Bemused, perplexed and angry are the best descriptors for the reaction in the NSW Premier's office to the news Liberal Party-aligned lobbyists Barton Deakin is representing the state's terminal greyhound industry.

In a move which reportedly left Premier Mike Baird gobsmacked, the government relations shop synonymous with former Howard staffer Grahame Morris and former NSW Liberal leader Peter Collins has agreed to take on the greyhound owners' fight (and their $20,000 monthly retainer).

It's a brave decision for a firm that relies so heavily for its influence (and clients) on a healthy relationship with Baird, his Cabinet and their staff. Even more curious when you consider the NSW Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association spent the days immediately after Baird's announcement he was shutting them down shopping for representation (cue a catalogue of polite refusals from most of Sydney's top Svengali factories).

Barton Deakin is now on the same side of a policy brouhaha as Labor leader Luke Foley, Labor Senator Sam Dastyari and radio man Ray Hadley, all of whom have nailed their colours to the beleaguered dishlickers' mast. They now have about as much chance of a return phone call from Baird's office as Ted Bullpitt's pampered pet greyhounds, Gay Akubra and Repco Lad, ever had of winning a meet at Dapto (read: none and zero).

A Barton Deakin insider pointed out Greyhound Racing NSW is a long-time client, and that the firm was simply a case of them trying to find a "win-win solution". Good luck with that.

The Greyhound people in NSW have enough money to fight this for 50 years Mick and if you live in NSW you would now of heard many things from many people ..and groups .

Here is some links to help catch up for those people not on Facebook

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I suggest we should all be emailing these two ..

Contact The Hon Michael (Mike) Baird, NSW Premier, to express your Concerns .......By email to [email protected] and [email protected] By post to GPO Box 5341, Sydney NSW 2001
By phone (02) 9976 2773 .............................................................................................................Mr Luke Foley MP, NSW Opposition Leader...........By email to [email protected] or [email protected]
By post to Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000, or Mr Luke Foley MP, 54-58 Amy Street, Regents Park NSW 2143
By phone (02) 9230 2310 or (02) 9644 6972.

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Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party
July 14 at 2:05pm Politics
Unlike the NSW Nationals, we're not afraid to stand up to Mike Baird when he threatens to ban greyhound racing.
He can't just announce the decimation of an entire industry with a Facebook post without accounting for his actions.
We won't stand for it.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party
July 15 at 8:23pm Politics
We warned you that Mike Baird's ‪#‎GreyhoundRacingBan‬ is a land-grab by stealth.
Commercial real estate moguls are licking their lips at the prospect of greyhound racing facilities being opened up for development

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party
July 15 at 11:10am Politics
Mike Baird's ‪#‎GreyhoundRacingBan‬ just looks worse the further you dig.
Today's Daily Telegraph shows that the report that this ban is based on is full of holes, case studies from overseas that have been falsely labelled as being from New South Wales, and surveys of the Facebook friends of McHugh's research team.
It's becoming clear that the Government commissioned this report with a predetermined outcome in mind: the banning of an entire industry.
Unfortunately, this is the sort of treatment we've seen applied to law-abiding firearms owners - we won't stand for it!
Read the report for yourself:
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Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party
July 13 at 12:17pm Animals & Pets
"To fathom Mike Bairds autocratic decision to close down the greyhound racing industry, you have to understand the integral role of extremist animal activists, whose express aim is to ban horse racing, zoos, farming, fishing and the eating of meat."
Hunters, fishers and farmers beware - the animal rights agenda would have you feel guilty for your way of life.
It's HUMAN to hunt, fish and farm, and we'll protect your rights to do so by standing up to this tyranny.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party shared Robert Borsak's post.
July 11 at 2:08pm Animals & Pets Politics
The NSW Nationals can't just let sleeping dogs lie on Mike Baird's greyhound racing industry ban.
They must cross the floor and stand up to their Coalition partners.
Otherwise, just as they turned their back on NSW Farmers on native vegetation reform, they will abandon the greyhound racing industry in rural and regional areas.
Once more, they're happily in bed with The Greens NSW.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party
July 9 at 2:16pm Animals & Pets
We stand side by side with the thousands of responsible greyhound owners and breeders who had their livelihoods ripped from underneath them this week.
We'll fight this ban to the end.
Punishing all for the actions of a few is not the solution, it's bad policy. Reform is what the industry needs, not a blanket ban.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party shared Robert Borsak's post.
July 7 at 4:01pm Politics
Check out Robert Borsak's response to Mike Baird's announcement of a ban on greyhound racing in New South Wales. ‪#‎GreyhoundRacing‬

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party at Parliament of NSW.
July 7 at 2:29pm Politics
Mike Baird just announced a ban on greyhound racing, effective 1 July 2017.
Looks like he's put any attempt at reforming the industry in the bin.

I understand that the media team has it under construction

Since the beginning of last year, when greyhound racing was placed in the spotlight and labelled as such, I have witnessed some of the most obstinate people agree to abide by reforms and change their way of thinking.

The process of reforming the industry initiated last year seemed to be doing the impossible massaging the community into something better than it was before.

By banning the sport, before they had a chance to prove who they could become, says volumes about how the Government has classified this community.

Due to a lack of faith in our fellow humans, this same story will once again play out: a culture, community, sense of identity and lives will be lost and we will never know if things could have been different because we never gave this community the chance to be the hero in their own story.

JUSTINE GROIZARD is an Honours student, School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Newcastle

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Kevin,
You should get bored a little more often. The figures are nonsense. If this was a case about a mass murderer, where the killer was prosecuted for killing 500 people over 12 years. Not because they found bodies but because they had no idea where these people had gone too, What do you think would happen? The case would be laughed out of court. The report has to be disregarded for anything that has used an assumption. Figures used by the animal liberation party or similar cannot be included as it is obviously biased.
Seriously this investigation may as well have been carried out by Mr Bean.

Dear Participants,

When Premier Mike Baird shocked and shattered tens of thousands of greyhound families Australia wide with his unexpected decision to ban our sport and industry in NSW, collectively we were left reeling.

The NSW greyhound industry, was in effect, ambushed by the Government. The Government had the benefit of preparing its response with exclusive access to the McHugh Report. It chose to release the McHugh Report and the Premiers proposal to ban our sport at the one time. In the process, it rendered our industrys normal leadership body, GRNSW, rudderless and unable to respond to this harsh and poorly considered decision.

The NSW GBOTA, the independent greyhound Clubs and major stakeholders have been quick to react to these circumstances. The initial media onslaught was tackled. A united body was formed, and a steering committee appointed to guide the way forward. The steering committee has NSW GBOTA, independent Clubs and other key players in the industry providing high level strategy. Administration support is being provided by Brad Adam, General Manager of Richmond GRC, Ellen Harris, Operations Manager of the NSW GBOTA and myself.

At the current time, all external contractors and advisors have been appointed by the NSW GBOTA under the guidance of the steering committee. Costs, which will be considerable, are currently being met by the NSW GBOTA.

The steering committee is however, putting in place a Trust which will enable Clubs and other interested parties to contribute to a fighting fund.

The unfairness and gravity of the Governments position has united all of us and we are now progressing our fight with definite strategy and single purpose. And our message is resonating.

Much has been done to ensure we have the best chance of a successful outcome and this letter describes the steps that have been taken and how together we can best attempt to create a future for our industry.

Today is an important turning point. We will be releasing our Rebuttal of the McHugh Report to the Premier outlining why this report is flawed and any decision based on it is improper. The Premiers intent to ban our industry should not be made based on a flawed Report and an improper process. The dramatic and negative implications for our industry and its total supply chain is only the start. This sets a precedent that impacts other sports, other industries, all local communities, across the broad business sector, including judicial and political systems. It has far reaching implications which we are ensuring become known and considered.

Our plan is to appropriately address all these issues in the right and proper way politically, in the public arena and through the courts. You can be assured that every aspect and angle is being considered and managed. And you are being and will be asked to contribute as part of a very integrated and strategic campaign underway now.

The most important thing is that we show our absolute unity and that we act according to our strategy which is timed very precisely - first in the lead up to the next sitting of the NSW Parliament and then beyond.

Our unity will be reflected in our campaign theme Racing to a Respected Future. You will see in this note to you the new logo that is being used to indicate that the entire industry is acting as one. One voice-one vision. This symbolises that we are an industry that is reforming, that we have started making significant changes, that we have the ability to change and that we are committed to ensuring a respected future with a zero tolerance position on animal welfare issues.

This banner makes it clear that we have formed an alliance of all participants involved in the greyhound racing industry - The NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance. The campaign will explain the position the greyhound industry intends to hold in the future one where we are aligned with reasonable community expectation and one where participants, our greyhounds and our sport is respected.

Our industry reform plan will encourage the Premier and Government to not only consider but quantify our success in meeting the challenges placed on our industry by Commissioner McHughs Inquiry.

Our Rebuttal of the McHugh Report and the decision of the Premier is based on its flawed findings and construction. There are many elements to our Rebuttal, well supported by our legal Senior Counsel and judicial process, political and media advisors. A key element of this is the absolute denial to all of us in this industry of procedural fairness or natural justice. It also details where the Report is flawed. It further indicates the implications of this decision on the agricultural and agribusinesss sector as a whole, other sports and the broader community - aligned industries that could be threatened in future, as well as the Parliament of NSW.

In addition to working on our detailed plan for the future, the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance is undertaking the following:
Our Senior Counsel are working on legal avenues to challenge this flawed Report and process.
Our experienced political strategists and communications specialists are helping us reach and influence politicians who can convince the Premier to give the sport a fair go
Our media and campaign specialists are working with the media at every level and you will see coverage in your local communities from next week. That includes engagement with senior investigative journalists to promote the real issues which are likely to make a difference as sensational stories about a ban are considered more deeply.
We will work with you and directly to engage with local communities across NSW, local Chambers of Commerce, NSW Farmers Association, Australian Veterinary Greyhound Association, Country Womens Associations, Australias Workers Union, Australian Hotels Associations, Clubs NSW, local industry groups, service organisations and local charities and clubs to understand the implications and knock on effect of closing down this industry so that they can lend their support.
Over the next 24 hours we will be launching a new look website as part of the campaign which will help keep you and the broader community engaged and informed. We have appointed a specialist social media group to manage professionally our influencer, social and online presence.
I can assure you all that we have in place an experienced campaign team that will give us all the best chance for success under these very unfair, unjust and difficult circumstances that we have placed under.

Much has been done but there is so much more to do. We are working hard and we seek to work with all who have a stake and interest in our wonderful sport and industry.

We will be circulating key messages documents for you with that you can use. We will provide the key points of our Rebuttal and we will provide suggestions as to how you can be involved in respect to garnering support for our campaign over the next few days. We will likely be asking you to engage in a campaign to your local member of parliament. This will take a format. We need your support and engagement, but in a planned and strategic manner.

On behalf of all now connected with the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance, I thank you, for the resolute conviction you are providing regarding our fight and our reform journey. We look forward to ongoing engagement.

Yours sincerely,

Brenton Scott
Chief Executive, NSW GBOTA
NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance

It's because we have nothing to lose.

This is our life.

You go to war & see who fights hardest. It's the people who have nothing to lose.

Politician, greenies, anti's....they are all FAIRWEATHER.

As a greyhound supporter I may lose my house, my income , my hobby, my life.

We are stronger, we are more persistent we will win