THIS battle between Wally Gleeson after his son Simon departed in controversial circumstances, by calling out very serious issues of Integrity, Accountability and Transparency, as a Member of the BRC Board, refuses to go away.
Gleeson has doggedly pursued and says he will continue to pursue what many Members consider a very serious matter. He has made representations the Racing Queensland Board, Minister for Racing Tim Mander, the Premier, the CCC, as well as ASIC.
He and his supporters cannot believe that not one of these authorities is prepared to investigate.
Most of the authorities sight “they do not have the power” even to the extent that the CCC refers to their limitations under the Human Rights Act 2019. ‘None of the excuses of all these supposed bastions of upholding integrity would pass a pub test whether at the Brekky Creek Hotel or at the Birdsville pub,’ Gleeson said.
‘Remarkably Racing Queensland, as the regulatory body, has provided no legitimate explanation for its refusal to investigate or engage with the evidence provided to it. It is difficult to believe that this Queensland Government was elected on the platform of integrity and transparency.
‘A high profile thoroughbred consultant (now a RQ Board Member) of the Racing Review team told me during the process leading to recommendations to the Government for the Next Lap that the Chief Executive Officer of RNSW had advised the Review Committee that Racing Queensland HAD THE POWER under the QLD Racing Act 2002 to investigate its licenced clubs. That same CEO is now pursuing his belief through the courts in NSW on behalf of RNSW.
‘Let us hope for the sake of integrity, transparency and accountability of racing in Queensland that the NEW Racing Qld Board acts accordingly if the court decision in NSW favours the regulators’ ability to investigate its clubs,’ Gleeson said.
‘After all these clubs are provided with substantial public monies for major infrastructure projects. Taxpayers deserve better.’
EDITOR’S NOTE: LGHR makes no apology for providing Wally Gleeson with a platform to air his views and frustrations in this matter. It’s what the mainstream media should be doing. Those at the coalface say there is little chance of that happening let alone The Courier-Mail conducting an investigation which one of its leading scribes tried to do before she was shut down. We would be delighted to publish an explanation from The Editor of why that happened.
