Tassie racing integrity reform finally put before parliament
Long-awaited reform of Tasmania’s racing integrity structure has been introduced to the Tasmanian parliament, nearly two years after the Monteith Report recommended the changes.
Racing Minister Jane Howlett put forward the Racing Regulation and Integrity Bill 2024 this week. The bill will make several key changes, including abolishing the crisis-hit Office Of Racing Integrity and restoring faith in the three codes of racing.
While the Monteith Report suggested the changes in its findings from June 2022, a succession of racing ministers have failed to put the change on the parliamentary agenda.
Howlett, who previously held the Racing Minister role from January 2020 until February 2022, reassumed the position after the Liberal-led government secured a minority at the state election in March.
She has taken back a portfolio which has become a political poison chalice, with integrity concerns at the heart of those issues.
A report by integrity expert Ray Murrihy handed down last year highlighted race-fixing and animal welfare concerns in harness racing and the dysfunction at ORI which has had eight different people in its director role since 2016.
In the meantime, the leading greyhound trainer was first banned for life, then left free to train after an appeal while prominent horse trainer, Scott Brunton, was also banned after failing to pay a $1 million tax debt with the ATO.
Concerns persist about the ongoing resourcing of priorities of ORI. Among those concerns are whether Brunton is still involved with the running of his former stables near Hobart, which are operated by his father-in-law John Keys, and whether ORI has the resources to investigate.
Tasracing has been largely powerless to address the raft of integrity issues, although it did attempt to warn-off leading harness trainer Ben Yole and three associates, as under current Tasmanian law integrity sits under the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
The proposed Act, which will replace the Racing Regulation Act 2004, will address that.
It will remove the Director of Racing and Office of Racing Integrity, with the integrity and welfare functions to be split between a newly created Tasmanian Racing Integrity Commissioner and Tasracing.
The new Racing Integrity Commissioner will report directly to the Racing Minister and have powers to set integrity and animal welfare standards for the racing industry.
The role will be designed to have comprehensive investigatory functions and gives the Commissioner the power to hold inquiries into systemic issues in racing.
Bren O’Brien
The Commissioner will be able to refer cases to Tasmania Police, the Integrity Commission and Tasracing.
Tasracing would be operationally responsible for integrity for all three codes of racing, with an Integrity Unit established within Tasracing. The Unit will be led by a Chief Racing Integrity Officer and will be overseen by a Racing Integrity Committee.
It is also proposed that an Integrity and Animal Welfare Advisory Committee be established to advise the Racing Integrity Commissioner on animal welfare, biosecurity, and integrity matters.
That Committee would include representatives from Tasracing, Biosecurity Tasmania, and RSPCA Tasmania as well as two persons nominated by the Commissioner.
The Tasmanian Racing Appeals Board remains in its current structure, while there are additional measures in the Bill for the regulation and administration of bookmakers.
While the current government, led by Jeremy Rockliff, governs in a minority, the reforms are expected to get the support of the state Labor party.
Bren O’Brien
New Labor opposition leader Dean Winter was previously the opposition spokesman for racing and had been outspoken in his desire to see integrity reform.
However, the slow pace of the parliamentary process in Tasmania, plus an Upper House dominated by independents, means the Bill is not expected to be passed into law until later in the year.
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