Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)

It was a consultation on the new strategy. Again, the timing is interesting as it comes just at this moment. I am very curious to see how animal welfare for greyhounds will be addressed. I saw people shaking their heads, but these were burning issues in the discussion that we had on the Greyhound Racing Act in 2019. I refer to issues such as surgical artificial insemination, overbreeding and the effective large-scale mass euthanisation of greyhounds. During the debate on the Greyhound Racing Act 2019, let us be clear, these improvements were imposed on the industry. Senator Ruane and I won two amendments. We won the requirement, for the first time, that a vet be anywhere near the board of the greyhound racing industry. We won, and they were made to rehome. It is section 29 in that Act. It was not a spontaneous attempt by people who want to care for their greyhounds and make sure they are well. Rehoming is a legal requirement that was placed on them in section 29 of that Act. Those are the concessions we won. I will come back to how they have been diluted by the industry.