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Letter of the Week

Blank cheque or dud?

The racing industry in NSW, and presumably Racing NSW itself, will apparently contract if the race-fields levy legislation is overturned.

Luckily Racing NSW is "very confident" that the levy will not be set aside by a court decision due in late February — so confident, apparently, that it plans to release a new strategic plan before the court decision is known.

In further demonstration of its confidence Racing NSW "cannot believe it is even in court because what other industry in Australia cannot set its own price?".

As for criticism of its spending money on a court case, Racing NSW says it was those who object to the levy that started the court action and Racing NSW is just defending its position. This is pixie dust.

The story was revealed in the Daily Telegraph last week.

Reading between the lines, the essence of Racing NSW’s Plan B is that the NSW Government will be expected to bail out the NSW racing industry if the race-fields legislation fails.

The story is complemented by a picture of the Minister, with the annotation "undertaking". The following is inferentially attributed to RacingNSW: "... the state government is totally committed to this legislation and the Racing Minister has already indicated he will take any measures necessary to ensure the legislation stands up."

While one can only wonder what that "total commitment" means, telling the story at this time has the hallmarks of a blank cheque written in favour of the NSW racing industry, signed by the Minister and likely to be presented in early March.

The question is, will it be honoured by a government not flush with funds? And if not, what next?

This public brinkmanship is conduct unbecoming.

Peter Mair
Windang (NSW)
Today's Racing
Friday 29 March
Saturday 30 March
Sunday 31 March