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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
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Motions

Jumps Racing

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (11:02): I move:

1. That, in the opinion of this house, a joint committee be appointed to inquire into and report on jumps racing in South Australia and whether it should be banned.

2. In the event of a joint committee being appointed, the House of Assembly shall be represented by three members of the House of Assembly, of whom two shall form a quorum of the House of Assembly members necessary to be present at all sittings of the committee.

3. That a message be sent to the Legislative Council transmitting the foregoing resolution and requesting its concurrence thereto.

Last week, I gave notice that I intended to establish a joint committee to investigate and report on jumps racing and whether it should be banned in South Australia. I come before the house to commend the motion. There is continuing community concern about this form of racing, and debate on the issue has become more active since the announcement by the South Australian Jockey Club in 2014 that it wanted to cease jumps racing at Morphettville Racecourse. The growing unease amongst the wider community and industry is why the government proposes to establish a parliamentary committee to investigate the issue further.

South Australia and Victoria are the only two states in Australia where it is still legal to hold jumps races; events are held at Oakbank, Morphettville, Gawler, Mount Gambier and Murray Bridge. The sports controlling authority, Thoroughbred Racing SA (TRSA), is responsible for all race programming and any decision on the future of jumps racing, barring a legislative approach, rests with the TRSA, which supports jumps racing. Many people involved in the industry, including trainers, agree that jumps racing is a thing of the past and do not support the relatively high prize money offered by TRSA for jumps rather than for flat races.

In 1991, a federal Senate inquiry concluded that serious concerns about the welfare of horses participating in jumps races were based on the significant probability of a horse suffering serious injury or even death as a result of participating in these events. The committee concluded that there is an inherent conflict between these activities and animal welfare, and recommended relevant state governments should phase out jumps racing within three years; again, that inquiry was back in 1991.

The South Australian Greens animal welfare spokesperson has introduced an Animal Welfare (Jumps Racing) Amendment Bill into parliament. This follows a similar attempt by the South Australian Greens to amend the legislation in 2011. Legislation which banned jumps racing in New South Wales in 1998 contains an exemption for those who organise or participate in show jumping events. Through the establishment of a joint committee, South Australians who want to formally share their views on jumps racing will be able to participate through this inquiry. I commend the motion to the house.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (11:05): I would like to move an amendment to point 1 of the minister's motion:

That in the opinion of this house, a joint committee be appointed to inquire into and report on jumps racing in South Australia and whether it should be banned.

I want to delete the words 'and whether it should be banned'.

The Minister for Racing has been vocal for some time about his personal opinion on jumps racing and it has come as little surprise that he would make such a move to introduce a joint committee to look at this historic sport. We need to ensure that it does not turn into a committee where the government, in particular the racing minister, pushes its own agenda, and this must remain a parliamentary committee which looks at the facts and is not swayed by personal opinion.

I would first like to make it clear that the South Australian Liberal Party is supportive of jumps racing in South Australia. The sport has had a long and proud history and South Australia held the first hurdle race in 1842 in Adelaide. Jumps racing is also prominent across the world in countries such as Great Britain, France, Ireland, the USA, Japan, New Zealand and Germany. The safety of horses involved in jumps racing is paramount and I acknowledge the efforts made by the industry to continually improve any challenges it has faced.

Thoroughbred Racing SA has a Jumps Review Panel which, while not limited to, comprises stewards, ex-riders, trainers and a veterinary surgeon. The Jumps Review Panel continually reviews all jumps events as part of the industry's ongoing commitment to safety in the sport. Every jumps race or trial at a South Australian racetrack, whether or not there is an incident, is reviewed by this panel, including the performance of the horses, the riders and the fences themselves. In recent years, Thoroughbred Racing SA altered the angle of hurdles to 55°, which offers a kinder jump than the previous 60°, and this continues to be under review. Thoroughbred Racing SA has also modified steeples to provide what it believes is a better obstacle for the horse.

Animal welfare remains a high priority for the industry. Every care is taken to ensure that horses participating in jumps racing are properly schooled and qualified. Veterinary care is also provided on race days and at official trials. In addition, riders are expected to ensure that horses that compete and either become uncompetitive or jump in an unsatisfactory manner are eased out of an event and do not complete the course.

All jumps horses are examined post race by a veterinary surgeon. The same rules of racing which apply to animal welfare in respect to horses racing on the flat apply to jumps horses. In addition, licensed trainers are required to be accredited to train and race jumps horses. I am advised by the industry that the fatality rate for horses in jumps racing in this state over the past 12 years is 0.64 per cent, and for flat racing it sits at 0.48 per cent, without trials and track work included in that statistic.

The stats show that the horse fatalities in jumps racing are very rare. There has been no fatality in jumps races since August 2012, with one horse lost in trial during that period. While safety is paramount in the sport, unfortunately, as with any sport, accidents still occur. Any death of a horse is certainly regrettable and the industry is doing everything it can to improve the safety of that sport. When I asked how to respond to allegations that jumps racing is cruel, Thoroughbred Racing SA stated:

Horses are naturally athletic animals and trainers will tell you that many horses are natural jumpers. In fact, they will tell you that with such animals it is near impossible to stop them jumping. Jumps horses are thoroughbred animals and represent a significant investment. As such, they benefit from the 24/7 care and attention with their diet, health, training and wellbeing monitored at every step.

Also, when asked why, if jumps racing was banned, jumps horses could not run in flat races, Thoroughbred Racing SA said:

Jumps horses are natural jumpers and very often are poorly suited to flat races. It would be like asking a marathon runner to compete in a 100-metre sprint. Racing's lifeblood is wagering, and punters simply will not support poor racing. It is not a viable option.

I would like to share some of the statistics of jumps racing in South Australia. The total number of starters in jumps trials at Morphettville alone has increased by 60 per cent over the past three seasons, with the total trained starters in trials across the state increasing by 109 per cent. Total starters in jumps racing increased by 15.7 per cent between 2013 and 2014, with the total South Australian trained starters increasing by 49 per cent. Last year, 18 additional trainers were accredited to train horses for jumps races.

I have heard the argument by the minister that prize money in jumps racing goes predominately interstate. In fact, the prize money won by South Australian-trained horses in jumps racing has increased from 10 per cent, in 2012, to 22.2 per cent, in 2014. By way of comparison, the prize money won by South Australian-trained horses in group 1 flat races is 7 per cent. Of the top 10 best attended events in the winter season, six had a jumping event on that day.

The race day at Oakbank is a significant contributor to the local economy, generating about $13 million annually, with an average attendance close to 70,000 people over the past three years. The Oakbank racing carnival is much more than just the world's largest picnic race meeting and is the best attended race meeting in South Australia. The state government does not contribute one cent to the Oakbank race meeting.

Jumps racing events are held at Oakbank, Morphettville, Gawler, Mount Gambier and Murray Bridge, with 16 race meetings and a total of 22 jumps races in a mix of hurdle and steeple races each year. Every race meeting at these clubs is critical to their ongoing viability, particularly in regional South Australia. The jumps racing industry is a significant employer with most participants involved in flat racing as well. Many leading trainers involved in flat racing have jumps horses in their stables which supplement their incomes and provide owners with a viable option to continue the race careers of their horses.

Many jumps jockeys work daily on the track with riders and trainers. There is a critical shortage of skilled track riders in South Australia, so these jumps jockeys provide a critical service to the industry. Without the opportunity to augment their income by riding in jumps racing, these skilled horsemen and women would be lost from the industry. The livelihoods of jockeys, trainers, strappers and stable support staff rely on jumps racing here in the state.

It is also important to note that the jumps racing industries of South Australia and Victoria are intertwined, with owners, trainers and jockeys regularly travelling to various events in both states. Jumps racing is an integral part of the racing industry in this state and a significant contributor in terms of employment and economic benefit. A 2013 study showed that the racing industry contributes more than $400 million in economic benefit to South Australia every year and employs more than 3,600 in full-time equivalent jobs.

With the history of jumps racing in South Australia, the social benefits of the races are evident. It is a sport which brings families and communities together at racetracks around this state. I have had much correspondence regarding jumps racing through my office, and I have consulted extensively with stakeholders on this very important issue. I think that, whilst there is some public sentiment opposing jumps racing, when the facts are laid out on the table there are just not all the statistics to back up those fears. I support an inquiry where there will be an opportunity to lay all the facts on the table and make an informed decision on this.

I would also like to stress the importance of the impartiality of the jumps committee and of all members being open to the facts put on the table. With very public opposition to jumps racing by the minister, it will be exceedingly important to ensure this committee is open to argument and not just on a witch-hunt. It must achieve a balanced outcome.

The Hon. P. Caica: Not just your argument.

The SPEAKER: The member for Colton is called to order.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Sorry, sir. Does that carry over for the rest of the day?

The SPEAKER: It does; it is cumulative.

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (11:15): I rise to support the member for Chaffey's amended motion before this place, that a committee be set up to inquire into jumps racing in South Australia. I would like to put on the record, though, that I have for many years been involved personally in showjumping and eventing with my own horses. Part of three-day eventing is steeplechasing, which is like a jumps race, and I have done that. I have ridden track work and I have been involved with racehorse work for many years in my previous career as a veterinary surgeon; in fact, I first started work in Western Australia in pure racehorse practice, where I had some stud and track work.

I want to make sure that everybody in this place understands that for everyone I have ever come across in the racing industry the welfare of their horses is paramount; there is no question about that at all. I can say personally that, having once had to put down one of my own injured horses—not through showjumping or eventing, but through a paddock accident—unless you are involved in making that crucial decision you really do not understand how deep those emotions can run.

Part of my role as a vet was having to put down horses. I must admit that it puzzles me when people say that jumps racing is really dangerous because I put down far more horses—I could not count them—on the flat than I have ever had to put down as a result of showjumping or eventing. Horses, just by their natural build and their athleticism, are prone to injury. They are the flight or fight animals of the highest degree. They have evolved to run fast and to jump obstacles when they are fleeing from predators. They can jump naturally. They can jump extremely large objects just from pure ability.

The problem with horses is that there is half a tonne of animal on four very small limbs compared with the size and forces, the biomechanics, working on those joints, and so you do get incidents, you do get accidents, sprains, strains and fractures. Some of those are to the point where you cannot fix them with paddock rest or supportive treatment. There is no such thing as a three-legged horse. People have tried this. They have tried floatation tanks and they have tried all sorts of implants and prostheses.

In most cases, because horses are such heavy animals on four very small surface areas, that is, their feet—'No hoof, no horse,' is the classic saying—it is very difficult to fix them when they do injure themselves. But can I emphasise the fact that I have put down far more horses through paddock and flat work injuries than I ever have because of jumps racing; in fact, I have never put down a horse because of jumps racing, only through showjumping and eventing.

The anthropomorphic views that many people have about their pets nowadays both intrigues me and bothers me. I saw recently a petition to give a chimpanzee the exact same rights as a human being. I think we really need to think about where we are going in life if that is our major concern, when thousands of children are dying every day from all sorts of diseases, malnutrition and war and we are spending money on that sort of thing—but I digress.

What we have to do is make sure we are being factual and objective about this; we are not being anthropomorphic, as I have said, and that we are making sure that we are not being, in any way, cruel to animals—we are not abusing their welfare. I do not think that jumps racing is cruel in just the same way that I do not think modern rodeo is cruel. The levels of stress are there, but we all have levels of stress in our lives; but I do not think it is cruel.

I do not think there is any horse trainer, jockey or strapper who would allow cruelty to their horses. To watch horses go around and over steeples and jumps is a magnificent sight. It is something that has been around for many years in South Australia, and it is done all over the world— the UK, USA, Japan, New Zealand and Germany.

In regard to animal welfare issues, if any place was going to ban jumps racing it would be the United Kingdom, because I read a very sad fact the other day that the top two donkey sanctuaries in England have far more money donated to them than all of the domestic violence organisations in the UK. The Poms have some bizarre attitudes to animal welfare if they think that donkey sanctuaries are more important than domestic violence, but that is an argument for another day. If they were going to ban jumps racing, I would have thought they would be doing it in England, for starters, not looking at what we are doing in South Australia.

I have no problem with examining this matter in South Australia. I have no problem with taking the evidence, objective evidence—not subjective evidence, not anthropomorphic views—on animal rights and animal welfare. It has to be calculated, it has to be objective, and it has to be thorough. That is what we are asking for in having this committee established—not for there to be a predisposed aim that it should be banned, because who knows: what are the terms of reference for this particular committee? Are we just going to take evidence from one section of the community? How broad is the evidence we are going to receive? How long is the committee going to be operating? Is it going to take evidence from overseas? Is it going to take evidence from interstate as to the changes that are going on, the changes that have been put in place to improve the ability for horses to gallop at speed and still jump?

I must admit, I had some concerns a number of years ago with the fact that horses were not showjumping, but they were really taking an elongated stride—it was a modified hurdle. Since then, changes have come in to make the jumps more of an obstacle that the horses have to approach and actually jump rather than just crash through. I can tell you about the skill involved in showjumping or steeplechasing at speed because I have done it, and you need to know what you are doing. You need to have that horse properly under control and in stride to take those steeples because you know that, if things go wrong it could be catastrophic, and nobody wants that. I remind everybody that horses have evolved to run and jump; it is part of their natural evolution. The fact that we now put a jockey on them and run them in a controlled race is an extension of that, as many things we do in life are extensions in their natural evolution.

I support the fact that we are looking into this. I look forward to reading and hearing the evidence from right across the spectrum, because everybody is entitled to their view. Let us make sure that it is objective, and that this is not a stalking horse for the next thing, namely, all the other things that a lot of animal rights groups want to do which, ultimately, is banning racing all together. I would hate this to be the straw man for that sort of agenda.

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (11:24): I rise in support of the amended motion put forward by the member for Chaffey to delete the words, 'and whether it should be banned'. That last bit gives some of the game away in terms of the desired outcome. The structure of this committee is of concern to me, given that the minister has made his views abundantly clear, and we know the position of the Greens on many things in forming, potentially, part of this committee.

In terms of disclosure, I need to admit that my grandfather (now deceased) was a horse trainer for most of his life and my formative years were spent around the Mount Gambier Racing Club and his stables which were adjacent to the club. I have been around horses quite a bit—

The Hon. P. Caica: Did you want to be a jockey?

Mr BELL: My cousin is Jason Holder who is a jockey up here in Adelaide.

The Hon. P. Caica: And a good one.

Mr BELL: He is a very good one—'Stubby Holder'. What I would hate to see is yet another industry in the South-East being scrapped. As has been mentioned, jumps racing—and racing in a broader context—is a major employer in the South-East and we need to be doing everything we can to be supporting industries, not putting them in jeopardy and at risk.

I stand for personal liberties and small government. When you translate that it means minimum intervention of government in our daily lives. It concerns me greatly when we start legislating for X, Y and Z. We have an overarching body called Thoroughbred Racing SA and, as far as I am concerned, we should be encouraging Thoroughbred Racing SA to look at and hear the concerns of the general community, if that is true, and acting accordingly.

I hate to see where government starts legislating for every concern that groups have in the community, and it goes back to my basic premise. Somebody said to me when you come into this place, the first thing you should do is work out your principles and then match any decision, particularly difficult decisions, against your principles. This one resonates with me. My principle is for personal liberties, small government, and we should not be legislating one way or the other. Yet, the committee seems to want to be structured in a way that has a predetermined outcome, which I certainly do not agree with.

Of course, the welfare of animals, from a Liberal point of view, is a genuine and deeply held concern. I think this committee could go a long way in having that as its focus—what is good welfare for jumps racing? Whether it be improvements in the number of jumps, the height of jumps, where those jumps are positioned, whether it is earlier in the race when horses are fresh as opposed to later, there is a whole range of areas that could be looked at as opposed to, as it says in the motion, 'and whether it should be banned'. That is the part that I would like to see deleted from the motion. I support the member for Chaffey in his calls for that to occur.

Mr GOLDSWORTHY (Kavel) (11:28): I am pleased to speak to the amendment moved by the member for Chaffey in relation to deleting the words 'whether it should be banned' because I think that is somewhat prejudicial in objectively considering this matter. The Oakbank race meeting is held in the electorate of Kavel which I am the member for in this place. It is a very important event, not only in my electorate but for South Australia—and, really, all of Australia—because, as we know, it is the world's largest picnic race meeting.

As the member for Chaffey pointed out, it has 70,000-plus visitors over the two-day event and it is a very important race meeting. It is also a very important tourist event in South Australia. I want to declare my interest, being a member of the Oakbank Racing Club, and I know the chairman, Mr John Glatz, quite well. As the local member, I have had a number of discussions with him over the years in relation to jumps racing and the Oakbank race meeting.

The member for Chaffey is quite correct in pointing out that the state government does not provide one cent of support to the Oakbank Racing Club to hold the Easter race meetings, so I think the motion, as it stands, is rather prejudicial. I am certainly supporting the amendment, but where does something like this end, in terms of calling for the banning of jumps racing?

The member for Morphett is a qualified professional in relation to animal husbandry. He is a veterinary surgeon. He is more qualified than anybody in this place, I think, to give an opinion in relation to how a horse, as an animal, relates to this activity. As a young child we used to have horse events in our local district. There used to be a hunt in the Adelaide Hills, but this was a different form of hunt. There were no foxes and hounds and so on. This was a hunt on the farming property directly across the road, directly adjacent to our home property at Highercombe, Houghton. Old Mr Chapman had a hunt every year, and it was a big event.

What we are talking about is horses. They have the natural ability to jump. They are an animal that jumps. We have seen a myriad of activities where horses jump, and jumps racing is one of those activities, but where does this end? We have to look at this objectively, and unfortunately some people in this argument have become quite subjective. There is a group of people in the community that wants to ban rodeos, and the member for Morphett spoke about that. They might even want to eventually ban showjumping or the three-day event, because accidents do take place.

At one of these hunts that was held at our next-door neighbour's farm, I remember that a horse was injured and had to be put down. I remember that as a child. That is quite an unfortunate outcome, but accidents do happen. I am not going to spend a lot of time on this. I have been talking to other people who have had direct involvement in the horse racing industry. The horses that are selected and trained for jumps racing are not necessarily suited for flat track racing. It is obviously a different sport, closely associated with flat track racing, but some of these horses are not suited to it. If there were no jumps racing events for these horses to participate in, their future would be pretty bleak. I do not want to be too emotive about this, but there is a facility at Peterborough that deals with horses that are no longer required for whatever purpose.

In support of what my other colleagues have said in relation to this matter, I want to point out that we need to be really critically objective about what is being achieved in relation to this select committee and we need to be very well aware of the outcome of any future decision in relation to the future of the Oakbank race meeting.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:34): I rise to speak to the motion that the Minister for Racing has moved:

1. That in the opinion of this house, a joint committee be appointed to inquire into and report on jumps racing in South Australia and whether it should be banned.

2. In the event of a joint committee being appointed, the House of Assembly should be represented by three members of the House of Assembly, of whom two shall form a quorum of the House of Assembly members necessary to be present at all sittings of the committee.

3. That a message be sent to the Legislative Council transmitting the foregoing resolution and requesting its concurrence thereto.

What has been moved by the member for Chaffey and agreed to by all members on this side is that the words 'and whether it should be banned' should be deleted. That is quite prejudicial in my mind, adding those words into an inquiry. It goes to show, as we have heard in media reports over time, the Minister for Racing's views in relation to jumps racing. Everyone is entitled to their point of view, but it certainly comes up with quite a prejudicial outlook and certainly looks to me like it is heading towards a prejudicial outcome with regard to where the committee heads.

The member for Chaffey outlined the losses of jumps horses compared with flat track horses and the fact that there is a very small increase in the percentage of horses that have to be put down in regard to jumps racing. I acknowledge where jumps races are held across the state: obviously Oakbank, in the member for Kavel's electorate; Morphettville; Mount Gambier; Gawler; and, Murray Bridge, in my electorate. Jumps racing brings many hundreds of thousands of dollars into the state. When you look at the Oakbank event, close to 5 per cent of the whole state attend that event. Will the government say that 70,000 punters are wrong, which seems to be the message?

With regard to what other members have said, where are we heading with this? Next will the target be hunt clubs? My youngest sister was a member of the Murray Bridge Hunt Club and they had hunting courses around the Fleurieu at Tolderol, Murray Bridge and at Coomandook on a neighbour's property at Ballards, where she rode quite a lot. When she was based in Traralgon she joined the Melbourne Hunt Club for a while and did some hunting in Victoria. What do you think goes on in a hunt? Of course they jump! That is what it is based on. Horses that were in hunts hundreds of years ago were jumping fences.

I have perused the hunting course at Coomandook, where there are raised logs between trees or other jumps as set up for the horses to jump over. That will be the next target, because some people in this world do not want us to handle any animals—and I say that as a bloke who has come off the land—and they do not want us to eat any animals. We have to be very careful where we are going with any of this: it is a long slippery slope. Some people want us to slide down that slope as if it is a slippery dip. Some of them want us all to eat lentils and mung beans, and none of us will be able to enjoy animal products again, and I find that abhorrent. I find that really abhorrent.

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell: Throw on a steak!

Mr PEDERICK: Absolutely, 'Throw on a steak,' the minister says. I am right with him there. Anyone involved in any industry to do with animals, whether farming or horse racing, the animals' interests are first—that is the thing. You would not be managing these animals if you did not want to care for them so that they look after you as well. In the case of primary production you want those animals to produce a profit. With regard to jumps racing, you want horses that are fit and looked after so that they can be winners, so it has a similar outcome in the end with regard to income.

I want to go on a bit more about animal welfare activists, and some of the things they get up to, and the illegal activities they undertake. They think they are doing this great thing for the world, when they enter intensive animal sheds, pig sheds or chicken sheds. As we have seen in the media, at Big River Pork's facility at Murray Bridge they entered illegally to take their footage, but not to release that footage straightaway to show what they were saying were outrageous practices and this kind of thing. No, they will sit on it for months and release it at the time they want to release it for their so-called big media impact.

We have seen these tactics reflected right across the live animal trade. We have seen it with live cattle exports to Indonesia and live sheep exports. These animal activists store this footage and they are quite happy to present it when it suits them. If they were really concerned about animal welfare, they would put up this footage the same day or the day after they filmed but, no, they sit on it until it suits their left-wing agenda.

I applaud the work of Senator Chris Back, in his legislation where people are required to provide the footage of any alleged animal cruelty within a very short period of time so that it can be acted on appropriately. Quite frankly, I am more than disgusted that these clowns think they can break into premises, do what they like and think they can get away with it. It is wrong and it is illegal. If they think they are standing up for animal rights, well, they are a joke.

In regard to this motion on jumps racing, yes, let's have a look at it, but let's not have a look at it with a preconceived outcome, which the original motion states, on whether or not it should be banned. Let the industry have a look at it. Let any individual bring in submissions, as happens with select committees. I have been on a few select committees now and anyone with any interest at all can come and put their case, but let's not have some preconceived idea on where this is heading because I firmly believe that this is part of a long, slippery slope, and I certainly will not become a lentil-eating, mung bean head any time soon.

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (11:42): I also rise today to support the amendment as put forward by the member for Chaffey. I reiterate the words of the member for Morphett, who is a qualified professional in the veterinary science area. He is a gentleman who knows what he is talking about, and he drew the house's attention to the fact that he saw more horses actually put down in paddocks than because of injuries sustained through jumps. It was very powerful to hear that from a gentleman who had a thorough knowledge of this industry before his time in this place.

The member for Mount Gambier also pointed out truly what the racing industry is about—it is about communities and jobs. I understand that there are concerns we have to consider in relation to animal cruelty and what have you, but I think the key here is to be practical. As a young man, often I would visit some of these tracks, such as Oakbank, not only in this industry but also across other horse industries, whether it be gallops or trots at Globe Derby. These are people who are making a life for themselves and their families, and a lot of the time there is not a whole lot of money in it for them.

With the utmost respect to the racing minister, I struggle to understand why a racing minister, who is supposed to be an advocate for the racing industry and the tourism industry, would want to cast this sort of shadow over the industry. Thank goodness for the member for Chaffey putting forward this amendment. I do not understand why you would want to cast a shadow over the industry and I am glad that the member for Chaffey has made this amendment, which I am happy to support.

This committee will be important because I am hoping that it will separate the fear from the facts. What will these horses do otherwise if they are not involved in jumps? I think this is a question we need to ask ourselves. We have heard from the member for Morphett that a lot of the time these horses do get injured out in the wild, out in the paddocks. What would they do otherwise? I put it to this place that, in my experience, I have found that some horses are treated far better than some humans. We know that they are swabbed, they are vaccinated and that they visit veterinarians quite regularly—their health is their wealth, literally, for much of the time.

I understand that there are concerns around animal cruelty, but I think that you have to be pragmatic about this sort of thing. It is a matter of balancing those animal cruelty concerns against the jobs the industry creates and the families the industry supports, and against the industry that is here. One thing is for sure, these horses are certainly treated much better than Mark Hunt was at the UFC on Sunday; I notice that that occurred over the weekend.

We have been provided with some statistics in relation to jumps racing, and it is notable that the fatality rate from jumps racing over the last 12 years averaged, I believe, 0.64 per cent and for flat racing it was 0.48 per cent; therefore, it cannot be said that there is much difference, particularly having regard to the fact that the figure for flat racing does not include trials and track work, whereas the figure for jumps racing does include trials. I note that there has not been a fatality in jumps racing for some time—I believe since August 2012—and I understand that there has been one horse lost in a trial in that period.

We all know that Oakbank is a significant contributor to our local economy; it generates, it is said, about $11 million to $13 million annually. The average attendance at Oakbank in the last three years, I believe, is 68,000 people, and I understand that we struggle to get an average of anywhere near 10,000 at the Adelaide Cup.

With all respect, I can understand the concerns that have been raised in relation to this industry. I will support the establishment of the committee. I am hoping that the committee will delve into this matter and separate the fear from the facts. By all means, there will be, I am sure, a number of benefits that will come out of this committee, but we do need to measure that idealism against that pragmatic approach to see this industry for what it is: it is an industry, it supports jobs and it supports livelihoods. We cannot ignore the animal cruelty factor, of course, but we need to look at these things on balance.

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (11:47): The horse, it has often been said, is the noblest of animals; it is a very, very fine beast. I grew up on a farm where my father was still using a horse to round up sheep. I grew up with a pony in the yard, and I spent many hours on the back of a horse as a boy growing up. A finer animal I have never come across.

To think that anybody would willingly do something that would be cruel to a horse beggars my imagination—I certainly would not—but jumps racing per se, I do not think, is cruelty to an animal. Some of my colleagues have already said that horses are natural jumpers, and they are natural jumpers; I believe, from my own personal experience as a boy, that horses love jumping. In fact, I can recall many occasions when I they did jump and I wished they had not.

I welcome the minister moving to establish an inquiry because, as the member for Hartley has just said, it is important to get the facts out and to separate fact from fear, but I do have some concerns about the wording of the motion the minister has brought before the house, particularly the words the member for Chaffey has sought, through his amendment, to have expunged from the motion, because I believe those words seek to pre-empt the inquiry, and I think that would be a terrible thing to do. If we are going to have an inquiry, the outcome should be quite open, and I do not think that we should be attempting in any way to pre-empt the outcome. I think it should be open, I think we should allow the facts to stand on their own and we should assess the merits. Indeed, I feel reasonably confident that if we do that in an open and honest way we will come to a conclusion that supports jumps racing.

I will not go through all the stats in the argument for and against jumps racing because I think that will be the job of the inquiry. I am pretty sure that an inquiry will be established but I certainly hope that the committee goes into this with an open mind; that those who form the select committee all have an open mind and are all open to accepting the evidence that is brought to the committee, and make an honest assessment of it. I have grave fears that if we pre-empt this inquiry we will come to the wrong conclusion.

I know that some people are suggesting that it is cruel to animals and that we have the odd fatality associated with jumps racing and, as the member for Chaffey pointed out, also with flat racing and in all sorts of things. I suggest to the house that if we were going to apply that as our guiding rule certainly we would be banning Aussie Rules football in this state. I see there was another death just across the border on the weekend at an Aussie Rules match—and that is not an uncommon occurrence.

The SPEAKER: Not on the field.

Mr WILLIAMS: Aussie Rules is probably one of the cruellest sports played in this country yet there is no call for banning it. What happens to young men and the crippled bodies that ensue from that sport I think make horseracing look like a very innocent pastime. I wish the committee all the best. I hope that it deliberates honestly and openly and I look forward to the committee reporting back to the parliament. I support the amendment.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (11:52): I thank all the contributors to the discussion this morning. I think the member for Mount Gambier suggested that there may be some preconceived idea of what the outcome may be because I am on the committee—well, I am not on the committee. The member for Chaffey also had similar concerns but then he presented us with a speech which contained his very strong views, and he is on the committee or is intended to be on the committee.

The Hon. P. Caica: What, he hasn't got preconceived ideas, has he?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: He doesn't want any preconceived ideas to come into the deliberations—

The Hon. J.J. Snelling: Except for his!

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Except for the member for Chaffey's preconceived ideas. Like the member for Mount Gambier, I grew up around horses on a farm in the Mount Gambier/Glencoe district as well and have a great affinity for the people of the racing industry. I concur with everyone who made those comments about harming animals, and I agree that no-one I have ever met who works in and around animals does anything to harm those horses or, indeed, any other animals.

The member for Hartley said that I should be an advocate for tourism and the racing industry. I am a fierce advocate for both industries. I was down at track work this morning at Morphettville, I will be at the Mount Gambier Cup on Friday and I will be at the Goodwood Handicap on Saturday, so I do love the racing industry. However, as a member of parliament—and we all get lots of correspondence—I have had nearly 5,000 emails and letters on this issue so I think it is important that we have a committee to take a look at it and examine what the future is.

The member for Chaffey threw a few statistics in there; a lot of percentages. I think he said the figure was over a 100 per cent increase in the number of jumps horses in South Australia, but the best figures I can get are somewhere between 22 and 26 jumps horses registered in South Australia. So, in talking about it, it is not a massive industry. I think there were about 400 horses going around at Morphettville this morning. If you have 22 to 26 horses and a 100 per cent increase in the number of horses in the past couple of years, that means that there were only 10 or 13 a couple of years ago. We need to be careful when we throw the percentages around.

I think this committee will do really important work. I have been on a few committees and when we go in there we listen to all the evidence and hear from all the witnesses with an open mind. We hear from all sides of the debate. I think one of the great things about our parliamentary system is that we actually have these committees that can listen to those who have opinions on both sides, distil that and come up with a report that can inform everyone in this place as well as the wider public. The government will be opposing the amendment that has been proposed by the member for Chaffey.

Amendment negatived; motion carried.

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