Mr  J. BULL (Sunbury) — I rise to contribute to debate on the Racing and Other Acts Amendment (Greyhound Racing and Welfare Reform) Bill 2015. As we have heard from a number of members, the bill implements the recommendations to government arising from racing integrity commissioner and chief veterinary officer reports into live baiting in February 2016. I just want to pick up on the comments of the member for Mordialloc, who spoke about the greed and essentially the lack of morals shown by a number of people in the industry who were certainly found to be very much doing the wrong thing and went above and beyond breaking what all members would agree was a deep moral code, something that no member of this house would support and no Victorian would support.

It is hard to forget those images from the Four Corners report last year. It was certainly one of the first major incidents or scandals that came to light in the term of the Andrews government. The images stayed in the hearts and minds of Victorians for all the wrong reasons. They were images that quite frankly made us all stand back and question the actions of those who would be prepared to commit such cruel acts in order to gain advantage over the competition, to make money and to commit these extremely cruel acts on possums and piglets. Certainly they are images that stay in our minds. It is not a bad thing that they do stay in our minds, as confronting as they are, because we should all take them into consideration when reviewing the current legal framework and legislation that exists around the industry.

It is up to Parliament, to all members and to all Victorians to always stand up for those who are defenceless. In my view that certainly includes animals, who in this case are victims, as I have mentioned, of such cruel and cowardly behaviour. I did have a visit from a family friend who lived in Sunbury and raced greyhounds for many years on their property. They also had horses, and my brother’s horses actually lived on their property for many years. This lady was very concerned about what she had seen on Four Corners, like many of us were. I know that both she and her husband and sons, and also other family friends who live in Bendigo and race greyhounds, are very decent, good people. They follow the rules within the industry, and they would not condone such acts to gain advantage. That is worth noting and thinking about when we consider the response to the report.

There are many in the greyhound industry who I personally know, these people included, who want to see the industry go from strength to strength. Does that mean that there are those who not only bend the rules but also break the rules and actually do some of the most despicable things to animals, things that resonate with me and people I know? On both sides of the house I think it is something we should all be extremely strong in opposing.

I note that the Minister for Racing is in the house. On 11 June 2015 the Minister for Racing announced that the government was taking swift action to crack down on live baiting in the greyhound industry and would implement a suite of integrity and welfare measures. In total, as we have heard, 68 recommendations were made to the government and Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV).

Last year members will recall that we dealt with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment Act 2015, and this bill certainly follows on from that piece of legislation. The bill will broaden the functions of Greyhound Racing Victoria and the board to include responsibility for promoting animal welfare, including greyhound welfare across the industry. It will modernise governance arrangements for GRV and require that a member of the board and GRV Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board has the expertise in animal welfare and/or ethics. It will also extend the powers of the racing integrity commissioner to enable him or her to audit the animal welfare processes and systems of a racing controlling body to the extent that they relate to the integrity in racing and refer complaints about animal welfare to the appropriate body.

It will also align the hours during which the board of GRV or authorised persons may conduct inspections, with common hours of the operation of the industry. Importantly it will provide the Minister for Racing with the power to recommend the appointment of an administrator in place of the board as well as, as we have already seen, amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 to extend the time limit for commencing proceedings for baiting and luring offences from 12 months to 3 years. That is obviously a very fancy set of words, but this bill is about ensuring that the protections within the industry are there for greyhounds and also — —

Mr Northe — Or bulls.

Mr J. BULL — Or bulls. Certainly bulls as well. I thank the member for Morwell for that interjection. Very rarely do I get through a speech without a reference to a bull, so I appreciate that. I notice the other Bull is not in the house. Look, it is certainly my view, and I know the view of all members — I hope it is certainly the view of all members — that for too long some, and I say some, in the greyhound industry have acted inhumanely and have believed that a win, some cash and some glory come above the rights, health, welfare and treatment of animals. This is wrong. I hope that the changes made last year and this year will stamp out this behaviour.

I want to take this opportunity in the remaining time I have left to thank all of those agencies that work hard each and every day to ensure that animals are treated fairly and humanely — organisations such as the RSPCA, veterinarians, animal hospitals, and all of their staff that work each and every day in supporting our furry and our not so furry friends. This is important work; this is work that I think is valued by the community as a whole. It is also a good opportunity to put on record my support of the Labor Animal Welfare Network, a group that is committed to supporting like-minded activists to treat animals humanely. It is work that I know has already attracted 1000 supporters on Facebook, and I can only see that growing. I commend and certainly thank all of those that are involved in this.

The remaining recommendations that I have not discussed in my contribution will be addressed by the report into racing integrity structures by Mr Paul Bittar due in March 2016, and through an interdepartmental panel that will be charged with looking at the administrative changes to clarify how greyhound businesses are regulated under the planning scheme and regulated by councils.

In my view this bill balances the rights of people to privacy while specifying the hours in which a person may inspect a property. Importantly this bill also reserves the right of relevant persons to enter if there is a suspicion of an offence being committed. If we take the industry in its entirety, we are looking at, as we have already heard, 3000 jobs and $350 million annually for the economy. I think that certainly most people that I know who are involved in the greyhound racing industry very much enjoy the industry and very much support the industry. They do the right thing, and I think — I know in fact — that they welcome these changes. Certainly in the conversations that I had on the day or the week after the story broke, they were also calling for a number of these measures.

We know that the RSPCA has come out in support of these changes. I think it is very important in all of these decisions to consult with peak bodies and confirm that we are continually making sure that we are going in the right direction when it comes to the protection of animals. I think that a modern, decent humane society is something that all Victorians should strive for. Many members have pets, and I think that the love and the joy that they bring to those who look after them is important. I commend the bill to the house.