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Ramsay’s ‘cynical’ move to ban greyhounds

Canberra Greyhound Racing Club chair Alan Tutt
LAST night (November 1), the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club (CGRC) received an email from Minister for Regulatory Services Gordon Ramsay saying the ACT government will introduce legislation to ban greyhound racing and trialling today, says CGRC chair Alan Tutt. 

Mr Tutt says the late notice can only be interpreted as yet another disingenuous and cynical attempt Mr Ramsay and his government colleagues to avoid anything that represents genuine dialogue, consultation or negotiation with the people and community who stand to have their lives and livelihoods ruined by the ban.

“If nothing else, it is obviously an attempt to ensure the CGRC has no capacity to respond before the Bills are introduced or to raise concerns in the media before their introduction,” Mr Tutt says.

In a statement to Mr Ramsay, Mr Tutt wrote: “When we met for the first and only time on December 23 last year you shook my hand and promised to hear our concerns and establish a relationship based on honesty and communication.”

“You recognised the previous few months of announcements on racing by Chief Minister Barr and former Minister Gentleman had completely omitted the participants and staff in the local industry. As you were a lawyer and church leader before entering the Assembly, I took you at your word,” Mr Tutt says.

“I believed you would honour your promise and demonstrate the principles of natural justice and honesty associated with your past careers. How wrong I was.

“Instead of another meeting, as you promised, your door has been shut. You have not attempted to hear the voices of the people who will be deeply hurt by the ban. You have not met
with the board, nor have you attempted to explain to the hard-working staff why they deserve to lose their jobs.The Canberra community deserves strength and informed decision-making from their elected leaders.

“While you have chosen to ignore this, I can assure you that despite the poor treatment we have been subject to over the last 18 months, we can work professionally and positively to maintain the ACT industry as a national leader in animal welfare, while maintaining local jobs.

“Over 50 local jobs and the livelihoods of families are in your hands.”

Mr Tutt says the CGRC has commenced legal action to oppose a ban and to reinstate funding to the racing industry.

 

Read: 

Legislation introduced to end greyhound racing

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3 Responses to Ramsay’s ‘cynical’ move to ban greyhounds

Fred Barton says: 3 November 2017 at 8:15 am

If Mr. Ramsay ends greyhound racing without considering the situation of those involved in it he will have made a grave ethical and political mistake. However, if he doesn’t end this barbaric so called “sport” he will have condemned hundreds if not thousands of defenseless greyhounds to needless injury, death and abandonment. Ending greyhound racing is not an either or scenario. People are often just as trapped in this cruel situation as the dogs.

I am a Board member of GREY2K USA Worldwide, an organization that fights to save these marvelous creatures all over the globe. (you can learn more about us here: http://www.grey2kusa.org.) I have fostered and adopted rescued racing greyhounds since 1995. I cannot imagine abandoning any of them when they become injured, old or sick and yet this is routinely what happens to them at operating tracks. I’ve also met desperate people working dead end low wage no benefit jobs who are just as helpless as the greyhounds.
Fred Barton
Board Member
GREY2K USA Worldwide

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John McLelland says: 3 November 2017 at 9:20 am

So now it’s the Gov’t avoiding dialogue? Mr Tutt and others from the CGRC steadfastly refused to attend the Greyhound Transition Task Force meeting on Tuesday 19th September and boasted that no-one in the industry here would attend. Through their paid lobbyist Kel Watt, the CGRC moreover advised that they would outrightly reject the $1m+ on offer as a transition package, but claim now to have funding to fight this decision legally. If they have enough money to mount a legal challenge, then why did they accept Gov’t funding of up to $1m per year until now?
As for the “massive” impact to local jobs etc – what a farce. There are only 11 or so trainers in the ACT, and barely any dogs registered here – 94% of the people who use, and dogs raced, at the CGRC are from NSW or other states. Before people get sucked in to propaganda that a large number of dogs will need to be put down and the Gov’t closing the ACT industry will be to blame, just remember that the vast majority of dogs raced here in the ACT are already registered, kennelled and trained in NSW and race at other tracks in NSW which are not subject to closure. Remember that when the emotional blackmail starts.
CGRC only holds 1 meet per week on a Sunday, with a few weeks off over Xmas/NY etc. The crowd turnout is poor on most race-days, due to the fact that punters would rather sit in a pub and use the TAB whilst watching on SKY. Their payroll for 2015 was less than $100k. Trainers who live in the ACT and have dogs kennelled and trained in NSW will hardly miss a penny. Tracks at Wagga, Goulburn, Nowra etc will probably just hold an extra meeting to cover for the loss.
The fact that so many dogs raced at CGRC are not registered in the ACT gives the CGRC the cover they need to claim an “unblemished” record. Easy enough to do when there are hardly any participants in the ACT and the vast majority of dogs and trainers are from interstate. But what constitutes a “blemish”? Dogs have been injured and euthanised at the track, and dogs have also returned positive swabs to prohibited substances, when presented to race at the club. The club itself might claim it’s beyond reproach, but they’re sweeping under the carpet what really goes on, because they can easily deflect any enquiry be claiming any wrongdoing is by interstate participants.
Why would the people of the ACT continue to support this? I doubt any would be happy to know that the CGRC basically caters to NSW participants, and that any prizemoney won largely goes straight out of the territory also, all whilst being supported (until now) by the ACT Taxpayer to the tune of $1m+ per year.

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Glenn says: 3 November 2017 at 1:20 pm

Canberra greyhounds are feeling the wrath of these minority politicians and councillors who are not working for the people and getting vital issues sorted. NSW Greyhounds were “banned and overturned” only because of political “marriages” Liberals needed Green votes “ban greyhounds” we will join. that backfired on the Liberal National Party but minority Greens just divorced Liberals on that issue. ACT Labour Party wanted office lets get “married” to the Greens and we can “RULE” only minor thing they want Greyhound Racing banned… no big problem… working mans sport/industry lets stomp them out. it is a major Australian political problem when “minority” parties “get the power” as their little seat holdings are “sold out” to other parties for such a little gain, that takes their true visions away of their own parties and supporters. all these so called Politicians are bringing the whole democratic system down when parties can just join/marry in for the sake of power and not for the good of their people who elect them for the job, not other parties. they are just blowing their own trumpet for 15 seconds of fame and trying to PUSH their individual beliefs onto everyone. Is that fair and are they really doing the best job for whole electorates or is it selfish importance. Canberra greyhound people should be treated fairly and all racing people (Horse/Harness included) who are very caring and dedicated to the animals should not be harrased by these “false Green ” attitudes. Green once stood for the Environment which many many support but turned into a new dictatorship of judgment and demand for everyone to change their ways of life. Please get a life and leave everyday people to theirs. IF the Political movements Green/Labour/Liberal/Nationals were really “Fair Dinkum” about banning racing (or animal industries) why just greyhounds, if they had the “guts” to take on the Horse Racing industry they know they would be put in their place and forced to go back to real issues that affect people of their electorates and continue to attack industries of sport leisure entertainment. No you may NOT classify all racing codes as that but millions of Australians do. So don’t step on a lizard and let the deadly snake go just because that is too hard or dangerous to your political existence…. animal welfare of all industries has been addressed over the past couple of years and will continue to be placed under the microscope, be it circus, zoo, rodeo, horse racing, harness racing and greyhound racing with major turnarounds many were warranted and will continue to be improved, so keep them all under watch but let the many many people involved in those industries get on with it… if they don’t keep or increase the animal welfare standards then do chase them but do it the right and fair way… not for political gains…

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