldt, who said:

Cruelty to animals is one of the most significant vices of a low and ignoble people. Wherever one notices them, they constitute a sign of ignorance and brutality which cannot be painted over even by all the evidence of wealth and luxury.

Hence it should be a stain on our national conscience that in 2025 Australia stands virtually alone as the global stronghold of the cruel greyhound racing industry.

Frankly, the only way to end the cruelty is to end the industry, and the sooner that happens the better, starting with at least a ban on online gambling on racing.

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