The Tasmanian government has pulled its greyhound racing ban bill from debate this week, conceding it does not yet have the numbers to get it through the Legislative Council.
The bill needed the support of three of the five undecided upper house independents to pass. It is understood debate will now be pushed back to the next sitting in mid-May.
The legislation had the support of independent MLC Meg Webb, Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor and three Liberal MLCs.
Independents Tania Rattray and Casey Hiscutt last night indicated their opposition, while Ruth Forrest said she had yet to reach a final position. Two Labor MLCs oppose the bill.
Members arrived at Parliament House on Thursday expecting to resume debate on the bill, which had been adjourned late the previous night.
Instead, they found it missing from the order of business with no prior notice.
Bec Thomas, the independent member for Elwick, was scathing about the lack of communication.
“Not even an email. We got in here, had a look at the notice paper and some of us might have noticed, oh, there’s something missing,” she said.
“For the government to not explain to the people or to us as elected members shows complete disrespect for this house and for us as members.”
Ruth Forrest, the independent member for Murchison, said the decision was politically motivated and disrespectful to every member, regardless of where they stood.
“They say let’s just defer it off to May or sometime. That is budget week. Then we are into the budget session,” she said.
Also in May are elections for the Legislative Council seats of Rosevears and Huon, which could change the makeup of the upper house.
Forrest said she had not yet decided how she would vote and was frustrated at being put under pressure from both sides of the debate.
The legislation would shut the industry down by June 30, 2029, with an immediate ban on breeding greyhounds for racing and a prohibition on euthanising healthy dogs.
The bill cleared the House of Assembly in December and was amended earlier this year to include a $4.8 million compensation package for industry participants.
If passed, Tasmania would become the first Australian state to outlaw the sport, following the ACT’s 2018 ban.
Crossbench concerns have centred on the lack of industry consultation before the bill was tabled, the speed of the transition, and the welfare of dogs and workers caught up in the wind-down.
