The deputy leader of the Queensland opposition says Labor supports greyhound racing, a day after an MP broke ranks to call on the party to take a ban to the next election.

Ipswich representative Jennifer Howard was one of hundreds to attend a rally at Queens Park on Saturday calling for the government to ban the industry, citing the high number of dog deaths and injuries.

“When you look at the Western world and the way it’s turning its back on the sport everywhere, Queensland is at risk of being an outlier if we don’t step up and start looking at phasing out this cruel industry,” she said.

Howard added she hoped her party would take a ban to the next election, to be held in 2028.

On Sunday afternoon, deputy Labor leader and former treasurer Cameron Dick attempted to distance his party from the comments.

“We do not oppose greyhound racing,” he said at Parliament House.

“We support greyhound racing, and that is the position of the Labor opposition. That has been our position for a very long time.

“We want to see welfare standards improve, that’s why we acted so vigorously in government to address the welfare of animals.

“We support the industry.”

Earlier on Sunday, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie took a stab at Labor and Howard, accusing her of siding with the Greens.

“It’s bizarre … I never thought I’d see the Labor Party abandon the greyhound racing industry,” he said.

“You would have the Labor Party abandon … all that rely on a livelihood from that.”

In 2016, the NSW Liberal-National coalition – equivalent to the LNP in Queensland – announced a ban on greyhound racing in that state, before backflipping three months later amid a significant backlash, particularly in regional communities.

Howard’s call for Labor to take a ban to the next election came as the Tasmanian Liberal government pushed for a similar policy.

Howard said her belief that The Q, a $90 million greyhound racing hub that opened last year before racing was suspended due to unsafe conditions, could be converted for other uses.

“Ipswich needs a stadium. We need a really good sporting athletics facility,” she said.