MY CALL - RACING QUEENSLAND'S REPORT CARD - THEY FAIL THE THREE M'S TEST

By David Fowler | Tuesday, March 20, 2012

David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO.

Many rusted-on Labor supporters will do an "about face" and vote for the LNP coalition at this weekend's state election.

And central to their change of heart will be a high level of dissatisfaction with Racing Queensland.

Astonishing as it may seem, this is the course that many will plot to the ballot box believing only a change of Government can rid them of this controlling body, generally unpopular with all codes.

But let's get one thing straight. Popularity, or lack of it, shouldn't be used as the judgement call on RQL. Even as RQL chairman Bob Bentley points out, he has never been out to win popularity contests.

The report card on RQL draws a parallel to my old high school debating days and how we were scored … "the three M's" as they were known, matter, manner and method.

Matter being what you have to offer, manner being how you present what you have to offer and method being how you got to the point of presenting what is on offer.

It might surprise many that I score them reasonably well on matter but their manner and method have let them down badly and it is these areas that have disenfranchised them with the majority of the racing industry.

Let me explain.

Bob Bentley and RQL are often keen for change as they examine the present landscape and look for ways to improve it for the future.

They don't live in the past as many do and this is quite a correct approach.

A great test case to use for my "three M's" scoresheet is the proposed harness-greyhound facility at Deagon.

Despite being the vice-chairman of the Albion Park Harness Racing club, I saw merit in several aspects of the project.

Brand new infrastructure with back-to-back complexes would surely have provoked some interest from even the most cynical of minds.

But how they went about it was plain wrong.

Harness racing was almost dragged kicking and screaming into the three code merger with assurances given that Albion Park would be redeveloped as the home of harness racing for many years.

If that assurance had not been given, there would have been no merger.

On this point, as far as I'm concerned, there is no argument. FACT. I was part of the decision making process that finally saw harness racing jump on board.

But it didn't take long to announce after the merger that instead Albion Park would be sold to help finance several thoroughbred projects as well the Deagon proposal.

The "method" to put this "matter" on the table was devious. Poor point scoring indeed.

Remember Julia Gillard's lie to the Australian public of "no carbon tax if we win the election". She is still paying for it.

Then the spin started with the Deagon proposal. "Industry consultation has taken place". "The majority of stakeholders want to move". "A 1400m track is essential".

All hollow remarks after a cosy few had met with RQL board members.

So, yes, the Deagon concept had potential but after all of the twists and turns we witnessed, most of us felt well and truly burnt.

RQL talks of consultation but it only achieves it in the clinical of senses.

The "consulting" is often done with a hand-picked bunch and the decisions have normally been made.

A good example. For the last 18 months I have pleaded with RQL through my media outlets to arrange a round table discussion on ways to improve harness racing turnover.

No consulting here. They don't want anyone else to tell them the possible answers.

Their integrity department is an embarrassment to Queensland and I can say, at first hand, a laughing stock to others around Australia.

Incidentally, this is in no way a slur on the hard working stewards' panels in each code.

And in conclusion, RQL, like the present federal Labor government, have absolutely no idea about the workings of the media.

They would like to stage manage the media for their own purposes. They fail to realise they are accountable and if criticism is warranted it will be published.

It has become us (RQL) versus them (media) and it can't be mended.

The Terry Butts case, which I commented on in a previous blog, was the most glaring example in my 32 years in the media of how ignorant a controlling body could be to the working of the media.

It was just plain dumb!

So as the curtain begins to fall, I believe the potential was certainly there. Not just on Deagon but several other projects that could have shaped the Queensland racing industry positively.

But personalities reigned supreme … a difficult culture developed … and it could have been done so, so much better.

RQL's failure to communicate and engage with the industry in a benevolent way forced a Cold War.

Who was right and who was wrong will be judged through a state election this weekend.

More articles