No more legalised cruelty in the name of entertainment

Today in Parliament, Abigail called out recent horrific incidents at rodeos in NSW and the lack of transparency over this legalised cruelty.

Abigail moved:

(1) That this House notes that:

(a) in the last few weeks, there have been an alarming number of incidents at NSW rodeo events involving reports of horses and riders in saddle bronc events suffering serious injuries, including the following:

at the Sydney Royal Easter Show rodeo on Monday 21 April 2025, a painted horse being used for a saddle bronc event reportedly suffered a severe fracture to the lower right front leg and is believed to have been euthanised by vets in the arena,

another incident at the Sydney Royal Easter Show rodeo reportedly saw both a rider and a horse seriously injured,

at the Finley Rodeo on Sunday 20 April 2025, a horse reportedly suffered serious injuries after falling or collapsing, and

at the Singleton Rodeo on Saturday 26 April 2025, a horse reportedly suffered serious injuries while still in the chute, and is believed to have died after having broken either its neck or back,

(b) it is impossible to confirm exactly what happened to these horses once they left the arena because there are no requirements for rodeo operators to report this to the public,

(c) rodeo operators have for years been enabled to facilitate legalised animal cruelty and exploitation behind closed doors and away from public scrutiny, handed exemptions from animal cruelty laws and permitted to operate entirely self-governed with no independent oversight and no requirements for on-site veterinary care or reporting of injuries and deaths, and

(d) in addition to the extreme pain and stress inflicted on animals during rodeo events, many of these animals frequently sustain serious injuries that, if not fatal on the day, often lead to them being later euthanised or discarded at slaughterhouses.

(2) That this House calls on the NSW Government to shut down the rodeo industry in NSW, including by removing existing animal cruelty exemptions for rodeos in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulation 2025, launching an independent investigation into recent reports of injuries and deaths involving rodeo operators, and providing support for rehoming pathways for animals currently within the industry.

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone has the right to share in the wellbeing of our country.

But at the moment the essentials so many of us need – a place to call home, food on the table, and everyday essentials like electricity, internet, medicine and water – are simply out of reach.

Instead of supporting us, our government is choosing to prop up huge corporations with massive subsidies, and to give away our collective wealth through record tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to live paycheck to paycheck or trapped in the dehumanising bureaucracy of our existing welfare system.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, and following quickly on the heels of the bushfire crisis, more of us than ever before are experiencing what it’s like to lose our jobs, be without a home, or worry about where the food for our next meal will come from.

It’s time for us to choose to prioritise the wellbeing of everyone.

And that’s exactly what the Universal Wellbeing Payment will do.

It’s a regular payment made to each of us to ensure our minimum standard of wellbeing. No means testing, no bureaucracy, no strings attached.

It’s the amount you’re owed simply for being a participant in our society.

It means you are free to live your life and contribute to society as you see fit, whether you’re a carer, an artist, a student, a parent, an entrepreneur – you can get on with what you need to do, knowing that you will always be supported regardless of your income.

It means that we’re choosing to structure our economy for the benefit of all of us, not using our collective wealth to prop up the interests of big business and the wealthy few.

It means you will always have what you need to live a good life, no matter what.

The Universal Wellbeing Payment is for everyone. Help us make it happen.

For more information, head to universalwellbeingpayment.com.au

119

3,000 signatures

Will you sign?

First Name

Last Name

Mobile phone

Home Phone

Address (Street, Suburb, State, Postcode)

Country

Join with Facebook

Join with Twitter

No more legalised cruelty in the name of entertainment

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

Will you sign?

Join the Campaign

Join 51,393 other supporters in taking action