NSW Labor, who have basically been completely AWOL from public life since Mike Baird was re-elected last March, have raised their heads on the issue on greyhound racing, promising that if elected they will reverse Mike Baird‘s decision to ban the sport.
Opposition Leader Luke Foley, who has uttered barely a peep on anything else Baird has done in his tenure as Premier, says that the decision to implement the ban was ‘elitist’.
Chatting to the @GrillTeam shortly about saving the NSW Greyhound racing industry. #nswpol LISTEN LIVE: https://t.co/57voHbx7no
— Luke Foley (@Luke_FoleyNSW) July 10, 2016
He spoke to ABC Radio, saying that many people had been affected by the announcement. “I stand for keeping the industry alive,” Foley told ABC Radio on Monday. “I’ve had people in tears, shattered people, devastated people who don’t understand why they, who are dog lovers, are being punished and why their livelihood and their recreational pastime is being declared illegal by the government.”
He said Labor would overturn the ban if elected in 2019, but in the meantime will try to form alliances with the Nationals, who are also not particularly keen on Baird’s plan.
Federal Labor senator Sam Dastyari echoed the claims. “This whole thing reeks of inner city elitism, wowserism, where the pastimes and enjoyment of thousands of NSW residents is looked down upon by a bunch of snobs.”
This comes after the Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association announced that they were going to launch a massive campaign against Baird over the ban.
“I was part of a union movement that brought down a government and it can do it again,” he told the ABC. “The people of NSW will fight for this.”
It’s pretty obvious that wherever you stand on greyhound racing, the situation in the NSW industry was deplorable and the interna lefforts at cleaning it up were shithouse. We’ll have to see how much steam this campaign picks up.
But seriously: those who aren’t fans of Baird have got to be wondering why NSW Labor has only developed a spine on this specific issue. C’mon guys – where are you on lockouts, on housing affordability, on anything else?
Source: The Guardian.
Photo: Getty Images.
