BEV MCARTHUR MP SLAMS ANDY MEDDICK’S ATTACK ON RACING
“I totally reject Andy Meddick’s call for a boycott of the Geelong Cup tomorrow.”
“The ABC investigation highlighted appalling activities in the Queensland abattoir, and no one would ever condone cruelty like this. But the easy option is always to boycott, protest, ban, or to call for an enquiry, when it’s productive solutions we should be seeking.”
“Racing Victoria is the licensing body for thoroughbred racing in Victoria, and they have the power to issue and withdraw licences where appropriate. Thoroughbred horses are closely regulated during their careers, and the recent case of Darren Weir and his associates has demonstrated the licensing authorities ability to act when they see wrongdoing.”
“State governments are responsible for animal welfare regulation more generally – including for those keeping racehorses in retirement, and for the regulation of abattoirs. If animal welfare is an issue here, then we have to ask what the regulators are doing?”
“ABC have highlighted a particular issue, and one which must be addressed energetically – but we need to keep things in perspective. I fully support Racing Victoria’s ‘Off The Track’ program – which seeks to ensure a home for every healthy thoroughbred retiring from racing, and is sponsoring a network of 50 retrainers to support the rehoming efforts of owners and trainers. But even before this effort, Racing Australia state that only around 1% of horses leaving the racing industry ultimately end up in an abattoir.”
“While any animal in an abattoir must be treated humanely, it would be better to remedy any failures in these cases than to outlaw an industry which provides a livelihood to so many thousands across our state, and great pleasure to the sporting public – not to mention more than $400m in revenue to the Victorian government.”
“Racing is vital to Regional Victoria – of the $4.3bn it adds to our state’s economy annually (including 33,000 jobs) – 55% is generated outside the metropolitan area. In Geelong, Ballarat and Warrnambool South West area alone, this comes to $260m from thoroughbred racing, and more than 11,000 jobs. Virtually every town in Western Victoria Region has a racecourse and race club.”
“It is totally irresponsible of Andy Meddick – a representative of Western Victoria Region, to add this call for a shutdown to racing to his bid to end all animal food production in our region. Given the employment and income provided the farming and racing industries, what is his alternative? Just what does he want us to do?”
“I also notice Mr Meddick’s invitation for protestors tomorrow notes they should ‘dress smartly’. Is their intention to enter the course to disrupt the meeting directly, not just to protest with placards outside the track entrance? This obstruction of lawful business is just another example of the extremism we’re seeing so often from self-appointed experts in the current climate.”
22 October 2019