IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer, TERRY BUTTS, blasts the minority Labor Government over the passage of the new Racing Integrity Bill.

Butts declares that Labor defectors Billy Gordon and Rob Pyne, along with Speaker Peter Wellington, the independent who provided the casting vote, had forever etched their names in the Racing Queensland Hall of Shame.

Here is the Butts’ column:

BILLY, ROB & ‘PELICAN PETE’ ETCHED NAMES IN RACING SHAME FILE

‘We have again witnessed how political decisions are made for the benefit of political parties and politicians, with little regard for their constituents.’

This was the apt, succinct response by the highly respected Ian McCauley to the Queensland Government’s controversial QRIC Bill that squeezed through parliament last week.

This is a Bill that no-one with any knowledge of racing whatsoever wanted.

It was passed with the support of the two independents, Billy Gordon and Rob Pyne, who have etched their names forever into racing’s shame file.

The count was 44-all and predictably the Speaker, aka as ‘Pelican Pete’, sided with the Government – his casting vote thus adversely affecting the livelihood of many hundreds of the industry’s licensees.

“This is a very disappointing outcome. However, I would like to thank the Katter Party and the LNP for their unwavering commitment to vote ‘no’ and thus support for QRUG and indeed most, if not all of the industry,” said the QRUG chairman Ian McCauley.

“Regional and non-TAB race clubs were at the forefront, and all members of Parliament were well aware of the limitations that this Bill imposes on the future of racing in this State.”

He said QRUG's promotion of the separation of the codes and the removal of the Government as far as practical from the industry gained universal support.

“This Bill denies that opportunity. So the master-servant relationship between racing and the Government will continue, which by its very nature, fosters a climate of favor and retribution,” he said.

ROB KATTER DELIVERED THE MESSAGE FOR HIS CONSTITUENTS

ROB KATTER and his party vehemently opposed the radical changes.

“I do not claim to know the industry inside out, but I certainly have a lot of friends in my electorate in racing.

“The feedback is that they are totally opposed. They want improvement, but they want to start from scratch,” said Katter.

“In terms of the composition about 75 per cent of the industry is thoroughbred so there should be stronger representation of the thoroughbreds on this Board.

“The Victorian model was mentioned as the one for Queensland to copy. I am told that we have gone closer to the Tasmanian model and it is certainly not seen as the industry leader.

“I am very close to some of those people. The Ballard name is synonymous with racing in the Longreach area. The Huddy family in Mount Isa have had two Melbourne Cup starters in the last five years, and they are still racing horses in Mount Isa. We have some iconic people out there. They do not want to cause trouble and they do not want to be politically motivated, but these people are genuine industry participants.

“They care about the welfare of horses as much, if not more, than anyone in this room. They are the sort of people you really want to listen to and take direction from, and they are the sort of people who do not want this Bill to go through the way it is.” 

He said changes needed to be made.

“We have to go back to the drawing board and talk to these people.

“That is how good sustainable development happens. If you bring this in now, they are going to be fighting for the next five or 10 years to turn it all around.

“You have to listen to them and use them to help form the way forward.

“We have run a big risk by departing from that now.”

MEMBER FOR BURDEKIN DECLARES RACING IN QUEENSLAND IN CHAOS

LNP Member for Burdekin, Dale Last, said there was no question that racing codes all across Queensland are in chaos.

“My family have been involved in the racing industry for 50 years—indeed, we still own racehorses—and the feedback I am receiving from the racing industry is negative, negative, negative.

“The lack of confidence from owners and trainers out there in my electorate is alarming. It even extends to our local committees, who are now questioning the future of the industry in these country areas. The establishment of an Integrity Commission will add yet another layer of bureaucracy to an industry which is already on its knees. I acknowledge that the greyhound industry needed to be cleaned up, but to lump the harness and thoroughbred racing codes in with greyhounds is unfair and inappropriate.

“I find it ironic that we are talking about a Racing Integrity Bill, and yet the integrity of the process in bringing this Bill before the House is highly questionable, particularly given the lack of consultation in preparing this Bill.

This Bill is deficient and requires a lot more work before it meets the needs of our racing codes in Queensland.

“It was rushed and ill-conceived”

RACING MINISTER ‘IMPLAUSIBLE AND TOTALLY UNCONVINCING’

AND the final words belonged to the Racing Minister, the implausible and totally unconvincing Grace Grace.

“This Bill really is about securing the stability and future of racing. One thing I want to make clear is that this Government is not prepared to sit back and do nothing.”

And she said it with a straight face, before ‘Peter the Pelican’ offered his casting vote to enforce the totally unwanted new legislation that among other shortcomings puts the three codes so senselessly under the one umbrella.

You might wonder whether the unpredictable MP from the north, Billy Gordon, will mingle with the crowd at the upcoming popular Laura race meting this year – and I am sure the strong racing contingent of Cairns won’t forget the weak and wimpy Chris Pyne who voted with the Government – an indication yet again that he simply doesn’t know. And worse he obviously doesn’t care for an industry that was once the second highest employer in the State.

This is an industry now in free fall – a victim of a succession of bungling politicians and greedy, inept administrators and advisors.

COLUMN COURTESY OF TERRY BUTTS AND THE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, one of Australia's leading rural newspapers.

TERRY BUTTS can be contacted by e-mailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..