FPÖ – Schnedlitz/Kainz: FPÖ for the preservation of working dog sports in Austria!

2023-12-14 21:27:05

“The Green Party’s policy of bans at the request of minority lobbyists harms animal protection”

Vienna (OTS) – “We stand by working dog sports in Austria and will do everything to ensure that it does not become another victim of the Green Party’s ideologically blinded ban policy! A minister who, at the request of lobbyists, but above all without the involvement of experts from the canine associations in Austria and without any objective justification, wants to ban Austrian dog athletes from their sport, has forfeited the right to his office as minister for all Austrians and is ready to resign! This Green policy of bans at the request of minority lobbyists harms animal protection in its entirety,” said the liberal Secretary General NAbg. Michael Schnedlitz on the occasion of handing over the petition initiated by Georg Sticha “Preservation of international working dog sport in all its facets in Austria” with 43,009 signatures of support to the Third President of the National Council, Ing. Norbert Hofer.

Hofer emphasized the importance of citizen participation and the consideration of expert opinions in the legislative process. He expressed concerns about the specialist minister’s unconventional approach, as it is essential to hear and integrate the opinions of experts. In this context, Hofer welcomed the petition in parliament and was open to the arguments of the working dog sports experts. “Citizen participation and respect for expert opinions are the cornerstones of balanced legislation, especially on sensitive issues. Responsible use of expertise and the involvement of the population strengthen the legitimacy of our decisions and promote trust in the political process,” said the Third President.

Petition initiator Georg Sticha was pleased with the approval and support of the Freedom Party and the Third President of the National Council: “For months, we dog athletes have been fighting against the Green Minister Rauch’s ‘drive over policy’ and against the disinformation that he spread together with lobbyists without professional expertise wants to sell the public as the truth and thereby deliberately deceives them. We call on the minister to finally behave in accordance with his office and to finally listen to and involve experts from the cynological associations in Austria. So far all efforts have been in vain, but with the open petition and over 43,000 supports we have laid the first foundation stone, which is now followed by the next one. Today, together with the FPÖ, we have submitted a parliamentary petition that will soon be able to be supported by every Austrian over the age of 16. This petition offers the possibility that our concern for the preservation of working dog sports in all its facets in Austria must be addressed in parliament. This is apparently the only way that Minister Rauch will finally have to face the discussion with the experts.”

FPÖ animal protection spokesman NAbg. Alois Kainz confirmed his support and invited ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS to “finally put an end to the green policy of bans without consideration for dog sport experts, dog owners and friends”. “As in many other areas, Rauch wants to impose arbitrary bans on dog training without any well-founded or argumentable basis, just to please a minority of lobbyists. The draft amendment to the regulation on animal welfare-compliant training of dogs is probably already waiting in the Greens’ drawer. As the chancellor’s party, the ÖVP would be in a position to immediately put an end to this new example of how politics is conducted past the majority of Austrians and oriented towards a minority. But that hasn’t happened yet. Now we want to give the ÖVP the opportunity to strengthen the working dog sport and finally assert itself against its smaller government partner. “We libertarians will not stop fighting against this type of politics, which is characterized by bans, denunciations and disinformation, and will use all democratic levers to achieve this,” Kainz also assured the Austrian Dog Association (ÖKV), the umbrella organization of dog associations in Austria Cooperation in the spirit of a common cause.