It is probably fair to say that most of the conversations I have been involved in since last Friday have included discussion of some aspect of the Racing Industry Bill.

 

NZTR conducted conference calls with stakeholder groups and clubs on Monday and it was pleasing to see the level of engagement and the fact that, for the most part, everyone was in agreement.  Key to our discussions was the distance between what was proposed in the Messara Report and what the proposed legislation would deliver.

 

Messara’s outcome promised a cycle of revitalisation based on the implementation of 17 key recommendations.  The tinkering around the edges of those recommendations has delivered a Bill which fails to deliver the required certainty to encourage the reinvestment needed to revive our flagging industry.

 

The Racing Minister was very clear at Hamilton when he released the Messara Report, he stated we were at a crossroad.

 

“Do you accept the status quo which evidentially offers a continual, gradual decline? Or do you accept a need to adopt change and are willing to approach that change in a constructive way?” he asked.

 

 At that time there was a level of positivity around the industry that we would see change implemented to drive our industry towards a more profitable future.  However, the chasm between Messara’s guiding document and the legislation which proposes an unacceptable level of Ministerial interference has dimmed that positivity.

 

It was telling that Messara chose, on page 1 of his report, to quote another much-lauded report into the racing industry, the 1970 McCarthy Royal Commission.

 

“But it is not today that most concerns us; it is the years ahead…It would not be hard to suggest amelioration of the more important problems in a present setting…our aim is to lay a basis for future strength,” Sir Thaddeus McCarthy stated.

 

Unfortunately, his report was another which suffered the ignominy of dissection and dilution by cautious officials.

 

We cannot let the same mistakes occur again.  The industry has sufficient strength in numbers to effect the changes required at select committee stage to breath life back into this Bill.

 

Without many of the changes our clubs and stakeholders have indicated they wish to see implemented there will be no new money flowing into the racing industry, despite what others might say.  The structure to allow that is simply not there.

 

I welcome your feedback on this blog and look forward to discussing it with you over the weeks leading up to 11 February when submissions are due with the Select Committee.