The local greyhound racing fraternity will unite to fight a state government ban on their industry.
A meeting on Sunday at the Wauchope-track attracted about 140 people and heard from local MP Melinda Pavey and chair of the Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association, Geoff Rose.
The meeting was told that a special commission report into the industry that Premier Bike Baird used as the basis for his decision to the state-wide ban was ‘full of holes’ and ‘flawed’.
Mr Rose said the GBOTA ‘will sell every asset it’s got’ to fight the ban.
“We have employed David Bennett, one of Australia’s best constitutional lawyers and QCs, I’ll spend $20 million, we will sell every asset we’ve got … we have other monies coming in … to fight this ban,” he said.
Mr Rose indicated that the industry had been denied natural justice given the swiftness of the decision.
He acknowledged the industry was continuing to change for the better and challenged the government to ‘look at the facts’ and not rely on ten year old information from Canada.
“The report is flawed and we will continue to dig deeper to find more evidence (of misinformaiton).”
The meeting was urged to read the report and then make representations to Mrs Pavey who was urged to take their representations to the premier and deputy premier, Troy Grant.
Mrs Pavey said the ban would formally go to parliament in August.
“As I have said, the industry needs to find those holes in the report and any other mistakes. You then need to get that information to me and I will take those back to the government,” she said.
“But today is really tough. I can hear the passion and concern in your voices. I have never faced anything like this in my 12 year career as a politician.”
