by Luke Voogt
Animal activists and a local MP are planning to protest the Geelong Cup tomorrow following gruesome horse slaughter revelations in a recent ABC report.
Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick announced he would join the protesters at Geelong Racecourse tomorrow and urged racegoers to boycott the event.
“I am sure the people of Geelong are just as disgusted as me by what was exposed last week,” he said.
“It’s time they sent a message to the racing industry and voted with their dollars and their feet by ripping up their tickets and turning back at the gate.”
Mr Meddick’s call follows an ABC report raising allegations of animal cruelty and prompting Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to announce an independent inquiry into the industry.
The report revealed potentially thousands of former racehorses being slaughtered for pet food and aired footage showing workers kicking, beating and shocking horses at slaughterhouses.
“This is an industry that has betrayed the public and betrayed its horses,” Mr Meddick said.
“They clearly cannot be trusted to regulate themselves. The sport of kings is, in reality, the sport of cruelty and corruption.”
The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses organised the protest, which according to an event page at 5pm today had 39 people going and 216 interested.
The page asks protesters to “dress in smart attire”.
But fellow Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur slammed the protest and questioned the smart attire instructions.
“Is their intention to enter the course to disrupt the meeting directly, not just to protest with placards outside the track entrance?” she said.
“This obstruction of lawful business is just another example of the extremism we’re seeing so often from self-appointed experts in the current climate.
“I reject Andy Meddick’s call for a boycott of the Geelong Cup tomorrow.”
Mrs McArther acknowledged the “appalling activities” the ABC investigation revealed in a Queensland abattoir and that “no one would ever condone cruelty like this”.
“But the easy option is always to boycott, protest, ban, or to call for an enquiry, when it’s productive solutions we should be seeking,” she said.
“ABC have highlighted a particular issue, and one which must be addressed energetically – but it’s a small part of a much bigger industry.”
Mrs McArthur said government should remedy any failure to treat former racehorses humanely rather than outlaw the entire industry.
Horse racing generated billions for the economy, $400 million in State Government revenue, employment for thousands and great pleasure to the sporting public, she said.
Mrs McArthur described Mr Meddick’s call as “totally irresponsible”.
“Virtually every town in Western Victoria has a racecourse and racing club,” she said.
“Given the employment and income it provides, what is his alternative?”
