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‘‘So [I want] a lifetime ban from racing and all its activities. Can’t be a trainer, can’t attend race meets, can’t work horses for anybody else, and can’t go near training facilities."

The MP believes use of jiggers is widespread, pointing to a Geelong Advertiser article last week that quoted two unnamed trainers as saying jiggers were not cruel and were commonly used in racing stables to help lazy horses go faster.

Mr Meddick said racing had made a big deal of cleaning up its act through the Office of the Racing Integrity Commissioner but called for an independent parliamentary inquiry into an industry he described as ‘‘replete with animal cruelty’’.

‘‘Well lets’s see the proof of that and start to be really severe about how they handle the people that get found guilty of acts of animal cruelty, within their industry.’’

Other animal rights activists have also called for stronger punishment for Mr Weir.

Emily Rice, from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Australia said while the proposed four year ban for Mr Weir was welcome news, ‘‘he should be banned from racing for life’’.

‘‘Anyone who violates the law and shocks horses doesn’t deserve another chance to harm more horses. He should lose his license now and find another line of work – one that doesn’t involve animals."

Ms Rice supports a ban on all horse racing: ‘‘The sooner horses are no longer forced to race for human entertainment the better.’’

Elio Celotto from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses called for ‘‘a full inquiry into the racing industry that continues to fail to self-regulate".

He also called for the formation of an independent body that would regulate the entire industry.

‘‘The only way to get to the bottom of the corruption and animal cruelty in the racing industry is a national inquiry," Mr Celotto said.

The extent of Mr Weir’s use of jiggers should be investigated, starting with ‘‘interviewing every employee and past employee of the Weir stables’’.

Mr Celotto said his group is regularly contacted by racing industry employees who were afraid to report matters to stewards because they feared losing jobs and reputations and it felt unsafe.

Authorities therefore needed ‘‘to set up a safe and secure means for racing industry employees to be able to report breaches of the rules and in particular animal cruelty, without fear of retribution’’.