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Alicia Wood, ‘MP warns against closing industry’ Daily Telegraph (1 October 2015) 8

Listen to my interview with 2GB’s Ben Fordham here.

A NSW government MP has broken ranks to warn against shutting down the greyhound industry, instead calling for tougher penalties for trainers who break the law.

The Premier’s Parliamentary Secretary for Western Sydney Ray Williams said he did not support calls for a complete shutdown of greyhound racing, as suggested by counsel assisting the Commission into the greyhound industry.

“I would support a five-year sentence or $100,000 fine for anyone convicted of cruelty to animals and a complete loss of licence. It is a sport that generates a lot of interest, and a lot of revenue for the government,” Mr Williams said.

He has also slammed the faux outrage about animal cruelty in greyhound racing by people who willingly consume animals as food.

“What about sweet little lambs or piglets like ‘Babe’. How long can they expect to live before they are chopped up and served in our restaurants. The fact is we kill millions of animals every day in order to survive, but we conveniently overlook this when we learn of the attrition rate of greyhound dogs,” Mr Williams said.

He said the industry needs to change if it is to survive, but said the hundreds of millions raised by greyhound racing goes into supporting schools and hospitals.

“I have never had an involvement in greyhounds and I don’t bet, so I have no conflict whatsoever regarding this industry. I do however acknowledge the billions of dollars it creates for government which is returned to our schools, hospitals and roads, not to mention the obvious employment involved,” Mr Williams said.

“I’m quite sure greyhound racing can live without live baiting and it must in order to continue.”

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