The Hunter's greyhound trainers and breeders have joined forces to fight the state government's ban on the sport.
More than 400 people who are involved in the industry gathered at Warners Bay yesterday for a crisis meeting to unite in opposition.
Labor MP's Sonia Hornery and Jodie Harrison have thrown their support behind them, vowing to fight Mike Baird's legislation.
Labor Leader Luke Foley has promised to save the greyhound racing industry.
"... 10 to 20 per cent of greyhound trainers have engaged in live baiting. That means 80 to 90 per cent have done the right thing and I don't want them to suffer, to have their industry wiped out because of the actions of a small minority", he said.
Yesterday's meeting at Warners Bay endorsed long-term greyhound breeder, Kevin Gordon to be the Hunter's voice in a newly-formed committee to lobby National Party MP's to cross the floor to defeat legislation banning greyhound racing in NSW.
He's called into question the Special Commission of Inquiry's findings that between 50,000 and 70,000 greyhounds were killed over the past 12 years because they were too slow. Kevin Gordon says tracking numbers of greyhounds wasn't undertaken by the industry until 15 months ago. He maintains these figures include greyhounds who died of natural causes over the 12 year period as well as greyhounds that were exported to New Zealand or sold interstate, along with the hundreds of thousands of greyhounds over the years who were kept as pets by their trainers after they retired from racing.
"I spoke to a breeder in the Hunter Valley yesterday who has 25 greyhounds that he has kept as pets. Unfortunately those pets hadn't been registered as being kept as pets, so they're in this fictitious number. So the number is just false", he said.
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| Kevin Gordon Addresses Yesterday's Meeting [image Newcastle Herald} |
