Reuben Cunningham Advocate

04/06/2026

After watching Estimates week in Parliament this week and seeing the way questions were responded to, I think I finally understand more clearly why I had so many difficulties trying to create change.

Between 2011 and 2018, through my charity, I repeatedly tried to engage with Tasmania’s education and political system about student safety, mental health and su***de prevention.

I approached ministers from different sides of politics because I believed this issue was bigger than party politics. Labor, Liberal, Greens — governments changed, ministers changed, but my experience remained much the same.

Over time, I felt shunned.

Not meaningfully heard. Not genuinely engaged. Not invited into real conversation about what young people were facing.

Watching Estimates this week brought a lot back for me. Seeing questions answered with process, deflection, partial answers, or bureaucracy made me reflect on my own experience trying to get through the door all those years ago.

It also made me ask a bigger question:

Are Tasmania’s systems becoming too bogged down by bureaucracy and over-governance?

A minister may come in with new ideas, but often they are only there for a few years before an election. Then another minister arrives, sometimes from a different party, with different priorities. Meanwhile, senior bureaucracies remain.

Continuity matters — systems need stability. But does it also mean important reforms move too slowly, or never gain traction at all?

How many ideas are lost because they don’t fit the system? How many people eventually stop trying because they simply cannot get through the door?

What made this especially difficult for me was knowing that while systems moved slowly, children and young people were still struggling with serious mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, bullying, trauma and disconnection.

My belief has always been simple: students need to feel safe, and teachers need to feel safe. Without safety, learning suffers.

This isn’t about attacking one minister, one party, or one public servant. I dealt with different governments over many years. It felt bigger than politics — it felt systemic.

And after watching Parliament this week, I think I finally understand why I struggled to be heard.

Has anyone else experienced this?

02/06/2026

To all trainers, owners and supporters — a little perspective

There’s no denying this uncertainty is hard. A lot of you are worried, frustrated, tired and wondering what comes next.
But in times like this, it’s important to remember
Uncertainty does not mean certainty

Right now:
✅ Racing is still operating
✅ Funding remains in place until June 2029
✅ The bill still has hurdles to clear
✅ There is still time, and politics can change

It’s easy to jump to the worst-case scenario — that’s human nature. But let’s try not to let fear write the story before the story is finished.
A reminder for all of us:
Focus on what we can control.

🐾 Caring for our dogs
🤝 Supporting one another
📣 Staying informed and involved
🧠 Looking after our mental health

No one knows exactly what 2029 looks like yet. There are still many steps, many decisions, and many voices still to be heard.
For now, keep showing up for the dogs, for each other, and for the community we’ve built.
One day at a time. One race at a time. One step at a time. 🐾

02/06/2026

What are we not being told?

Taxpayer-funded legal bills. Signed off by the Premier and Treasurer. Ministers dodging questions. Yet Tasmanians are still being left in the dark about exactly what public money paid for.

And this appears to be only part of the story. Questions remain about what else has not been properly scrutinised.

If taxpayers are footing the bill, shouldn’t taxpayers get the truth?

01/06/2026

01/06/2026

We only can really protest every four years sadly

01/06/2026

Seriously no difference

28/05/2026

It just goes to show that people can become extreme in their beliefs, even to the extent of becoming dog haters. Like anything in life, there are good and bad people everywhere — not everyone is bad.

Below is a message sent to me from Barbara Imlach after reading my post about Anthony Bullock , so big Thankyou for sharing this sad story

“Hi Reuben, I just read your post about Anthony Bullock and agree with your comments.

I’ve sent you a personal inbox message about our own experience.

We have had a Koolie dog for five years. For the first year of her life she was just a normal, healthy dog. She was then diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy, and we have struggled to control her seizures with medication. Over the last six months she began having cluster seizures.

I recently discovered that a neighbour had two ultrasonic anti-barking devices mounted on the fence line, pointing into another neighbour’s yard and close to our fence. She does not have pets and appears to strongly dislike dogs. We believe these devices may have exacerbated our girl’s seizures.

We contacted both the RSPCA and the local council. I believe the RSPCA may have visited, but they never contacted us to hear our side of the story. A council environmental officer also attended, however by then one device had been removed after another neighbour threatened legal action. The neighbour told officers the second device was turned off, but neighbours reported the green light was still flashing, suggesting it remained active.

Over the past week our girl became very unwell and spent two days at the vet with HGE. When we brought her home, her seizures intensified and on Monday morning we had to make the heartbreaking decision to put her to sleep.

I feel the authorities did not do enough to help us address the situation with our neighbour before it was too late.

We would be happy to speak with you further.

Barbara Imlach”

27/05/2026

“The greyhound industry has faced serious controversies and made mistakes in the past, but it is impossible to deny how much has changed over the years. Welfare standards, training methods, kennel practices, veterinary care, regulations, transparency, and rehoming programs have all improved significantly. Society has also come to recognise that greyhounds are not just racing dogs — many are gentle, calm, affectionate, and excellent family pets. For many greyhounds, both worlds can work together: when they are young, they naturally enjoy running and chasing, and when they retire, many settle into relaxed, gentle companions in family homes. Calls to ban the entire industry often ignore the real progress, reforms, and cultural change that have taken place. Like many parts of society, industries evolve over time, and progress comes from acknowledging past problems, continuing to improve standards, and building a better future rather than remaining trapped in the past.”
Share on the pages that want it banned

27/05/2026

Share this where you all wish

Nobody supports genuine cruelty or deliberate harm to animals.
If someone is abusing animals, neglecting them, or intentionally causing suffering, they absolutely should be held accountable.

But there also needs to be common sense and perspective.
Not every mistake, accident, or imperfect situation means someone is cruel or evil. Farming, animal care, training, rescue work, and livestock management all involve real-life situations and difficult decisions.

People like Anthony Bullock provide a service many farmers and vets rely on. He helps deal with injured, suffering, or deceased livestock in a practical and humane way — often free of charge — saving farmers, vets, and owners significant time and expense.

His property is also open to inspection.
RSPCA officers attend, Tasracing attend, and West Tamar Council inspections can occur multiple times each year. Authorities can inspect at any time.

In the last 12 years, not one report or issue has been raised by any of those three inspection bodies.

He also has around 30 retired greyhounds living on his property.

So you have to ask yourself — would someone under that level of scrutiny really risk everything if they genuinely did not care about animal welfare? I personally don’t think so.

Welfare groups absolutely have a place when it comes to exposing genuine abuse.
But there also needs to be balance, fairness, and recognition that many people working with animals genuinely care deeply about them and dedicate their lives to their care.

Real animal welfare should be about outcomes for animals — not outrage, assumptions, or attacking people online.