THE MARTIN INQUIRY UPDATES
We have - of course - been looking for tangible results and improvements as a result of the Martin Inquiry into animal cruelty in the management of retired Thoroughbreds and Standardbred horses in Queensland. (Feb. 2020.)
Sadly, there are precious few if any positive results.
So, what is the Martin Inquiry?
A DOCUMENTARY FORCED THE GOVERNMENT’S HANDS
In October 2019 the ABC 7.30 program aired a story about the ‘wastage’ of retired racehorses. The story raised issues about the treatment of horses at Meramist Abattoir in Queensland.
ELECTED OFFICIALS STATED THEY WERE APPALLED
Following the airing of The Final Race the Queensland Government commissioned an Independent inquiry into the management of retired racehorses (the Martin Inquiry).
The "joint statement" announcing the inquiry stated it would be...
Overseen by the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) which is the independent watchdog charged, in part, with safeguarding the welfare of racing animals during their racing career.
The Martin Inquiry also looked at the regulatory and oversight arrangements for abattoirs and knackeries and the transport of horses to those facilities.
Led by retired District Court Judge Terry Martin SC, the Inquiry found:
The management of racehorses as a disposable commodity was unethical and not aligned with community expectations.
The resulting report made 55 recommendations and the Queensland Government provided a response to the Martin Inquiry which accepts all recommendations either in full, in part or in principle.
HAS QRIC DROPPED THE BALL?
According to the website of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) (an independent watchdog charged with overseeing the Inquiry), the QRIC has completed the recommendations made during the inquiry.
Or rather, they claim on their website to have completed all the ones that were their “sole responsibility”.
We’re including a PDF of the page as of September 28, 2024, here.
Immediately below you’ll find a screen shot from their site:
Well we’ve looked and heaven help us but if that information exists on the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission website – we can’t find it.
A very trusted supporter of #mohm had a conversation with the Policy Advisor for QRIC and after that conversation we believe – and we could be wrong – that information has not been published.
Keep in mind that according to the website of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission, the Martin Inquiry was handed down on 14 January 2020.
The Queensland Government responded in February 2020.
Today is 28 September 2024.
HAS DAF DROPPED THE BALL?
DAF (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) claims on their website here that they have completed recommendation 6.4.
See a PDF copy of the DAF webpage that we created on September 28, 2024, here.
A trusted supporter submitted a “Right to Information” request – in Queensland, that type of request is referred to as a “Freedom of Information” request.
The Freedom of Information request found no evidence of any reports concerning the slaughter of horses having been submitted to the QRIC (Queensland Racing Integrity Commission).
Again, the Queensland Government responded to the Martin Inquiry Recommendations in February 2020 and today is September 28, 2024.
The public was promised reforms and transparency, but four and a half years later, there is no visible progress.
Why are these critical reports missing?
What is the real fate of Queensland’s racehorses?
This is not only an issue of animal welfare but also one of governmental accountability and transparency.
Queensland’s racing industry is still under the shadow of practices that horrified the nation, and the commitments made by the government to address these concerns remain unfulfilled.
The time has come for the Queensland Government to be held to account for its promises to protect these animals and uphold community expectations.
#MOHM NEEDS YOUR HELP!
We’ve been threatened by those in the horse racing industry and those who benefit from horse slaughter more times than we can count.
But we are not going away.
We are going to persist until horse slaughter no longer exists for any purpose within Australia -- and until the horse racing industry makes drastic changes.
We are going to continue our hands-on work to offer lifelong sanctuary to as many horses as possible. We generally have 20 at just one of our locations - at any given time.
We have the acreage to take on more horses as financial support allows.
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