Tuesday, 31 October 2023

Horseracing

Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (13:22): At least 168 horses were killed on Australian racetracks last year – the worst on record – and yet again we are hearing disturbing stories of animal cruelty in the lead-up to this year’s Melbourne Cup. Just a few weeks ago jockey Mark Zahra broke the rules for excessive whipping during the Caulfield Cup. For this he was fined $50,000 and suspended for seven races, but he could choose when the suspension took place, so he rode in the Cox Plate last weekend and he will be back in the saddle for the Victoria Derby this weekend. That is not even a slap on the wrist. If only the jockeys were as gentle with their horses as Racing Victoria is with the jockeys. Victorians, though, are noticing the way that this industry treats these beautiful animals. Thanks to the tireless work of animal welfare campaigners highlighting this harmful industry’s legacy of cruelty and deaths, their social licence has eroded so much that this year’s Melbourne Cup parade was cancelled. As more and more Victorians say nup to the cup, it is appalling that the Labor government is expending exponentially more to prop up the racing industry than on people in housing stress or experiencing homelessness. In a cost-of-living crisis, it is time to cancel the cup and spend that money instead on good public-interest activities to support Victorians who are doing it tough.