Some old, ugly ex-boxer bastard in a Spiderman hat that his grandson picked for him, cuddling his mates Matt and JC’s dog Little Byrnes
New Zealand has woken up to what Australians should have years earlier.
That animal activists who oppose greyhound racing have no place on the board of a greyhound racing health and welfare committee.
Putting people who want to ban the sport on a board whose aim is to make the sport safer is a bit like putting Gerry Adams the head of the IRA on a parliamentary committee looking enhancing the role of the monarchy in the 21st century United Kingdom.
It just ain’t gunna work.
A representative of the SPCA (our RSPCA) had a place on the board of the Greyhound Racing NZ Animal Health and Welfare Committee since the live baiting scandal reforms in 2016, but had never really contributed anything but negativity during that time. Their position was that the dogs should be shut down, full stop, and they turned every discussion about improving safety for the greyhounds into a platform to argue why the sport should be shut down.
It was ridiculous. This committee wasn’t about closing down dog racing, it was about making it better, but these haters and wreckers didn’t care, they just wanted the whole show shut down.
Well they got it with both barrels, just not the way they expected.
Glenda Hughes is one of the most formidable women in New Zealand, a nation filled to the gills with formidable women. Her CV is simply incredible. Just look at it.
27 Years Managing Director of small business Communications Company and Media Strategy Company. Clients include Corporate, Government, Sporting and Voluntary Organisations
Public Speaker – Human and Organisational behaviours.
Strategic Management social and public change programmes
Communications, media, crisis and reputational manager
Government relations
Member of the New Zealand Parole Board
Chair of the New Zealand Racing Board
Chair NZ Racing Integrity Unit
Chair Pet Refuge
Director KidsCan
Producer TV 3 A Current Affair
Acting Chief of Staff Hon Bill English
Eighteen years experience in all facets of New Zealand Policing
Visiting Lecturer – Leadership, Marketing, Media and Public Relations Victoria, Massey and Lincoln University.
Development of National Social Change Campaigns
Developer of National Netball Franchise Competition
Criminologist and sociologist
Author of Looking for Trouble
Specialties: government liaison, facilitation, media, communications, crisis and reputational management, director ships and public speaking.
Hughes is a woman on a perpetual mission to achieve her goals, and those set for her. She has no time for trouble makers or time wasters, the sort of people who slow down the pace of change.
The SPCA are those sort of people, so she has kicked them out.
No longer will the animal welfare activists hold a place on GRNZ committees.
They can go and take their negative attitude and stick it in their falafel roll according to Glenda Hughes.
She has put a highly respected specialist greyhound vet on the Health and Welfare Committee in their place, which makes enormous sense.
Why have some anti advocacy group rep on the board trying to rip the sport down when you can have a scientific expert on making it better there instead?
The Kiwis have got guts.
Australian greyhound authorities should follow their lead.