RSPCA: Back the horse called self-interest

Member for Hinchinbrook, Nick Dametto MP, has used Question time today to slam the Agricultural Minister over the ALP Government’s empowerment of RSPCA offices to extort and shut down competition for financial gain.

Mr Dametto asked the Minister, “Will the Minister inform the House as to what oversight the department has over the RSPCA and what protection the Government can provide to those who claim to be harassed by the organisation?’

Mr Dametto’s question came off the back of concerning allegations from multiple people across Queensland who complained of the RSPCA acting in self-interest, without any procedural fairness to confiscate people’s animals to on-sell to third parties.

The complainants allege that the animals were not ill-treated and the RSPCA’s response was to ‘take it to court’, a cost which is prohibitive to most people.  Even those that won cases in court against the RSPCA, by the time it had been through the court, the RSPCA had already on-sold or euthanised their animal.

“This is like the wolf guarding the hen house.  The more animals the RSPCA confiscates, the more money it makes.” said Mr Dametto.

“The RSPCA Queensland had a total revenue of $58 million in 2019-2020, it has posted a profit every year since 2005, with the exception of 2018-19. Last year the profit was $8.7 million.

“Around 42 per cent comes from donations from the community, with the other income coming from government sources and through its animal activities,” said Mr Dametto.

The Minister’s response to the question included a lengthy report on the RSPCA’s involvement in prosecuting persons under the Act; but failed to answer the question about ‘what protection the government can provide to those claiming harassment by the RSPCA’.

Mr Dametto, an animal lover himself and a proud dad of fur baby Beau, has also expressed concerns about the Government appointing the RSPCA to review the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001.

“This is another example of the Brisbane based parties demonising rural and regional communities where many of the practices such as hunting dogs or having dogs on the back of utes are a part of our lifestyle.

“The RSPCA target everyday people, yet are silent on the control of pest species which devastate our local wildlife like feral pigs, brumbies and feral cats.

Nick Dametto Member for Hinchinbrook with his wife Alicia and fur baby Beau.

This is typical of legislation being written by politicians and bureaucrats who live in Brisbane and have never ventured north past the ‘wilds’ of the Noosa River,” said Mr Dametto.