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Dr Smith calls for gambling subsidies to go to Sleepbus

Animal Justice Party candidate for Kurrajong Dr Julie Smith with her rescue dog “Wolfie”.
ANIMAL Justice Party candidate for Kurrajong Dr Julie Smith is calling on whoever forms ACT government on Saturday (October 17) to reallocate the $6 million of funds given to the Canberra horse racing industry to local initiatives such as the pink Sleepbus. 
The delivery of a pink Sleepbus in Canberra will provide a safe night’s sleep to women and children (with space for pets), who are fleeing violence, and is something that inspired Dr Smith to run as a candidate in the ACT election about two weeks ago.
And, if she helps form government she says she’ll push to re-allocate funds to other areas such as refuges, vulnerable women and animals.
“Women can remain in unsafe and violent relationships or delay escaping when they cannot find suitable accommodation for their pets,” says Dr Smith, who has been compassionate about standing up for animals since learning about the “cruel” live animal export trade.
“Perpetrators of domestic violence are often cruel to their animals as well,” she says.
“Properly funding such programs for Canberra’s most vulnerable women, children and animals should be a budget priority.”
Without it being a priority, Dr Smith says women’s charities are forced to fundraise for initiatives such as the Sleepbus for Canberra.
“This would be a far better use of Canberrans’ money, and make our city a better place for animals and people,” she says.
“CityNews” contacted Canberra Racing Club, who declined to comment, however, Dr Smith’s calls come weeks after the Canberra racing industry said it was fighting for its future.
The industry said the livelihood of 440 locals are at risk following the ACT government’s implementation of a Point of Consumption (POC) tax in early 2019.
From the tax, the industry said betting operators are raising more than $11 million per annum to the ACT government, however, they don’t get a percentage of it. 
Every other jurisdiction in Australia has provided a share of this windfall gain back to the racing industry in acknowledgement it is the racing industry’s hard work that creates the opportunity for this revenue, the industry said.  

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2 Responses to Dr Smith calls for gambling subsidies to go to Sleepbus

Jim says: 15 October 2020 at 8:44 pm

While the candidate in question here is neither here nor there, the calls from the racing industry that they are ‘fighting for their future’ is ridiculous. The claimed level of jobs already means they are subsidised at about $17K per job, yet they want another $2.5 million on top of that. That would put them at a level multiple times higher then other professional sporting teams that actually deliver something substantial to more then a niche party of the community.

Its ludicrous they think that for a tax line for which their product provides somewhere south of 1 per cent of revenue, they should get something in the region of 20-25% of revenue given to them, no strings attached.

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Robyn says: 15 October 2020 at 9:03 pm

Here are the complete list of the AJP election promises:

1. Stop the extinction: Ban the cruel and senseless kangaroo cull

2. Stop betting on racing: redirect $6m funding to the community

3. Stop cruelty to pets and pests: ban 1080 and other cruel poisons

4. Stop climate change: get plant-based options on the menu

5. Establish an Independent Animal Protection Agency

6. Bring the bush back to the Capital: create nature corridors 7. Get on board with the environment: improve public transport and let companion animals onboard

8. Greater funding for trap, neuter, and release management (TNRM) programs

9. Assist homeless and those experiencing domestic violence with pets: Provide overnight shelters and/or refuges

10. Represent non-humans in the education system

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