The head of the NSW greyhound trainers association has accused the state government of misusing public funds by placing newspaper advertisements supporting its proposed ban on the sport.
Brenton Scott, the chief executive of the Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association, said the use of public funds for advertisements in Monday’s Daily Telegraph was “outlandish, outrageous and unprecedented”.
The advertisements highlighted that 4,074 greyhounds on average are slaughtered each year, 136 die racing each year and that greyhound racing is legal in only eight countries.
“I cannot recall a government ever using public funds to protest against a community like ours in this way,” Scott told Guardian Australia.
“We have every right to be stating our position for maintaining the industry, and for the government to use public funds to come out and reinforce information which we have said is false is outlandish, outrageous and unprecedented.”
Scott said the decision-making process used to ban the industry was flawed and based on inaccurate data about the number of deaths and injuries.
Greyhound industry stakeholders will protest against the proposed ban outside the NSW Parliament House in Macquarie Street when parliament resumes on Tuesday.
The NSW premier, Mike Baird, is expected to introduce legislation next week to ban the industry by July next year, including a phase-out period.
On Sunday the Labor opposition leader, Luke Foley, who opposes the ban, released his plan for reforming the industry and holding trainers to account without the need for a ban.
Foley said his plan was based on the recommendations of Justice Michael McHugh’s report, which was also the basis for Baird announcing the industry ban.
McHugh’s report found that between 48,000 and 68,000 greyhounds – at least half of all greyhounds bred to race – were killed in the past 12 years because they were deemed uncompetitive, and that up to 20% of trainers engaged in the illegal practice of live-baiting.
Labor’s plan includes legislation to establish a regulator responsible for implementing high standards of animal welfare; splitting the commercial and regulatory functions of the sport; and implementing severe punishments for those guilty of animal mistreatment, including life bans from the industry and jail terms.
Foley called on members of the National party to support his proposal, saying thousands of jobs would be lost through a ban, including many in rural and regional NSW.
“The time has come for National party members to stand up for regional communities,” Foley said. “Abstaining from the vote won’t change a thing. The Nationals will need to vote with Labor to save greyhound racing. The greyhound industry will be shut down unless Mr Baird’s legislation is voted down.
“There is a path forward to clean up the industry and establish a regulatory body with a mandate for the highest standards of animal welfare.”
The NSW Nationals leader and deputy premier, Troy Grant, is facing pressure from his party, led by Katrina Hodgkinson to allow a conscience vote on the legislation. Last month she said the conscience vote should be allowed so that “those people who want to see the abolition of thousands of jobs from regional NSW can have that on their conscience”.
Labor will hold a caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, at which the greyhound ban will be a key issue. Not everyone in the party is as adamantly opposed to the ban as their leader.
The Labor MP for the Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle, wrote on Facebook that her constituents wanted to see a ban on greyhound racing “at a rate of almost 100 to one”.
“I abhor animal cruelty and have never been a fan of the so-called sport,” she wrote.
Asked by whether she would defy Foley and support the ban, Doyle said she would wait and see what views were put forward at the caucus meeting.
However, she described McHugh’s report into greyhound racing as “horrific reading”.
The Labor MP for Summer Hill, Jo Haylen, said on Facebook: “I am a proud and passionate supporter of animal welfare and have put my view and the views of the vast majority of my constituents to the leader of the opposition.”
“And I am also looking forward to doing what I can to help find loving homes for more rescue dogs,” she said.
Haylen did not say whether she would support Baird’s legislation.
