December 9, 2024 • 5 mins
The Government is changing the law to protect dogs as they retire from greyhound racing.
The Racing Minister's announced the industry will shut down over 20 months, allowing time to rehome thousands of dogs.
Winston Peters says the percentage of dogs injured is persistently high - and it's time to make a call in their best interest.
Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls unpacked the implications of these law changes.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It'd be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's the Racing Minister sees shutting down grayhound racing is
a matter of doing the right thing. To discuss more,
we're joined by our political editor Jason Wolves.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Good Air Boys.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
So any word when this greyhound ban is going to
come into effect?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Yes, well, twenty months from now, says Winston Peters. He
needs to give the industry a little bit of time
to wind things down and to cross a few tees
and dot a few eyes. But for all intents and purposes,
this industry is dead. It will be no more from
twenty months time after these let this legislation comes in
all this band comes into force, which is essentially now,
(00:50):
but saying it for twenty months time, we do have
in tandem to this, some legislation going through the House
which is essentially going to make it illegal to euthanize
greyhounds racing dogs. Because this ban is coming into place,
and Peter's said that process begins today with the introduction
of the racing in this on Lawful Destruction of Specified
(01:10):
Greyhound's Amendment spell a bit of a mouthful.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
Here's what he had to say, which we passed under
urgency to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing dogs, and
we've had the commitment of one hundred and twenty two
votes for that to happen.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So every MP in the House is alongside the Racing
Minister Winston Peters with this one and that's going to
pass through all stages of the House later today.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Now.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
According to Winston, who's just come out of a press conference,
this is something that the government has been working on
for some time.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
And we are coursious to make sure that we had
all the facts. But the incidents of injuries is just unacceptable.
It's about sixty eight percent above the any acceptable benchmark
and mirrors internationally some of the records there as well,
and so in the end we have to make it
decision and we're making one.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
So interestingly, he said that the racing industry, the greyhound
sector learned about this is the same time as everybody else,
so there's quite a few I mean, you could be
listening to this right now. You could be one of
the people involved in the sector and have absolutely no
idea what has happened. So yeah, that's the way that rints,
Winston rolls.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
If they can't be put down, where are all these
poor unemployed dishluck is going to go?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Well, that's the thing. They're going to have to be rehomed.
And there's the government is anticipating and estimated about two
nine hundred racing greyhounds in New Zealand will have to
be taken into some loving homes because of this announcement.
So he did say that some would be going overseas
as well, but the vast majority would stay in New Zealand.
So if you're looking for a new fury friend, there's
(02:35):
going to be a lot of them on the market
coming up soon. So he's going to be working with
the SPCA and other animal charities to make sure they're
all rehomed.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, do you think Winston will get quite a better
pushback on this? Jason, He's been a champion of the
racing industry as a whole for some time.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
He has, but his hands were somewhat tired. I mean,
he made the point right at the beginning that there
had been three reports into greyhound racing that essentially all
came to the same conclusion that it was dangerous for
the dogs and it was unnecessary, and he said that
this is essentially the right thing to do. One of
the questions I had was is horse racing next? And
that's what I asked Winston today.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
In the horse racing industry, both of the tots and
the gulps, we have a fund and we had in
this industry as well to improve amenities to make racing safer.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
So essentially he said that the horse racing industry is
actually a lot safer for various different reasons. So that
is not on the government's radar. But however, I had
to eat a little bit of a humble pie and
how I should have learned a lesson right now, but
that I've been here for about almost ten years, that
Winston is always ready to make you look a fool.
When I asked at the difference in terms of the
(03:39):
legislation and the specifications were between horse racing and dog racing,
have listened. Would you mind describing just a bit of
the difference between horse racing and greyhound racing in terms
of the safety aspect of it? Why is it okay
for horn's but not great?
Speaker 5 (03:51):
Now, Well, they're different animals. Had you noticed that they're
totally different animals, right.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
He's always ready with a quiver.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
So I thought that I had asked a really ambiguous question,
but listening back, I thought it was pretty specific. So no,
if you're listening, if you're a fan of the ponies
and you're listening to the the government has no plans
to kibosh that industry.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Yeah, although I mean, is it going to plicate the
animal safety people or embolden them and then they'll come
for the ponies next? That's the question, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Well, I mean I think that this would embolden them
in terms of to come after the horses. Yes, next,
But you know we've already. I mean Steve Abel from
the Green Party was actually at the press conference sitting
at the back, and the Greens came out relatively quickly
with a very press release full of praise for the
government for doing this one. So you know, the people
will be appeased for now. And I think it's probably
(04:39):
something that a lot of the animal rights activists. I
don't think anybody would look at them and think it's
the right time to be saying good now this one.
I think they should probably just take the time to
say this is something that should have happened for a
long time, and I'm glad the government's moving on it.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
Well.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
I hope all those greyhounds find a home. I know
that Simpson's had a lot of luck with Senna's little helper.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Great dogs, Yeah, Jason, thank you very much mate. It's
a very interesting development and we look forward to more.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
For more from News talks'd be listen live on air
online and keep our shows with you wherever you go
with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It'd be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's the Racing Minister sees shutting down grayhound racing is
a matter of doing the right thing. To discuss more,
we're joined by our political editor Jason Wolves.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Good Air Boys.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
So any word when this greyhound ban is going to
come into effect?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Yes, well, twenty months from now, says Winston Peters. He
needs to give the industry a little bit of time
to wind things down and to cross a few tees
and dot a few eyes. But for all intents and purposes,
this industry is dead. It will be no more from
twenty months time after these let this legislation comes in
all this band comes into force, which is essentially now,
(00:50):
but saying it for twenty months time, we do have
in tandem to this, some legislation going through the House
which is essentially going to make it illegal to euthanize
greyhounds racing dogs. Because this ban is coming into place,
and Peter's said that process begins today with the introduction
of the racing in this on Lawful Destruction of Specified
(01:10):
Greyhound's Amendment spell a bit of a mouthful.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
Here's what he had to say, which we passed under
urgency to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing dogs, and
we've had the commitment of one hundred and twenty two
votes for that to happen.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
So every MP in the House is alongside the Racing
Minister Winston Peters with this one and that's going to
pass through all stages of the House later today.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Now.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
According to Winston, who's just come out of a press conference,
this is something that the government has been working on
for some time.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
And we are coursious to make sure that we had
all the facts. But the incidents of injuries is just unacceptable.
It's about sixty eight percent above the any acceptable benchmark
and mirrors internationally some of the records there as well,
and so in the end we have to make it
decision and we're making one.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
So interestingly, he said that the racing industry, the greyhound
sector learned about this is the same time as everybody else,
so there's quite a few I mean, you could be
listening to this right now. You could be one of
the people involved in the sector and have absolutely no
idea what has happened. So yeah, that's the way that rints,
Winston rolls.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
If they can't be put down, where are all these
poor unemployed dishluck is going to go?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Well, that's the thing. They're going to have to be rehomed.
And there's the government is anticipating and estimated about two
nine hundred racing greyhounds in New Zealand will have to
be taken into some loving homes because of this announcement.
So he did say that some would be going overseas
as well, but the vast majority would stay in New Zealand.
So if you're looking for a new fury friend, there's
(02:35):
going to be a lot of them on the market
coming up soon. So he's going to be working with
the SPCA and other animal charities to make sure they're
all rehomed.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, do you think Winston will get quite a better
pushback on this? Jason, He's been a champion of the
racing industry as a whole for some time.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
He has, but his hands were somewhat tired. I mean,
he made the point right at the beginning that there
had been three reports into greyhound racing that essentially all
came to the same conclusion that it was dangerous for
the dogs and it was unnecessary, and he said that
this is essentially the right thing to do. One of
the questions I had was is horse racing next? And
that's what I asked Winston today.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
In the horse racing industry, both of the tots and
the gulps, we have a fund and we had in
this industry as well to improve amenities to make racing safer.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
So essentially he said that the horse racing industry is
actually a lot safer for various different reasons. So that
is not on the government's radar. But however, I had
to eat a little bit of a humble pie and
how I should have learned a lesson right now, but
that I've been here for about almost ten years, that
Winston is always ready to make you look a fool.
When I asked at the difference in terms of the
(03:39):
legislation and the specifications were between horse racing and dog racing,
have listened. Would you mind describing just a bit of
the difference between horse racing and greyhound racing in terms
of the safety aspect of it? Why is it okay
for horn's but not great?
Speaker 5 (03:51):
Now, Well, they're different animals. Had you noticed that they're
totally different animals, right.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
He's always ready with a quiver.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
So I thought that I had asked a really ambiguous question,
but listening back, I thought it was pretty specific. So no,
if you're listening, if you're a fan of the ponies
and you're listening to the the government has no plans
to kibosh that industry.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Yeah, although I mean, is it going to plicate the
animal safety people or embolden them and then they'll come
for the ponies next? That's the question, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Well, I mean I think that this would embolden them
in terms of to come after the horses. Yes, next,
But you know we've already. I mean Steve Abel from
the Green Party was actually at the press conference sitting
at the back, and the Greens came out relatively quickly
with a very press release full of praise for the
government for doing this one. So you know, the people
will be appeased for now. And I think it's probably
(04:39):
something that a lot of the animal rights activists. I
don't think anybody would look at them and think it's
the right time to be saying good now this one.
I think they should probably just take the time to
say this is something that should have happened for a
long time, and I'm glad the government's moving on it.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
Well.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
I hope all those greyhounds find a home. I know
that Simpson's had a lot of luck with Senna's little helper.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Great dogs, Yeah, Jason, thank you very much mate. It's
a very interesting development and we look forward to more.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
For more from News talks'd be listen live on air
online and keep our shows with you wherever you go
with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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