HAS QRIC DROPPED THE BALL?
The information that follows below will make sense if you have a solid understanding of the Martin Inquiry and how it came to be. If you are not familiar with the ABC 7:30 documentary The Final Race, about the ‘wastage‘ AKA slaughter of retired racehorses and the Inquiry that resulted because of that expose, please start here.
According to the website of the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) (an independent watchdog charged with overseeing the implementation of the Martin 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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