昆士兰州工党议员詹妮弗·霍华德在布里斯班召集支持者集会，敦促该党在2028年州选举中承诺禁止灵缇赛狗[1]。她主张该州有争议的The Q赛道应在2032年布里斯班奥运会前改建为田径设施[1]。霍华德对赛道运营方关于安全性的声明表示怀疑，称其为"一个谎言"[1]。
这次集会恰逢新西兰当日正式颁布全国灵缇赛狗禁令[1]。前赛狗首席兽医亚历克斯·布里坦在集会上指出，澳大利亚每天约有7条狗因该行业而死亡，仅昆士兰州就有562条狗在该行业中丧生[1]。新西兰媒体报道称，已有多达150条灵缇犬被空运到澳大利亚[1]。
The Q赛道总投资9000万美元，其中前工党政府投入4400万美元[1]。赛道开放后因不安全条件暂停过赛事[1]。
Queensland Labor MP Jennifer Howard has urged her party to back a greyhound racing ban at the next election, speaking at a pro-ban rally in Brisbane's Queen's Park on Saturday [1]. Her call comes as New Zealand announced a national greyhound racing prohibition on the same day [1].
Howard argued that the controversial The Q venue in Brisbane could be converted into athletic facilities ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games [1]. The facility required a AUD 90 million investment, with AUD 44 million contributed by the previous Labor government, and has experienced race suspensions due to safety concerns [1]. Howard dismissed The Q's safety assurances as "a lie" [1]. She hopes Queensland will adopt a similar stance to New Zealand before the state election in 2028 [1].
The case against the industry has drawn attention to animal welfare concerns. Former chief veterinarian of greyhound racing Alex Brittan stated that approximately seven dogs die daily in the Australian industry, with 562 deaths recorded in Queensland alone [1]. Reports indicate that up to 150 greyhounds have been airlifted from New Zealand to Australia [1].