Media release – Madeleine Ogilvie, Minister for Racing, 23 March 2023
Targeted attack on the Tasmanian racing industry
Today, Tasmanians have witnessed a targeted attack on the Tasmanian racing industry by a coalition of the Labor Party, the Greens, and the Independent Member for Clark, which only spells trouble for Tasmania and the future of our racing industry under any future Labor-Green minority government.
Comments attributed to the independent Member for Clark, Kristie Johnston, in the Tasmanian Parliament today regarding the number of greyhounds that leave the industry annually are false.
Minister for Racing, Madeleine Ogilvie, said the comments were designed to do nothing except damage the industry and its participants.
“In 2021/22, as published in the Tasracing annual report, the actual number of greyhounds that left the industry in that year was 305, and 219 of those greyhounds were rehomed” she said.
“It defies logic to suggest that 700 greyhounds leave the industry annually.”
Ms Ogilvie said Tasracing had introduced a number of welfare initiatives and key reforms in recent years to ensure the protection of greyhounds, both during and after their racing life.
“Tasracing and the Tasmanian Government believes that greyhound racing in Tasmania is conducted lawfully and ethically, and the majority of participants treat their dogs with the utmost respect and compassion,” she said
In the 2013/14, the last year of the Labor/Green minority government, 486 greyhounds were euthanised. That has been reduced to 43 greyhounds last financial year by comparison, under our Government.
“Despite Mr Winter and Ms O’Connor’s coordinated efforts, I will not be drawn into individual staffing matters, and Labor and the Greens know it is not appropriate for me to comment on specific employment matters,” Minister Ogilvie said.
“If Labor and the Greens have information in relation to alleged unlawful activities within the racing industry then I would encourage them to direct those matters to the Director of Racing or Tasmania Police.”
Tasmanians remember when the state’s racing and breeding industries were left reeling when the then Labor government sold Tote Tasmania.
It was left to the Liberal Government to fix this mess. Labor may have forgotten but the industry hasn’t.
Up until this time the industry was self-funded and now the Greens are calling for the end of public funding for greyhound racing.
In comparison the Rockliff Liberal Government has come out and backed the state’s racing industry and will continue to do so.
Dean Winter MP
Shadow Minister for Racing
23 March 2023
Ogilvie doing nothing for racing integrity
Madeleine Ogilvie has today refused to take any responsibility in her role as Racing Minister, hiding behind the flimsy pretence of operational processes.
Despite Minister Ogilvie’s performance in Parliament today, the only way for her to truly avoid responsibility as Racing Minister is to resign.
In December last year, the Harness Racing industry sensationally spoke out about the state of racing in Tasmania.
They spoke of how the Minister and the Director of Racing refused to listen or address their concerns, and they even called for an investigation into the Office of Racing Integrity.
Since then Minister Ogilvie has done little to ease concerns within the industry regarding the ORI.
Just yesterday Minister Ogilvie said, “racing has never been in better shape.”
This is nothing but spin for an industry that has had no Chief Harness Steward for most of Minister Ogilvie’s miserable year as Minister.
Former Chief Steward Steve Shinn was stood down from his role in March and was never sighted again.
The Minister refused to say why he had been stood down despite it being a critical matter for racing integrity in the state.
And where is Michael Hoyle, the Chief Steward of Greyhound racing?
He has not been in the role for around a year. No statement or communications have been issued from ORI or the Minister in relation to this.
Madeleine Ogilvie’s time is up. She must go.
Cassy O’Connor MP, Greens Leader, 16 March 2023
Ogilvie Needs To Rule Out More Greyhound Deaths
A leaked document obtained by greyhound welfare advocates has revealed the Liberal Government’s plans to make major changes to the Greyhound Adoption Program – including scrapping their ‘no kill’ policy.
They’ve caved to pressure from an industry that routinely brutalises dogs.
Following the 2016 Greens-led Parliamentary Inquiry into greyhound industry, the Liberal Government accepted the recommendation to move towards zero euthanasia in the industry. The leaked document – sent to GAP staff, without any consultation – shows that policy will be abandoned, and many more dogs will be killed as a result.
Until the industry is shut down, these gentle dogs will keep being injured, disappearing or killed on and off the track.
The planned changes to GAP set out in the leaked document look set to undo any modest improvements made in recent years. It will set Tasmania back a decade or more on greyhound welfare.
This wind-back of bare-minimum welfare standards, lobbied for by an industry that’s based on cruelty, will see more dogs sent to an early death. Apparently having an utterly hopeless Racing Minister to push around was all the opportunity the industry needed to get their way.
Anyone watching Minister Ogilvie’s performance would be entirely unsurprised by the government moving to further undermine the welfare of greyhounds. Ms Ogilvie relishes the opportunity to swan around at the race track, while shamefully ignoring animal welfare and treating advocates with distain.
We urge the Minister to listen to advocates and the community, and rule out the planned changes to GAP or hand over the portfolio to someone who will.
Media release – Kristie Johnston, independent Member for Clark, 16 March 2023
Minister Ogilvie: greyhound racing’s grim reaper
Madeleine Ogilvie has consistently made a hash of the racing portfolio, pretty much running on auto pilot while allowing the industry do as it pleases.
She hasn’t got a clue what’s going on.
And now she is stooping to a new low as arrangement between Tasracing and the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) are introduced which will sign the death warrant for potentially hundreds of innocent greyhounds.
Trainers have effectively been put in charge of the adoption program which creates a massive conflict of interest. This is what happens when you turn over animal rights and animal welfare to the racing industry.
For trainers and owners it is simple economics: if a dog isn’t racing and winning then it costs them money. It needs to be off the property as quickly as possible and the quickest means to achieve this end is to kill the dog.
Under new guidelines issued by Tasracing, trainers can make “difficult end-of-life decisions” and declare a dog “not suitable” for re-homing under GAP.
How convenient.
I call on the Minister to abandon her hands-off attitude and intervene to pull Tasracing back into line. Of course that won’t happen as we’ve seen time and time again that Ms Ogilvie just does what she’s told.
In that case, the Premier needs to act and replace her as racing minister, if he cares at all about animal welfare and preventing animal cruelty.
