COMMENT: Peter V’landys was not at Parliament House in Sydney on Monday, but the powerful presence of the Racing NSW CEO hovered over the Macquarie Room, the setting for an extraordinary first day of public hearings in the parliamentary committee into the Rosehill proposal.
The day began with Gai Waterhouse bastardising Hamlet with her “things aren't right in the state of Denmark” in reference to Racing NSW and ended with substantial questions over the way in which the state’s regulator conducts itself, and if, after 20 years, V’landys wields too much power.
Waterhouse, Hall Of Fame trainer, and arguably the most public figure of the racing industry in Australia, blazed the early trail and made the day’s headline when she suggested there needed to be change at the top at Racing NSW.
Asked if V’landys had been in his role for too long, Waterhouse replied:
“I think there's time for change and we wouldn't be here today if there wasn't because things aren't right in the state of Denmark,” Waterhouse said.
“That's your problem. There are things that are very, very wrong here and we have to, well you have to address them. That's why we're here today.”
Her ‘opening batting partner,’ John O’Shea, then left the Select Committee a bit stunned when revealing he had been pressured not to appear before them.
He revealed no more about the identity of those people publicly other than that “I've definitely had phone calls from people that I shouldn't attend.”
Waterhouse also added she was aware that other people had been advised not to attend the inquiry. These accusations of the potential interference of witnesses led the Committee to hold a private discussion on the matter.
Those revelations set the scene for the rest of the day, and what is likely to be the rest of the Select Committee inquiry.
Later, O’Shea hit the nail on the head when asked about the Rosehill proposal and why this has now become about Racing NSW and not the ATC.
“What I'd say to you is that for all intents and purposes Racing New South Wales are not to be involved in this process but I think we all agree that it's possibly behind the scenes collaborating in some extent,” he said.
It was not ATC chairman Peter McGauran, but the other Peter, V’landys, who was the man under question.
This inquiry appears now to be more of an investigation into the power of Racing NSW and V’landys than it is about the $5 billion idea of closing, redeveloping and selling off Rosehill.
Under parliamentary privilege, V’landys, so often the recipient of fawning media praise in rugby league and racing circles, endured a rare day of continued negative commentary. So too, did Racing NSW.
Bren O’Brien
Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst and independent MP Mark Latham don’t agree on much, but both relished the opportunity to grill the nine witnesses on V’landys, Racing NSW and their nebulous role in the Rosehill project.
The Upper House pair, plus another Committee member, Liberal MP Damien Tudehope, have some history with the Racing NSW CEO.
In November last year the Liberals and the crossbench went within a whisker of imposing a range of additional probity measures on Racing NSW in exchange for the extension of the term of Russell Balding.
It was a bridge too far and Racing Minister David Harris sensationally dropped his own bill, ending the hopes of additional scrutiny.
Bren O’Brien
The Rosehill Select Committee inquiry has given them a long-awaited chance to turn the torch back on Racing NSW.
For what it’s worth, Racing NSW has maintained it has no official role in the Rosehill project.
Yes, it is the regulator of the racing industry. Yes, it lobbied The Cabinet Office in support of the sale. Yes, it wants to ensure the $5 billion of proceed is shared ‘across the racing industry’
And yes, it is paying for the due diligence for the unsolicited proposal on the ATC’s behalf, but as V’landys re-affirmed to The Straight earlier this year “Racing NSW did not instigate the ATCs proposal to government.”
Bren O’Brien
That fact mightn’t matter as it appears there is a bigger game at play here. The wall of support which Racing NSW has enjoyed under V’landys for so long appears to be crumbling.
Waterhouse, ably assisted by her husband Rob, put the foot through the wall on Monday. O’Shea followed her through and then came former AJC chairman David Hall, who tore shreds through Racing NSW’s accounting practices and the governance of both the regulator and the ATC.
Later on, Hamish Esplin, head of Thoroughbred Breeders NSW, spoke of the terse relationship between his body and Racing NSW, exacerbated by a decision to cut $3 million worth of breeders’ bonuses.
Esplin said he felt that was a consequence of a decision by TBNSW to write to the racing minister in opposition to the extension of Balding’s previous term back in 2021.
All of this from just nine witnesses.
With a flurry of written submissions understood to be still coming in, the Committee will have plenty of leads to pursue.
These are all explosive claims which V’landys and Racing NSW will be given their right of reply on, when he appears.
As the CEO of a statutory body, V’landys has little option but to attend when the Committee comes calling, and his appearance, be it on August 9 or September 12, will be a truly box office moment.
