Racing Minister Jane Howlett has been targeted with a death threat over the state government’s plan to end greyhound racing in 2029.
A social media user in a pro-greyhound industry group made the alleged threat under a post by former Labor leader Dean Winter on Wednesday.
“What a f–king joke she needs something between the eyes,” the man wrote. The comment is understood to have been reported to police.
Other replies to the post included: “What a piece ov s–t” and “You lying dog you are full of s–t it’s got nothing to do with welfare.”
The post featured only a video of Howlett answering a question about the greyhound industry during question time yesterday morning.
Speaking shortly after the comments appeared, Howlett said she believed the video had been uploaded only to “incite comments” and encourage “more personal abuse and derogatory language” towards her.
“Members in this place are entitled to a safe place to work and do business,” she told the chamber.
“There is no place for encouragement of online abuse, as Mr Winter has done, nor is it appropriate for the Labor leader and deputy leader to watch on and not call this behaviour out.”
Winter rejected the accusation, saying it was “absolutely not true” to suggest his post was intended to provoke abuse.
“I did not incite and would never incite anyone in the way that the minister inferred that I did,” he said.
“I know what it’s like to be targeted online and I take my role here seriously and I don’t complain when I am.”
“We are all public figures and the decisions we make, the things that we say, we have to be held accountable for.”
Winter said the five-minute video contained “exactly the words that the minister said” in parliament.
“She is so offended by her own words and what she said that she is now calling that a direction of online abuse,” he said.
“I raise these issues because people deserve to know what this minister and this government is doing to the racing industry every single day.”
The exchange came during an unsuccessful Labor motion highlighting what it said was the Liberals ‘selling out’ the greyhound, salmon and forestry industries after the election in order to hold onto government.
