IN his column in The Sunday Mail in Brisbane, Racing Editor Bart Sinclair attacks what many believe is the most outrageous racing legislation ever introduced by a Queensland Government.

Most believe it is ‘all over Red Rover’ and that a Queensland Racing Board that contains members that weren’t wanted to start with will retain their seats without ever having to face an election. The only way they will be replaced is if there is a change of Government.

We reproduce The Sunday Mail column courtesy of News Ltd and Bart Sinclair, which is a ‘must read’ for all stakeholders. It reads:

THE Bligh Government has sent a terrible message to Queensland with the ridiculous provisions to establish a new three-code control body.

The Bligh Government has sent a terrible message to everyone in the state with the ridiculous provisions in the revised Racing And Betting Act to establish a new three-code control body.

Consultation, democracy and accountability are obviously words with which Racing Minister Peter Lawlor is not familiar.

The industry will have no future representation on the new private company set up to be the control body. Not a single person.

The only shareholders of this private company will be seven people who happen to be the same seven currently in power. That's the five members of the Queensland Racing Limited board plus the chairs of the greyhound and harness boards.

Obviously Lawlor considers a democratic vote would be a tiresome exercise.

The shareholders are appointed for an initial period of four years, with two required to step down and stand for re-appointment every two years after that.

If you do the sums, two members get four years, two get six years, two get eight years and one gets 10 years.

Mind you the members would hardly be quaking in their boots at the prospect of seeking re-appointment.

A panel of three will choose who goes back on. Chairman Bob Bentley will be one of the selectors, along with a representative of the Department of Racing and, incredibly, a person to be chosen by the first two. The only criteria the third selector has to meet is to be a current member of the Institute of Company Directors. There's one on every street corner.

If misfortune or just tiredness overcomes a shareholder and he or she does not seek re-appointment, the trio of selectors will step up to the plate.

The State Government says its only involvement in racing now is in matters of probity and integrity. Really?

Lawlor claims there was consultation. The Minister says he consulted the three current control body chairs - all now shareholders of the company - and the three chief executives who work for those chairs.

In a previous life Lawlor was a long-serving member of the Gold Coast Turf Club board.

In his time of direct involvement in the racing industry he must have formed a firm view of the industry participants.

The proposals under this Racing And Betting Act give the private company real ability to assume ownership of racetracks or at least an avenue to take over assets and intellectual property of race clubs. What next? Rural properties, homes, commercial land?

* A LOT OF READERS HAVE ALREADY E-MAILED THIS WEB-SITE CONCERNING THE SITUATION IN QUEENSLAND. A CROSS-SECTION OF THEIR VIEWS WILL BE RUN IN THE WEDNESDAY WHINGE COLUMN.