🔒 🔒 Racing NSW refutes perjury allegations aired before police commissioner

An extraordinary session in NSW budget estimates has seen Independent MP Mark Latham ask NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon how he could submit an allegation of perjury against Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys.

Commissioner Lanyon, appearing before the upper house review committee on Friday, looked perplexed by Latham’s line of questioning about how the process of reporting an allegation of perjury would work.

Utilising parliamentary privilege, Latham made allegations that V’landys, who is currently on temporary assignment as executive chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission, had committed two acts of perjury regarding previous testimony as to the existence of settlement payments or deeds of release at Racing NSW.

The Straight is not suggesting the allegations are true; only that they were made during a parliamentary hearing.

A Racing NSW spokesman emphatically refuted any wrongdoing by V’landys.

“This is nothing more than a shameful stunt. It is so factually incorrect, that it destroys their credibility even raising it,” the spokesman said.

“What Mr V’landys had previously said was 100 per cent accurate and to say that he committed perjury is laughable.” 

A bundle of documents was tabled on Friday by Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, among which, according to Latham’s submission, was a deed of release signed by the Racing NSW CEO in September 2021. That deed had been lodged in the Fair Work Commission.

Labor MP Bob Nanva raised a point of order, citing adverse mention of a third party to prevent the documents being submitted, but The Straight understands that, after a deliberative meeting, the Committee allowed the documents to be tabled, which means they will be placed on the public record.

Racing NSW confirmed the deed of release document related to a male employee, who was terminated due to his conduct in the workplace. That deed, it said, did not relate to the questions asked of V’landys at either the Rosehill inquiry or in separate legal communications. 

“This stunt just shows the vindictiveness against Mr V’landys and the embarrassing means that some people are willing to go to,” the spokesman said.

Commissioner Lanyon, an unwitting role player in what appeared an attempt to get the documents on the parliamentary record, answered Latham’s question at the hearing.

“If we actually satisfy both the objection and certainly Mr Latham, rather than talk about the matter here, if you would like to particularise an allegation, we’re happy to consider it,” he said.

Earlier in the week, attempts by Faehrmann to submit documents in an estimates hearing involving Racing Minister David Harris were rejected and parts of her questioning redacted from Hansard in what was an unprecedented intervention.