Hon. Amanda Dorn reflects on the close of submissions to the Western Australian parliamentary inquiry into greyhound racing, describing it as a crucial turning point now moving to committee scrutiny.

She points to strong evidence of community sentiment, highlighting a major survey initiated by advocacy group Free The Hounds. Surveying nearly 3,000 Western Australians, the results show clear majority support for phasing out greyhound racing, with backing evident across age groups, income levels and political affiliations.

In her speech, Amanda stresses that opposition to greyhound racing is no longer marginal, but firmly part of the mainstream. She notes that growing concern over animal welfare is driving this shift, particularly in light of a 155% increase in on-track deaths between 2022 and 2023, and dozens more deaths recorded in 2025.

Amanda also questions the ongoing use of $33 million in public funds to sustain the industry, especially during a cost-of-living crisis. She concludes that a phase-out is a sensible, compassionate and economically responsible path forward.

Here, the Hon. Amanda Dorn delivers a powerful speech condemning the continued use of live lamb cutting, making it clear that mandating pain relief does not make the practice humane.

While acknowledging recent regulatory changes, she argues they amount to the bare minimum and do not address the core cruelty of cutting the skin from lambs without anaesthesia.

Amanda also highlights the industry’s broken promise to end mulesing by 2010, noting that more than 150 million lambs have been subjected to the practice since. She points to strong scientific evidence that lambs feel every cut, even with pain relief, and to growing global demand for certified non-mulesed wool.

With Australia now the only country still routinely mulesing, she calls on the WA Government to show leadership by legislating a clear timeline to ban live lamb cutting and supporting producers to transition to plain-bodied sheep genetics.

In this parliamentary speech, Amanda sets out the case for banning glyphosate, a widely used herbicide classified by the World Health Organization as probably carcinogenic. She outlines the growing body of evidence linking glyphosate to cancer, organ damage, fertility issues and harm to wildlife and ecosystems, and highlights how its use has exploded globally.

Amanda also points to real-world solutions already adopted by Australian councils, from steam and flame weeding to safer organic alternatives, and calls on the WA Government to phase out glyphosate, support councils and farmers to transition, and ensure public spaces are safe for people, animals and the environment.

Here, Amanda introduces the groundbreaking concept of Veticare into Parliament.

Here, Amanda questions the government on the welfare standards at WA’s local pounds. In particular, the mandatory standards, guidelines and reporting requirements governing the management of impounded animals, and the absence of any formal inspection for pound operations. 

Here, Amanda talks about award-winning cockitroughs, and why they are so important in supporting our native wildlife, especially over the summer months.

Here, the Hon Amanda Dorn MLC talks about the celebrations around World Vegan Day 2025, including the benefits of being plant-based for people, the planet and the animals.

Here, Amanda Dorn questions proposed changes to The Cat Act, and the possible unintended consequences for animal shelters and groups.

On 18 September 2025, Amanda introduced the Animal Welfare Amendment (Chief Animal Protection Officer) Bill 2025 to the WA Parliament — a landmark reform that would create an Independent Office of Animal Protection in Western Australia.

For years, animal protection organisations, experts, and advocates have called for independent, transparent governance free from industry conflicts of interest.

This Bill answers that call. If passed, it will:

Establish a statutory Chief Animal Protection Officer to oversee enforcement and policy across all sectors involving animals.

Create an Independent Office of Animal Protection to coordinate strategy, research, and public reporting.

Form an Animal Protection Advisory Committee, bringing together expertise from veterinary science, wildlife conservation, animal ethics, and public policy.

Amanda was proud to table an e-petition signed by over 4,000 West Australians, urging Parliament to prioritise the WA Animal Welfare Bill.

The current 2002 Act no longer meets community expectations, leaving animals vulnerable to cruelty. Amanda highlighted extensive reviews, consultations, and ongoing community advocacy calling for modernised laws.

She stressed that with so many households having companion animals and widespread concern for native and farmed animals, the community expects stronger protections, and she is committed to keeping pressure on Parliament until a new WA Animal Welfare Act is passed.

Amanda has endorsed the Plant-Based Treaty, a global campaign putting food at the heart of tackling climate change and protecting health.

She highlighted during a Members Statement that overconsumption of meat drives chronic illness, burdens hospitals, and harms the environment. Amanda believes WA can lead the way by supporting plant-based innovation, helping farmers transition, and making sustainable choices easier for everyone.

For her, eating plants and planting trees isn’t just about health—it’s about protecting the planet and giving future generations a fair chance.

Mandatory cat containment laws are not the answer. In her disallowance motion, Amanda argued that these laws are unfair to low-income households, risk higher abandonment, and are almost impossible for councils to enforce.

Instead, Amanda supports positive solutions that actually reduce roaming — including subsidised desexing, education campaigns, and incentives for containment.

In Parliament, she stressed that protecting wildlife requires tackling the real drivers of biodiversity decline, not punishing responsible cat guardians.

Amanda questioned the Minister for the Environment on what provisions are in place to support Western Australia’s wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres. She highlighted the work of local organisations, raised the potential for nonlethal kangaroo population management using contraceptive vaccines, and suggested a voluntary levy on car registrations to boost funding.

Amanda continues to press for innovative, compassionate approaches to protecting wildlife and supporting the community groups that dedicate their time to animal care.

Amanda has made it clear: she fully supports WA’s first children’s hospice and the care it will provide, but also believes our public open spaces must be protected.

Allen Park is a treasured community asset, home to rare species and vital trails. Amanda argues there’s no need to compromise its class A status to build the hospice. With careful planning, the park can stay open, the ecological linkages maintained, and families will have access to a welcoming, safe, and natural environment.

Amanda has continued to press the WA Government on the welfare crisis in the greyhound racing industry.

In a follow-up to concerns she raised in the last parliamentary session, Amanda questioned the WESTCHASE incentive scheme, which rewards breeding despite rehoming capacity being overstretched. She highlighted that 220 pups were bred under the scheme, while only 126 were rehomed by Greyhounds as Pets WA in the same period.

Amanda asked what safeguards exist to ensure every greyhound is rehomed, whether it is ethical to continue incentivising breeding, and whether any welfare impact assessments have been conducted. The government’s response pointed only to existing breeding regulations, failing to address the ethical conflict. Amanda vowed to keep demanding answers and to put animal welfare ahead of racing profits.

In a Members Statement on 10th September 2025, Amanda raised alarm over the state of Western Australia’s threatened ecological communities (TECs) — the living networks of plants, animals, fungi and microbes that sustain life itself.

Despite legal protections, the Auditor General’s report revealed that 72% of WA’s listed TECs are being neglected, with another 390 priority communities awaiting assessment. At current staffing levels, it would take more than a century to properly evaluate them.

Amanda called out this “collapse in slow motion”, and criticised the WA Government for failing to direct its $2.4 billion budget surplus toward conservation. Amanda urged urgent investment, bold leadership, and recognition that protecting TECs is not an afterthought but a core responsibility — because these ecosystems rarely recover once damaged.

Amanda questioned the Minister for Racing and Gaming about the ongoing cruelty in WA’s greyhound racing industry.

Since Amanda’s question in June, another three greyhounds have been killed on track, seven euthanised due to race-related injuries, and ten more have sustained major injuries.

Amanda demanded answers on the causes identified in Racing and Wagering WA’s investigations and what safety measures had been implemented to prevent further suffering.

Amanda recently visited the Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, learning about the more than 500 volunteers who provide lifesaving care for Western Australia’s native animals.

But despite its critical role in conservation, education, and rehabilitation, Kanyana remains severely underfunded and excluded from basic government support.

Amanda raised these concerns in Parliament, drawing attention to the emotional toll on carers, the closure of vital counselling services, and the urgent need for facility upgrades.

Between January and May 2025, approximately 220 greyhound pups were whelped, while only 126 were rehomed through Greyhounds as Pets WA.

Amanda questioned the Minister on this irresponsible overbreeding, and the increasing pressure on volunteer-run community rehoming groups.

Amanda questioned whether industry incentives, such as the WESTCHASE scheme, may unintentionally encourage overproduction, and called for a review to ensure the scheme supports both the racing industry and the ethical treatment of companion animals.