THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: RACING MINISTER GIVES THE INDUSTRY THE SILENT TREATMENT

By Graham Potter | Monday, February 17, 2020

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

Four months ago an article appeared in this column which highlighted the fact that Peter Boyce, the Chairman of the Sunshine Coast Turf Club, had put forward a far reaching and much needed plan to the Racing Minister with regard to suggested reforms to the Racing Integrity Act … reforms which the majority of racing’s stakeholders viewed as being essential for the rejuvenating of the sports’ tired and arguably seriously flawed judicial system.

The Minister reportedly indicated that he hoped to be able to report back to the industry by the end of the year.
(It is true he didn’t say which year but, at the time, we all assumed it was 2019).

There are no surprises about what happened next … or what didn’t happen if you want to be more precise.

December passed into January. A new decade was born but the old head in the sand policies of politicians persisted.

There was not a word from the Racing Minister’s office on this very important matter … not even when January passed into February.

It is a strategy, you know, and a pretty well tried one at that. Ignore something long effort and it will either go away or, at very least, the enthusiasm of those pushing the agenda you are uncomfortable with will falter and the supposed threat they pose to your peaceful existence will weaken.

At the time of writing Peter Boyce still awaits a response to the plan he submitted.

In wanting to do a follow-up story, I contacted the Racing Minister’s office in December to seek an update … any update … on how the matter might be progressing.

I received an automatically generated reply email saying, ‘Please be assured that the contents of your email are receiving attention and a response, should it be required, will be provided as soon as possible.’

That sounds just so much like those recorded phone messages which tell you how important your call is to them when we all know what that really means.

Again, I have heard not a word from the Minister’s office since that email eight weeks ago. Not that he has to reply to me at all … but there is a whole industry waiting on his word.

The truth is that the tie between the racing industry in Queensland and the State government remains a tenuous one.

Some will say it is much improved compared to the times of neglect it received in the past … and it would be nice if we were able to believe that … but when we have a Racing Minister who does not having the common courtesy to keep the greater racing fraternity informed on a matter of substance such as any reforms, possible or not possible, to the Racing Integrity Act, which oversees the integrity of the sport, you have to think that is just a sales pitch looking to placate a restless crowd.

The reality simply does not live up to that promotion and it is really unfortunate that the government continues to treat one of its biggest cash-cows with an indifference that borders on arrogance … or is it just plain ignorance.

But, then again, if you allow someone to get away with giving you the silent treatment over and over again, chances are they will continue to feed you more of the same.