Tasmania pushes ahead with greyhound racing ban as independents tip balance

Tasmania's recently appointed racing minister Roger Jaensch is actively seeking to move a greyhound racing prohibition through parliament, a move endorsed by Premier Jeremy Rockliff. After a postponed debate in April, the bill now counts on the votes of three government MLCs, Greens senator Cassy O'Connor, independent Meg Webb and independent Clare Glade-Wright, reaching seven of the eight required approvals. Opponents include Labor and several independents, meaning at least one more independent—Ruth Forrest, Mike Gaffney or Rosemary Armitage—must side with the government.

A parliamentary committee is reviewing the ban's wider impacts and is expected to finish its work by October. In parallel, the government’s voluntary exit scheme, which provides compensation for those leaving the racing sector by year-end, has received 13 inquiries, according to Racing Integrity Commissioner Sean Carroll. The state has allocated $4.6 million for the transition, though Labor questions the overall cost of re-homing the 765 greyhounds involved.