Canberra Liberals leader Jeremy Hanson has confirmed $1 million in annual taxpayer funding for the greyhound racing industry would continue if his party is elected on Saturday.
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The opposition leader said his party would commit to a review of the industry and consult with the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club and the RSPCA after the election
The future of greyhound racing remains unclear after ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he would reconsider a pledge to ban industry in step with NSW.
The announcement came after NSW Premier Mike Baird backed away from a "locked in" commitment to ban racing in the state after facing political pressure from within his cabinet.
The proposed bans were announced after a special commission of inquiry report that found up to 68,000 greyhounds had been euthanised in 12 years because they could not, or were too slow, to race.
Greyhound trainers in Canberra are regulated in NSW and Mr Baird's change of heart may mean they retain their licence to race for the foreseeable future.
Mr Barr said his government would strip the industry of $1 million in annual funding if re-elected; a stance he believes is in line with community expectations.
The agreement was struck to support the industry following the privatisation of government betting agency ACTTAB.
"But regardless of what happens in a regulatory sense, I still can't see a future for the industry in the ACT and the days of the ACT taxpayer propping up the greyhound industry are over," he said.
When asked whether Mr Hanson would continue funding the industry he said: "At this stage, yes".
"Our position is very clear, we do not support the ban on greyhound racing," Mr Hanson said. "What we do want to do is have a review within the ACT."
Mr Hanson said he supported Mr Baird's decision to reverse the ban on greyhound racing.
"The reality is the process leading up to the decision, as he said yesterday, was wrong," he said.
"We are going to have a review and sit down with the greyhound industry and sit down with the stakeholders and the RSPCA and have a discussion.
"That's the way these things should occur, there should be a conversation and collaboration and that's been absent."
Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury said the greyhound racing industry was exploitative and had no place in the ACT.
"The Greens completely disagree that the taxpayers have been subsidising the greyhound industry to the tune of $1 million a year for many years," he said
"This is not a good use of precious ACT resources so we should remove that subsidy and we should go further with legal mechanisms to bring this industry to an end."
Annie Knox, a veterinarian nurse at the Canberra Greyhound Racing tracks, said there may be teething problems with government regulation but it would be welcome in the long term.
Raymond Mately, a trainer at the tracks, said NSW reversal was like having a weight lifted of his shoulders."Now we can look forward, we can look forward to breeding again," he said
