❓ Question regarding funding for a new racehorse welfare plan following a 7.30 report, and the Minister's heated response outlining the plan's details and criticising the questioning party.
AnsweredQoN 1055Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RACEHORSE WELFARE PLAN
1055. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I refer to the hastily put together racehorse welfare plan
announced by the Minister for Racing and Gaming today and I note its reliance
on this policy of the Nationals WA devised in June last year. Will the state
government rip any more money out of the industry's share of the
wagering point-of-consumption tax and/or the sale of the TAB to pay for this
new plan?
1055. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I refer to the hastily put together racehorse welfare plan
announced by the Minister for Racing and Gaming today and I note its reliance
on this policy of the Nationals WA devised in June last year. Will the state
government rip any more money out of the industry's share of the
wagering point-of-consumption tax and/or the sale of the TAB to pay for this
new plan?
AnswerView source ↗
What an outrage. What a laughable
suggestion on behalf of the member for Moore that the Nationals WA were somehow
instrumental in the response to this critical issue that arose three weeks ago,
and that was revealed as a consequence of the 7.30 report.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore!
Mr P. PAPALIA : We had the
fastest and the most rigorous response for animal welfare in the nation, driven
by this government in conjunction with the racing industry of Western Australia.
You are a disgrace, my friend. You are an embarrassment and a disgrace.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore! I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : The member for Moore—what
a joke! He should ask the racing industry of Western Australia who drove
this initiative. He should ask every eligible body for harness racing and
thoroughbreds in Western Australia who called them in for a meeting three weeks
ago. He should ask them who told them they were confronting an existential
threat.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr P. PAPALIA : He should ask
them who asked a question two days ago attacking unannounced inspections of
abattoirs. Who was that? That was the member's party, attacking the
Attorney General for saying he was going to have unannounced inspections, which
is a key element of this plan. The member is a disgrace! But he gives me an
opportunity to tell him about the plan.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank you,
minister.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Moore,
it is your last warning.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : I have had it pointed
out by colleagues, and it is a worthy observation, that had the Nationals WA had its way, the vision on 7.30 would not have existed. The Nationals
would have locked up the journalist! The Nationals' means of avoiding
animal cruelty is to not look: ''Don't look! Do not allow
inspectors to go anywhere near animals, because that way we'll never
know about cruelty. It won't exist because our heads will be firmly
planted in the ground.'' The member is a disgrace. I cannot believe he
asked me that.
Nevertheless, the plan announced
today is the most rigorous in the nation and the fastest and most comprehensive
response by a government, in conjunction with its racing industry, in the
nation. It establishes Western Australia as having the highest standards of
animal welfare for the racing industry anywhere in the country. Firstly, we are
going to carry out a census of all thoroughbreds and standardbreds in the
state, both currently racing and retired, to determine what we are looking at
in terms of numbers. That will be followed by the licensing of WA breeders.
Nowhere else in the country are breeders licensed. Consider this: if we do not
know how many horses are being bred, we do not know whether there is
overbreeding. I do not think there is in Western Australia. As the member for
South Perth could probably confirm, the concern is that it is going the other
way and that we do not have enough. That aside, we are going to license
breeders.
There will also be the introduction
of a retirement rule. The member for South Perth could instruct the member on
the power of those rules. If someone who derives their income from racing
breaches a racing rule, the racing authority can choose to kill their business
and stop them so that they are never able to race again. That is a powerful
disincentive against breaching the rules. The retirement rule will compel
people who are retiring racehorses to aim to rehome thoroughbreds and
standardbreds.
We
will introduce a racehorse passport. When a horse passes from the racing
industry on to other owners, the passport will stay with the horse and the owner will be incentivised to notify
Racing and Wagering Western Australia so we know where the horse is all the way through its post-racing career. A
welfare facility will also be established. It will not be a retirement home for
horses; it will be a place where horses are transitioned and get retraining, if
necessary, and be cared for if they
need a little assistance in that regard before being rehomed, much like the
greyhound adoption program.
There will be greater oversight of
knackeries, and this is crucial, member; the member should listen to this. I do
not think the Nationals did this, because they do not want anyone going near
knackeries. We will register the knackeries and abattoirs that will be the only
ones allowed to take racehorses, and they will immediately have to sign up to a
memorandum of understanding to allow unannounced inspections. You started this,
mate.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : We will
legislate —
The SPEAKER : I remember when you were a minister,
member for Warren–Blackwood; you used to take a long time. Do not
criticise other ministers for doing that.
Mr P. PAPALIA : They will be
required to be willing to accept unannounced inspections, which the Nationals
opposed. The National Party in Western Australia opposed unannounced
inspections of knackeries and abattoirs.
Ms M.J. Davies : That's
not true.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I heard them
two days ago—or a day ago—attack the Attorney General over that
matter. The member for Roe knows what I am talking about. That happened. It
needs to get through the upper house, so I look forward to support from all the
other parties.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, the
more you interject, the longer it will take.
Mr P. PAPALIA : We are going
to legislate it. Finally, we need the federal government to step into the
field, show some leadership at a national level, and enable a system of
national traceability so that we can control what happens to horses when they
leave the state and are transferred between states, so they are not sold to
other nations that have lower animal welfare standards. The member for Moore
should not even bother asking a supplementary question. It is embarrassing.
suggestion on behalf of the member for Moore that the Nationals WA were somehow
instrumental in the response to this critical issue that arose three weeks ago,
and that was revealed as a consequence of the 7.30 report.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore!
Mr P. PAPALIA : We had the
fastest and the most rigorous response for animal welfare in the nation, driven
by this government in conjunction with the racing industry of Western Australia.
You are a disgrace, my friend. You are an embarrassment and a disgrace.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore! I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : The member for Moore—what
a joke! He should ask the racing industry of Western Australia who drove
this initiative. He should ask every eligible body for harness racing and
thoroughbreds in Western Australia who called them in for a meeting three weeks
ago. He should ask them who told them they were confronting an existential
threat.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr P. PAPALIA : He should ask
them who asked a question two days ago attacking unannounced inspections of
abattoirs. Who was that? That was the member's party, attacking the
Attorney General for saying he was going to have unannounced inspections, which
is a key element of this plan. The member is a disgrace! But he gives me an
opportunity to tell him about the plan.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank you,
minister.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Moore,
it is your last warning.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : I have had it pointed
out by colleagues, and it is a worthy observation, that had the Nationals WA had its way, the vision on 7.30 would not have existed. The Nationals
would have locked up the journalist! The Nationals' means of avoiding
animal cruelty is to not look: ''Don't look! Do not allow
inspectors to go anywhere near animals, because that way we'll never
know about cruelty. It won't exist because our heads will be firmly
planted in the ground.'' The member is a disgrace. I cannot believe he
asked me that.
Nevertheless, the plan announced
today is the most rigorous in the nation and the fastest and most comprehensive
response by a government, in conjunction with its racing industry, in the
nation. It establishes Western Australia as having the highest standards of
animal welfare for the racing industry anywhere in the country. Firstly, we are
going to carry out a census of all thoroughbreds and standardbreds in the
state, both currently racing and retired, to determine what we are looking at
in terms of numbers. That will be followed by the licensing of WA breeders.
Nowhere else in the country are breeders licensed. Consider this: if we do not
know how many horses are being bred, we do not know whether there is
overbreeding. I do not think there is in Western Australia. As the member for
South Perth could probably confirm, the concern is that it is going the other
way and that we do not have enough. That aside, we are going to license
breeders.
There will also be the introduction
of a retirement rule. The member for South Perth could instruct the member on
the power of those rules. If someone who derives their income from racing
breaches a racing rule, the racing authority can choose to kill their business
and stop them so that they are never able to race again. That is a powerful
disincentive against breaching the rules. The retirement rule will compel
people who are retiring racehorses to aim to rehome thoroughbreds and
standardbreds.
We
will introduce a racehorse passport. When a horse passes from the racing
industry on to other owners, the passport will stay with the horse and the owner will be incentivised to notify
Racing and Wagering Western Australia so we know where the horse is all the way through its post-racing career. A
welfare facility will also be established. It will not be a retirement home for
horses; it will be a place where horses are transitioned and get retraining, if
necessary, and be cared for if they
need a little assistance in that regard before being rehomed, much like the
greyhound adoption program.
There will be greater oversight of
knackeries, and this is crucial, member; the member should listen to this. I do
not think the Nationals did this, because they do not want anyone going near
knackeries. We will register the knackeries and abattoirs that will be the only
ones allowed to take racehorses, and they will immediately have to sign up to a
memorandum of understanding to allow unannounced inspections. You started this,
mate.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : We will
legislate —
The SPEAKER : I remember when you were a minister,
member for Warren–Blackwood; you used to take a long time. Do not
criticise other ministers for doing that.
Mr P. PAPALIA : They will be
required to be willing to accept unannounced inspections, which the Nationals
opposed. The National Party in Western Australia opposed unannounced
inspections of knackeries and abattoirs.
Ms M.J. Davies : That's
not true.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I heard them
two days ago—or a day ago—attack the Attorney General over that
matter. The member for Roe knows what I am talking about. That happened. It
needs to get through the upper house, so I look forward to support from all the
other parties.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, the
more you interject, the longer it will take.
Mr P. PAPALIA : We are going
to legislate it. Finally, we need the federal government to step into the
field, show some leadership at a national level, and enable a system of
national traceability so that we can control what happens to horses when they
leave the state and are transferred between states, so they are not sold to
other nations that have lower animal welfare standards. The member for Moore
should not even bother asking a supplementary question. It is embarrassing.
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