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| Barnaby the Magician: Knows how to pull a rabbit out of his hat and a hare out of his bum! |
While the rest of Australia is in shock at the live-baiting scandal revelations involving greyhounds which has rocked the industry to its foundations, Barnaby Joyce has condemned the actions of those who exposed this illegal activity.
Those who have dared to publicly reveal the horrific corruption around the immoral and illegal live-baiting practices, deserve the heartiest congratulations from every decent person in Australia.
The racing authorities failed to expose these scandals but those who dared to reveal the sordid practices in the industry have been condemned by Barnaby Joyce for their genuine concern for the animals' welfare which saw things such as covert surveillance cameras used to expose the crooks in the greyhound industry.
How else was this ever going to be exposed?
It could have gone on for another 50 years with people like Barnaby Joyce at the helm.
Barnaby Joyce stands condemned forever for putting technical legal absurdities ahead of animal welfare and the protection of individual, defenceless animals such as piglets, possums and rabbits.
Barnaby, your 18th century attitudes makes every decent Australian sick in the stomach over your idiotic, insane and ridiculous comments.
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| Barnaby Joyce has criticised activists for their methods in exposing alleged live-bait training of greyhounds |
The Australian reports:
BARNABY Joyce has criticised animal rights activists for taking the law into their “own hands” to expose alleged live-bait training in the greyhound racing industry.
Licensed trainers embroiled in the alleged live-baiting expose shown on ABC’s Four Corners last night face a two-year jail term and a $35,000 fine if they feel the full weight of the law.
Twenty-three racing identities, among them prominent and decorated names in the greyhound industry, have been stood down while the RSPCA investigate alleged criminality and stewards commence their own inquiry.
The Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce this afternoon said he would meet state ministers to ensure the industry remains “viable”, “strong” and “ethical”.
However Mr Joyce also criticised activists who apparently trespassed to record video of live-baiting by trainers in Queensland, Victoria and NSW.
If exemptions were allowed for animal rights activists, other activists would soon begin bugging doctors’ surgeries and accountancy practices they suspect of malpractice.
“You cannot decide to take the law into your own hands. Once you do that, once you make that exclusion that you can break the law for this person then where does it stop?” Mr Joyce said.
“Everyone has an own purview an ethical reason to break into some industry because of what they judge to be correct.
“That judgment overwhelmingly is done by the police, or its done by the RSPCA; it can’t be done by people of their own volition.”
The Senate is considering a private senator’s bill that would impose five-year prison terms for trespass offences that result in economic damage of more than $10,000, or 10 years’ jail for damage exceeding $100,000.
Economic damage exceeding $1 million would carry a 20-year penalty under the bill, proposed by Liberal senator Chris Back.
Greyhound Racing Victoria chief executive Adam Wallish said all steps would be taken to make sure “criminals” filmed strapping live rabbits, possums and piglets to mechanical lures for greyhounds to chase and ultimately kill are punished.
GRV suspended the licence for the Tooradin trial track, near Cranbourne, and 10 licensed persons on Friday after being shown evidence presented to the Racing Integrity Commissioner, Sal Perna.
Wallish said the Tooradin property had been the subject of 16 inspections in the past few years. Under the Racing Act, authorities can only inspect the properties “during reasonable hours”.
Racing Queensland has already announced the establishment of an independent taskforce to investigate the issue and other independent reviews in other states are likely to be announced in the next 24 hours.
“The industry accepts responsibility for doing more to rid the sport of this illegal and immoral practice,” Scott Parker, Greyhounds Australasia chief executive said.
Greyhound racing faces a difficult path restoring public faith in the sport.
“It’s going to be difficult and it’s going to take some time but we will be working very hard to ensure these people no longer take any part in the sport,” Wallish said.
The annual industry awards function for 600 people at Crown Casino this Friday night has been scrapped at the insistence of the Victoria’s racing minister, Martin Pakula.
Mr Pakula, and Minister for Agriculture, Jaala Pulford, today announced a broad investigation into animal welfare and allegations of animal cruelty in the greyhound racing industry by Dr Charles Milne, Chief Veterinary Officer of Victoria.
