Debate resumed from 2 April 2009.

Mr GEORGE SOURIS (Upper Hunter) [10.09 a.m.]: I have the pleasure and privilege of speaking on behalf of the Coalition on the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009, the Harness Racing Bill 2009 and the Racing Legislation Amendment Bill 2009. Essentially, the cognate bills contain three major features: to disassemble the Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority and transfer most of the regulatory functions to Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales, to provide for an independent board for Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales, and to provide for an independent integrity auditor.

At the outset I would like to acknowledge that the two commercial organisations, Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales, have exhibited a much sharper commercial focus than had been evident in the direction and administration of the two codes prior to the establishment of these two commercial organisations. Under both chairmen, many overdue reforms and much-needed commerciality have emerged. It is a credit to both chairpersons and the boards and staff that this has taken place. Also, credit must go to the work of the regulatory authority and its chief executive officer in containing costs and operating professionally. I acknowledge therefore Professor Percy Allan, Graeme Campbell, Brent Hogan, Max Pool and John Coghlan.

A number of features deserve special comment. Firstly, this is the fourth restructure of the codes or the industry or parts thereof over the 15-year period of the Labor Government. It has been an unsettled time but I believe this legislation may provide the basis for a more stable future. On that basis the Coalition will not be opposing this legislation. On the question of integrity, the separation of commercial and regulatory functions was by its nature a strong safeguard for the integrity of the two codes. I understand, however, that it was an unhappy marriage from the start and that at some point in the future, that point now having arrived, there would be some kind of dissolution of this marriage. The devolution of regulatory functions exposes the integrity of the code to commercial cost cutting and similar practices. It is obvious that an integrity auditor would need to be included, albeit an additional layer of either bureaucracy or governance.

Despite the unhappiness that the two codes constantly exhibited towards the combined regulatory authority, it nonetheless was separated from the commercial functions that the other two organisations undertook. I know that previous Ministers and many members have made contributions in this place regarding the importance of keeping separate, and therefore independent, the regulatory functions of these two sports. We need to be careful and know precisely where we are heading, and to understand that all the arguments that were put on the subject remain just as valid today as they were in the past. It was probably economic rationalism that saw the codes' regulatory authorities combined rather than any other aspect. Given that we are now separating the two codes' regulatory functions but not re-establishing two separate regulatory bodies that would be additional to the two commercial organisations, it is obvious to me that the economics of the situation dictated many of the outcomes.

On the question of an independent board, I observe that this is an attempt to mirror the formula and structure that Racing New South Wales has, and which I believe is operating well although we have not had many months in which to judge that. I support the concepts of independence and the appointment on merit of the two proposed boards. This principle has taken many years to bed down in Racing New South Wales and I sincerely hope it is not as troublesome a period for the greyhound racing and harness racing codes as we have seen with Racing New South Wales. I appreciate that the Greyhound Racing New South Wales board especially has a number of misgivings about independence and the proposed structure. It is the same point that was made in relation to Racing New South Wales: it is almost impossible to find quality potential board members who have an interest in and knowledge of racing, or in this case greyhound racing and harness racing, but who would not have any role or position with a participating stakeholder and therefore be capable of qualifying as an independent board member. That is indeed a problem, but we shall see how that unfolds.

Another point that the Greyhound Racing New South Wales board sought to make was the need for representation in its broadest sense on a board. It recommended an eight-member board, not the five-member board that is contained in this legislation. An eight-member board would provide in addition to the independent members other members who could be appointed by the industry to represent it. Greyhound Racing New South Wales's misgivings, as far as the Opposition is concerned, have come to the fore a little late. There has been considerable consultation on this bill over a period of time. Maybe the Government has not sought to consult vigorously, but it has nonetheless been available and the Government no doubt has been open to such consultation. The bill was tabled about a month ago, I think, and there has been a sufficient period of time for consultation. It has been only in the last 48 hours that these concerns have been raised.

I regret that I am unable to bring these concerns about the board to the table in any meaningful way. I fear there will be seeds of continuing discontent and, depending on the extent of the discontent, there is potential for destabilisation of the process in the initial stages and in an ongoing way. I would not be surprised if this discontent fomented itself sufficiently to require further ministerial and/or legislative intervention in relation to board structure. I have observed this with much Government business and many pieces of legislation that involve the establishment of some kind of board of governance, in whatever organisation we are talking about, and the issue always revolves around representation, whether stakeholder involvement or these types of things. We shall see to what extent this takes place but I would not be surprised if a further modification of this model is necessary at some time in the future.

The legislation will also establish consultative committees for the two codes and I am very supportive of that. I am pleased to see that it is indeed a consultative role and nothing more. It would be misleading to imagine that there could be an external body of stakeholders that could in some way veto or dictate policy and/or decision making to an independent board. It would be impossible for a board to operate under any other model. I am pleased to see that that is the case and that the errors in the second last piece of legislation introduced, pertaining to the establishment of the board of Racing New South Wales, were not replicated in this legislation.

I turn now to costs generally and employee provisions. There is considerable apprehension about approximately $1 million of accumulated liabilities such as long service leave that will be inherited on the books of Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales. Extensive discussions have been conducted about this point. I accept and understand that whilst these liabilities will not necessarily come home to roost in the immediate future, they might come home to roost a lot earlier than would have been the case had the existing structure remained. Nonetheless, the structure is self-financing for the two codes, so these costs would have been borne by the industry in any case. The issue is simply the timing and how quickly some of these liabilities might turn into actual expenses that would otherwise have been delayed. Given the employee provisions that will allow them not necessarily to transfer to the two new entities, it may well be that some of these liabilities will occur earlier than would otherwise have been the case.

The legislation originally included only a one-year guarantee of continuing employment. These employees would be transferred to a corporatised entity with all the implications that entails in relation to their security of tenure and permanency in the public service and so on. I have considerable sympathy for the apprehension being experienced by those employees, including those who will transfer. Unfortunately, the Industrial Court had to intervene and it made a number of recommendations that have led the Government to produce two amendments, which the Coalition will support. One of the amendments will extend the one-year guarantee to two years. When I say that it is unfortunate, I mean that I regret that the employees had to resort to this process to achieve a greater degree of justice, not that the Government intends to make that amendment, which the Coalition certainly supports.

The award will also contain a provision covering a 4 per cent salary increase for two successive years. The Coalition will also support that amendment. When a government is required to amend its own legislation prior to the completion of the parliamentary debate it gives the impression that it was being too harsh with employees or was trying to get away with something about which it should have had a greater sense of responsibility. It suggests that it should have taken greater care and demonstrated more sympathy for the good employees who have served this industry—these two codes and the regulatory authority—some for 30 years or more. It says that the Government was being too crude, too harsh and taking a heavy-handed economic rationalist line in dealing with these good public servants who have undergone and are who are still undergoing a period of uncertainty and apprehension.

The restructure was put in place some time ago, ahead of the passage of this legislation. I find it extraordinary that the chief executive officer would be dismissed and treated so badly despite his and the regulatory authority's performance being so good. The dismantling of the structure started well before the debate on this legislation and it can now not be reversed. If the legislation were rejected by this Parliament, the restructure could not be reversed in any meaningful sense. The Government should have been more decent about this and at least awaited the passage of this legislation before using stealth and the exercise of its governmental powers to reform and remodel these two codes, as is provided for in the legislation.

It may not be in the interests of the three codes for the stewards' roles to be merged. Stewarding is a complicated matter and the integrity of the industry depends on it. Multiskilling may be technically feasible, but knowledge of the culture of each code would be consequentially diluted. It would be better not to include this provision in the bill but to require a future Minister to return to Parliament to amend the legislation should that path be pursued. The industry has experienced a great deal of apprehension about the prospect that the roles of the stewards of the three codes of racing could be merged or multiskilled and, as I said, the level of expertise possibly diluted.

As is often the case, the Opposition has only limited access to information. Whilst I have had made available to me officers to provide briefings, it is nonetheless a matter of trust that I have recommended to the Coalition not to oppose these cognate bills. The reform generally arises out of the Scott review, which was the statutory five-year review of the legislation, and the Cameron wagering review. I have not been deaf to the overwhelming view of participants in both codes about disassociating the greyhound and harness racing codes bearing in mind the nature of the two sports, their culture and history and their desire to control and to regulate their own destiny. Finally, I thank the Minister and the Minister's staff, in particular Mr Steve McMahon—who took delivery of a lovely daughter, Elouise Kathleen, seven weeks ago today—Mr David Crewdson and departmental staff member Mr Frank Marzic for their briefings and courtesies. I commend the bill.

The SPEAKER: I also congratulate Steve McMahon on that wonderful addition.

Mr ALAN ASHTON (East Hills) [10.28 a.m.]: I support these cognate bills—the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009, the Harness Racing Bill 2009 and the Racing Legislation Amendment Bill 2009—and thank the Opposition for its support and the role that the shadow Minister has played. The fact that these bills are being dealt with cognately means that members must make an extra effort to read them and thoroughly understand their objectives. The member for Camden, the shadow Minister and member for Upper Hunter, the member for Hawkesbury and a few others who have a special interest in this area have often spoken about greyhound, harness and thoroughbred racing.

Under this legislation the functions of the Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority and the Greyhound and Harness Racing Appeals Tribunal once again will be amalgamated into one authority. When a decision was made in 2002 to amalgamate those bodies it was not necessarily a popular decision in my electorate, which houses the Bankstown City Paceway. Over a period the paceway lost races and that severely impacted on the income of trainers and drivers—who invariably are the same—and on the industry generally. The member for Camden will probably have more to say about greyhound racing.

East Hills was once home to a greyhound track that was called the dog track. In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s it was a great venue but the site quickly became disused swampland, which has now been reclaimed and which now houses 119 units. That is just one example of how greyhound racing suffered as a result of the glamour and money that could be made from thoroughbred racing. I am sure that many members take a keen interest—I am sure the member for Swansea would not mind me saying that he takes a keen interest—in horses. Throughout history people have been racing animals, which is fantastic if those animals are well treated. That is why we have so many regulations and rules in this State, especially when wagering is involved.

Not many members in this Chamber would not be interested in a horse called Takeover Target—a remarkable rising 10-year-old that is trained by Joe Janiak—that has won $5 million or $6 million, and that will probably win more by the time it has finished. Those who read the debate on this bill might wonder what this has to do with the legislation, but it is imperative for governments to regulate these sorts of issues. The shadow Minister said earlier that once the legislation was enacted there would be subsequent reviews of the legislation and consultation with stakeholders.

It is not easy to get harness racing, greyhound racing and thoroughbred racing interests to agree. The shadow Minister referred also to the tasks allotted to stewards, whom I hope can tell the difference between a greyhound and a horse! When great animals are racing I am not impressed by the regulations that brought about the event but rather by the determination of those animals to excel. Last week Sunline, which had an illness that could not be treated, was put down. Sunline was one of the greatest mares that Australia had ever seen, until Makybe Diva. When animals such as those are racing they capture the imagination of the nation.

Human athletes are paid a fortune to compete in events. I do not want my speech to sound like a John Kerr speech in which I say, "Well done" to the horse and all that sort of stuff, but animals receive nothing other than an extra feed, a lump of sugar, or a pat on the back when they race. They are well liked by their trainers, their strappers and all those involved with them. Some people have a passion for these animals. Greyhound owners and trainers, and harness racing drivers and trainers do not make a lot of money; they engage in those activities for the love of them. Many properties in Condor Park have training facilities and stables in their backyards. For many years those properties have been zoned for stables but people are always saying, "We do not want to live near those stables. We do not want horses in our backyards." Those stables have been in Condor Park for 40 and 50 years.

I have mentioned before in this House that some of my great uncles were Melbourne Cup winning jockeys who owned properties in Randwick. I would love to think there were areas in Randwick that still had stables, cobblestones and stalls. We deal with many serious pieces of legislation in this House that are enacted to assist us to govern this State. In my electorate more people would take a direct interest in this legislation than they would in other motions and bills that are passed. I will now refer to the Harness Racing Bill 2009.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): I would appreciate that.

Mr ALAN ASHTON: I appreciate the wide discretion given to me by the Acting-Speaker. Some time ago I was not happy about the fact that the Harness Racing Regulatory Authority was to be amalgamated with the greyhound authority. I believe it is appropriate to separate those two bodies. The object of the bill is to separate harness racing from greyhound racing and to continue harness racing as constituted under the Harness Racing Act 2002. The Harness Racing Bill 2009 will provide for the transfer of the functions of harness racing and functions relating to harness racing currently exercised by the Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority, which were dissolved by the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009. Briefly, we are returning to the good old days when harness racing, greyhound racing and thoroughbred racing were able to look after themselves.

Mr George Souris: You have remained unhappy about the marriage from day one.

Mr ALAN ASHTON: The member for Upper Hunter made a good point; it was a marriage of inconvenience. I hate to use the term "shotgun marriage" when we are talking about animals, but from day one I was not overly enthusiastic about that marriage. I am pleased that, as a result of the Scott and Cameron reviews—issues to which the member for Upper Hunter referred—those groups will now be separated. It is not so much a question of the Government making a mistake; it is more a question of the amalgamation just not working. At the time it was an agreed policy and that is how people wanted to move. It has been recognised that it has not worked as well as it could have worked and that several difficulties could not be overcome. Those three organisations should be separated: each organisation requires the same degree of oversight and an independent board of review.

The legislation must also define the important role to be played by stewards. The Government has consulted with the industry in relation to this matter and the shadow Minister said earlier that in the past 48 hours there has been some criticism of what might have happened in one area. These bills have been on display for some time and the Government's intent is clear. Obviously the Government has spoken also to members on the crossbenches and to Opposition members. Government and Opposition members usually arrive at a degree of consistency in relation to these matters, so the legislation cannot be wrong. Those who have major concerns with this legislation should not leave it until the last two days to throw out something that has been before the House for some time. I support these cognate bills. This Government is doing the right thing. I appreciate the Opposition's support for these bills.

Mr GEOFF CORRIGAN (Camden) [10.39 a.m.]: It is a great pleasure to support the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009, the Harness Racing Bill 2009 and the Racing Legislation Amendment Bill 2009—cognate bills, as pointed out by the member for East Hills. I am fortunate to have had a great interest in harness racing since the early 1970s. I regularly attended Harold Park on a Friday night and, when I moved to Camden, I quite regularly attended Menangle Park on a Monday night, until Menangle stopped functioning properly. It was a great pleasure—and I spoke about it in the House last year—to see the reopening of the Menangle Park Paceway on 29 June 2008. The new 1,400-metre paceway is a great, world-class facility. Menangle Park was in my electorate, but that changed with the 2007 redistribution.

In the two years before Menangle Park reopened I was heavily involved with Paul Fitzpatrick, the leading harness racing trainer in New South Wales and, in my view, Australia. Paul and his family trained me to participate in a race with the then Minister for Gaming and Racing, the Hon. Grant McBride, on Miracle Mile night in 2006. Paul often took the opportunity to tell me how hopeless the structure of harness racing and greyhound racing was since they had been forced together. He felt that too much money was being spent on bureaucracy and not enough was coming back to the participants—the rationalisation had not worked. I support his view. This review by the Government, which was supported by the Opposition spokesman, has led to harness racing being separated from greyhound racing and from Racing New South Wales. It is adopting the Racing New South Wales model. It is particularly important that this legislation is passed because there is an interregnum in harness racing in appointing a board to deal with some pressing issues, which I think it best not to raise here.

I have had several visits from trainers and participants concerned about the lack of progress in harness racing, and the need to get the new model in place and operating as quickly as possible. Like the Opposition spokesman, I also am disappointed that at the last minute the greyhound racing industry decided to raise concerns about the bill. Yesterday at lunchtime I saw Bill Mangafas, one of my constituents and President of the Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association [GBOTA], walking out of the building with four or five participants in greyhound racing. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I did not have time to talk to him. However, had I known he was here to express some concerns I would have taken the time to talk to him. The last time I was with Bill Mangafas was about five weeks ago when I attended the Bulli greyhound racing night in memory of a member of the industry who had passed away. I had a very interesting and entertaining night. I was in the broadcast tower with the inimitable Paul Ambrosoli. Paul managed to talk to me within one second of the race starting, turn his head as the dogs jumped and call the race without missing a beat—I still do not know how he does it.

Mr George Souris: He is one in a million.

Mr GEOFF CORRIGAN: He is incredible. I have heard Paul Ambrosoli at Liverpool Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association presentation nights, which I always attend along with my good friend from 2KY Greg Radley. Greg always comes along to the Liverpool Association because of a little lady named Patty West. Patty is not very tall but she is a dynamo. She insists that the local members go along, so I go along, and Greg Radley always goes along to compere the function for fear that he will end up in trouble with Patty if he does not. I congratulate Patty West and all those at the Liverpool Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association, and also the Camden branch of the association. I have not been to one of Camden's presentation nights for a while.

New South Wales conducts more greyhound races and maintains more racetracks than any other Australian jurisdiction. Further, New South Wales has the second-highest number of registered persons, 9,587, behind Victoria with 11,257. New South Wales is renowned for its major contribution to the Australian greyhound racing breeding stocks, with 6,039 greyhounds racing in 2006-07, in comparison with 3,912 in Victoria and 1,475 in Queensland. Of course, that does not tell the whole picture. The Wheeler family, who used to be based primarily at The Oaks and is now based at Orange, has the largest breeding operation for greyhounds in Australia. That family has been somewhat disenchanted with the industry. I hope this legislation and the changes it brings will make them happier.

Paul Wheeler, the leading breeder and owner in Australia, refuses to race his greyhounds in New South Wales because of problems with prize money and within the industry. If you see a greyhound with a "Bale" suffix, it is definitely a greyhound owned by the Wheeler family. You will often see four or five "Bales" in one race, and quite often they will take first, second and third places. Paul and his brother came to see me about artificial insemination of greyhounds and some problems they were having with registration. I was able to help them with that. They expressed concern about greyhound racing in New South Wales. These changes will satisfy their concerns and make greyhound racing a lot more efficient.

At times it seems that I have the entire 9,857 participants in greyhound racing in my electorate. Of course, that is not the case, but through the rural backblocks of Liverpool and Camden greyhound racing is a significant industry with a lot of participants. As the member for East Hills said, you will never get rich being a greyhound trainer, and at times it seems there are a lot of jealousies in the industry. Whenever I go to a presentation night or a function, or even to a local Camden Labor Party branch meeting, people tell me how much better greyhound racing would be if only we were to adopt their ideas, get rid of the Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association or change the president.

This new model is a better model for greyhound racing and it is also a better model for my other great love in life, harness racing. This organisation needs to work properly. As the Opposition spokesman said, the legislation should be reviewed regularly to make sure it is working properly. We have to be big enough to make those changes where they are needed rather than being pigheaded and sticking to a model that is not working. I have read the Scott review. This is an excellent way to go, but let us keep it under review and make sure it continues to work well. It is a great pleasure to support these cognate bills.

Mr PETER DRAPER (Tamworth) [10.47 a.m.]: I will make a brief contribution to the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009, the Harness Racing Bill 2009 and the Racing Legislation Amendment Bill 2009. The main purpose of these three bills is to reform and update the statutory arrangements that underpin the governance of both the greyhound and harness racing industries. The bills repeal the Greyhound and Harness Racing Administration Act 2004, dissolve the Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority, plus repeal the Greyhound Racing Act 2002 and the Harness Racing Act 2002. The legislation will transfer the functions and responsibilities of each dissolved authority into one single controlling body for each of the greyhound and harness racing codes.

It will provide an independent board structure for Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales based upon the recently introduced Racing New South Wales model. It will also provide for an independent integrity auditor function across all three codes to investigate and act upon complaints about the conduct of racing officials, while contributing significant savings. In his agreement in principle speech the Minister paid tribute to the boards and the chairs of Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales. That is very deserved, because such a significant change in the way the industries will operate could not have been accomplished without their support.

Like the member for Camden, I, too, have been quite an avid follower of harness racing and the greyhounds. When I lived in Sydney, in Leichhardt, my wife and I were regular visitors to Harold Park. Some 15 or more years ago Wentworth Park went through a significant redevelopment, where the grass was replaced with artificial turf. I happened to be browsing through the local paper and saw an advertisement for turf: if you want it, pick it up and you can have it. I hooked on the trailer and off I went. I have my own little piece of Wentworth Park in the backyard. I used to joke with my friends that you could sit there with a beer and almost see the greyhounds flashing by.

Mr Kevin Greene: After a couple of beers.

Mr PETER DRAPER: After a couple of beers, possibly, yes. It was a nice little piece of history. It was not an overly large piece of the greyhound track. To give members an idea of its size, I could start the lawnmower, do one lap around the outside, turn off the petrol and finish the job. Change is in the wind in my local area too. Earlier this week I met with Rex Horne, Chairman of the New South Wales Harness Racing Club, to offer my support for its plans to sell the Harold Park facility in Glebe and relocate operations to the west of Sydney. A sale of the Glebe facility would offer an unprecedented opportunity for housing and recreation in an area very close to the Sydney central business district, which does not happen very often. A rezoning application is before the Minister for Planning, and I have written to the Minister expressing my support for the application.

The sale of Harold Park also would free up funds that would be invested in relocating the Tamworth harness and greyhound facilities to an area in which the Tamworth Jockey Club conducts its thoroughbred activities. Detailed planning for this relocation has taken place already. Basically the aim is to create a state-of-the-art racing precinct to cater for all three codes, which would become a significant asset for my local district and would open up a range of opportunities for all three codes. It would provide an opportunity also to examine the allocation of race meetings, which could be done better than it is at present, and hopefully provide country organisers with additional opportunities to showcase their sports.

Acceptance within the industry seems to be that change based on a foundation of appropriate and modern governance is necessary if we are to be viable in the future. All three codes accept that change is needed to meet the challenges of the present economic climate. These bills will provide a new framework that will take the industry into the future. It is important to realise that government does not underpin the racing industry's operations. The industry is self-funding and contributes an enormous amount to the State's economy. The greyhound industry contributes more than $469 million a year to the economy and provides some 7,000 full-time jobs, while the harness racing industry contributes some $680 million a year and provides 9,000 jobs. A billion dollars from those two industries is a significant contribution to our State. I support the bills and commend them to the House.

Mr ROBERT COOMBS (Swansea) [10.51 a.m.]: I, too, speak with some enthusiasm on these racing cognate bills and hope that this new supporting regulation translates into the ability to back more winners, although I am not sure it will work quite that way.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): I notice members are taking a lot of interest in this debate!

Mr George Souris: The industry needs people like you.

Mr ROBERT COOMBS: Yes. I was once a secretary of a punter's club, but we went into receivership after about four days.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): After that comment, does the member for Swansea wish to contribute to this debate?

Mr ROBERT COOMBS: I do, because it is very important. It is inevitable that this growing industry will go through more change. It is important to have regulations in place that enable such growth and ensure that this important industry remains on foot. I will reflect a little and go back to the 1990s when I was a board member of radio 2KY, which had the contract with the TAB to call the races.

Mr George Souris: Which I renewed. I was Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing at the time.

Mr ROBERT COOMBS: There you go. 2KY is a marvellous radio station: It celebrated its seventy-fifth birthday not that long ago. In the 1990s race meetings were held every Wednesday and Saturday. Some harness and greyhound races operated outside those days but basically racing was built around those two days. I remember the struggle and concern of the 2KY board when Sunday racing was introduced. Members will recall it was introduced on a casual basis, with either half a dozen or dozen Sunday race meetings held throughout the year. Of course, the General Manager of the station, Barrie Unsworth, who is well known in this place, had the task of informing rugby league callers Greg Hartley and Peter Peters that they would be stood down for the day: there was no need to call the football because our prime responsibility was to call the races. Not long after that 2KY ceased broadcasting the rugby league because of the proliferation of Sunday race meetings. Sunday race meetings are now the norm—race meetings are held every day of the week.

The racing industry contributes an enormous amount of money to the economy. It generates approximately 50,000 part-time or full-time jobs and contributes an estimated $1 billion to the State's gross domestic product. The racing industry is a significant and important contributor to the economy and leisure activities. There has been some criticism of the legislation, as is always the case when new legislation unfolds, but I point out that our response to the industry and all interested parties was provided on 3 January 2009. That response was provided after a massive amount of consultation not just in the Parliament but also with key industry players, organisations and the betting fraternity in general.

It is estimated that greyhound racing in New South Wales invests more than $468 million from direct spending into the New South Wales economy. It is estimated that in 2003 the greyhound racing industry was responsible for the creation and maintenance of 6,990 full-time equivalent jobs. Throughout this State the greyhound racing industry is involved heavily in supporting charities and disadvantaged community organisations. On many occasions the three racing codes raise money for charities, sporting organisations or individuals who may be doing it tough. Racing is not only for breeders, owners, trainers and spectators: it also plays an important role in ensuring our charitable organisations are well supported.

The Greyhound Racing Bill 2009 is important because New South Wales runs more greyhound races and maintains more racetracks than any other Australian jurisdiction. I believe the other States will use this new legislation as a yardstick to ensure their racing industries are properly supported. New South Wales has the second-highest number of registered persons in greyhound racing, with 9,857. Victoria has the highest number of registered persons/owners at 11,257. New South Wales is renowned for its major contribution to Australian greyhound racing breeding stocks, with 6,039 greyhounds named in 2006-07 compared with 3,912 in Victoria and 1,475 in Queensland. New South Wales has the largest overall racing and breeding statistics.

The harness racing industry also can boast the same sort of growth figures and attraction. It also provides an annual benefit to the New South Wales economy of approximately $680 million and employs something like 29,000 people. I reiterate that it is important we maintain flexibility in the industry and continue to focus on the importance of the industry in a large range of areas. I commend the legislation to the House.

Mr ALLAN SHEARAN (Londonderry) [10.59 a.m.]: I speak in support of the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009, the Harness Racing Bill 2009 and the Racing Legislation Amendment Bill 2009. The main purpose of the bills is to reform and update the statutory arrangements that underpin the governance arrangements of the greyhound and harness racing industries; repeal the Greyhound and Harness Racing Administration Act 2004 and consequently disband the Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority; repeal the Greyhound Racing Act 2002 and Harness Racing Act 2002 and by way of new legislation transfer functions and responsibilities of the disbanded authority to a single controlling body for each of the greyhound and harness racing codes; provide for an independent board structure for Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales based on the recently introduced Racing New South Wales code; provide for an independent integrity auditor to function across all three codes to receive and consider complaints about the conduct of racing officials; and provide for necessary savings and transitional arrangements.

I profess that I am no expert on the racing industry but I have two significant venues in the electorate of Londonderry, namely, the Richmond Greyhound Racing Club and the Hawkesbury Race Club, and I have a healthy relationship with the officials of those two clubs. The people involved in this significant industry have told me they are in favour of the proposals in these bills. As recently as last week, the Minister and I attended the Hawkesbury Race Club for the Hawkesbury Gold Cup, a very successful event. On that day Brian Fletcher, the chief executive officer, made a number of complimentary remarks regarding the Minister and the Government about the legislation.

I had numerous talks with different committee members, including Sid Kelly. Every now and again when I visit these race tracks I get a few tips but unfortunately they do not seem to do me any good. I put a few bob on and more often than not I come out the loser. Those officials have great ambition and foresight for the Hawkesbury track. Consideration is being given to lengthening the straight with a view to the Hawkesbury Race Club track eventually becoming one of the major metropolitan venues. These measures will not only promote Hawkesbury but also benefit racing generally in New South Wales.

Richmond Greyhound Racing Club is a smaller club but has enormous potential. Since greyhound racing was introduced at the club in 1955 the club has established itself as a premier greyhound facility. It has over 100 race meetings per year and is probably one of the major successes of greyhound racing in New South Wales. I have spoken a number of times over the past year with the President, Mark Malone, and Vice-President, Ivan Tilley and at the time they seemed to be fairly impressed with the direction of the proposals. I understand concerns have been raised today but I have not been acquainted with those concerns. Notwithstanding, generally both sides of the House and the industry support these measures, which suggests that we are heading in the right direction.

Last year I was fortunate to be present at the opening of the Patrons Lounge and the De Bortoli function room of Richmond Greyhound Racing Club. This latest enhancement work will help make the club a first-class venue for the conduct of race meetings. I acknowledge also Greyhound Racing New South Wales, which, under the venue master plan initiative, assisted in the funding of this facility, along with the provision of a lift for people with a disability. That is most welcome and will be part of the success of the club into the future. Richmond Greyhound Racing Club is destined for continued success for patrons locally and those throughout New South Wales.

As mentioned by previous speakers, I reiterate that it is estimated that the industry provides direct full-time and part-time employment for 50,000 people and it contributes an estimated $1 billion to the State's gross domestic product. With those figures and with the support of the industry generally—and the consensus shown in this House—the potential for the success of this legislation is evident. The only negative aspect was that in the lead-up to the introduction of the bills one of the stewards approached me to express concern about future arrangements. I consulted the Minister, who assured me that full consultation is underway and that the jobs of all stewards will be protected. I am sure that eventually they will come to appreciate what is proposed. On that note, I commend these bills.

Mr GRANT McBRIDE (The Entrance) [11.06 a.m.]: I support the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009, the Harness Racing Bill 2009 and the Racing Legislation Amendment Bill 2009. I acknowledge, firstly, that I am not a member of the Labor caucus punters club and I am never likely to be one. I also acknowledge the Opposition's support for the bills. There could be no-one more experienced on this matter in the whole of New South Wales than the shadow Minister, George Souris, the member for Upper Hunter. He has been the shadow Minister for Racing for 14 years. He has been totally supportive of the industry: he attends all the functions, has been a great representative for his side of Parliament and supports changes necessary for the industry. He understands possibly better than anyone the need for change in the greyhound and harness racing industries. The member for Camden pointed out that before the 2006 Miracle Mile we had a race out there. I trained for three months for that event.

Mr Gerard Martin: Are we talking about greyhounds here?

Mr GRANT McBRIDE: No, we are talking about harness racing. I learned a lot about that, not that I did not know a lot about horses—even though I never gambled on them, I used to ride horses. I should probably be in The Nationals because I am one of the few people in the Parliament who can actually ride and saddle a horse. I found out that harness-racing horses actually go at 55 kilometres an hour, and there is no seatbelt on the gig. It is quite an experience. It gave me insight into the industry: the opportunity to talk directly to trainers, to be on site and see their training facilities. I was able to talk to people who work in the industry, from the guy at the top to those at the bottom.

Ministers tend to be exposed only to the people at the top. I give credit to the member for Camden because I think when he attended facilities in his area it was the first time he had ever been near a horse in his life. I went to a number of facilities in the Cessnock area. We were able to understand and get a feel for the industry—an industry that is run on passion, not run money or self-aggrandisement. The people involved live pretty tough, spartan lives and the money in the industry is quite small, considering the effort they put in. The wages are very low, and the work is arduous, repetitive and tough. Those who are in the racing industry are committed to it.

The history of the racing industry goes back to the privatisation of the TAB in the mid-1990s, which changed the whole structure of the funding. That structural change then led to a change in the amounts of money that went to the various racing codes. The codes that were possibly less insulated from that were greyhound racing and harness racing. Because of the nature and history of greyhound racing there are greyhound racing tracks across the whole of New South Wales. Supporting those tracks costs an enormous amount of money. In contrast, Victoria has fewer than 20 greyhound racing tracks operating, of which about 11 are major tracks. Also, the geography of Victoria is so different because it is a genuinely regional area. The largest city, town or region outside Newcastle is Geelong, and it has only 100,000 people. The population centres are spread evenly.

The Victorian tracks are sustainable because they have a local community that can go to the track—and in regional areas they still go to the track. Here in New South Wales people do not go to the track. You can go to any racetrack—and I will not name one—on a race night and you will find very few people there. So we do not have the source of income from racing that Victoria has. As well, we do not have the income that comes from Tattersall's. So Victoria has an additional stream of funds. In summary, we do not have the people at the track, we have a lot more tracks, and we do not have the extra income stream that is available to Victoria.

Putting those factors together, the New South Wales racing industry is basically running on the smell of an oily rag, as some would say. Changes need to be made. When I was Minister it was clear that the industry was not working and that changes needed to be made. Further changes will be needed in the future. Importantly, however, the Government and the Minister have recognised the need to make those changes. If changes are not made the industry will slowly ebb away. I hope the changes will make a difference and will put both the greyhound racing industry and the harness racing industry on a firm footing into the future.

I congratulate all those who have been involved in drafting the changes—at the industry level, the board level, and everyone else—on the way they have gone through these successive changes and continued their commitment to their sport and industry. The bill is necessary and it is good that it is being done. It is good that the Minister, rather than making minor changes, is making radical changes that are needed to put the industry back on a firm footing. I congratulate the Minister on that. I also congratulate the shadow Minister for Gaming and Racing on his continued support for the Government in getting the best outcome for the industry.

Mr PAUL GIBSON (Blacktown) [11.13 a.m.]: Every speaker on the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009, the Harness Racing Bill 2009 and the Racing Legislation Amendment Bill 2009 virtually said the same thing, which is absolutely true: changes had to be made. I believe the changes that have been made are commonsense. I believe they have been made for the betterment of not just one section of the racing industry but the industry as a whole. The racing industry is a great industry. We have heard about the number of jobs the industry supports. But it also supports many small businesses in country towns, in outer Sydney areas and in the cities. Without that support many small businesses would be doing it very tough.

Racing is a great panacea. Looking back at the history of racing during the Depression, for example—and I was not born then; I am not that old—there were the largest crowds ever on racetracks anywhere. People went to the racetracks not only to put a few bob on and try to back a winner; they went there with the hope of forgetting the problems of the day. They went to the track because it was fairly cheap entertainment. It was a very important part of the panacea process that followed on from the Depression and the war. I first started looking at and wondering about racing when I was a young boy in Young.

Mr Kevin Greene: Is that Lambing Flat?

Mr PAUL GIBSON: The boy from Young: "I come from Young, a pretty town up near the Riverina. They grow their cherries by the pound and sell them for a deener." I have never forgotten that. In my early years in Young there was a fellow by the name of Ernie Batnich, who had a cherry orchard. Ernie had a greyhound called Happy Banquet. Happy Banquet was a happy banquet to a lot of people in Young. Not only did he win on the country tracks—

Mr George Souris: They ate it.

Mr PAUL GIBSON: No, they didn't eat it; he ate them. They brought Happy Banquet to Sydney and it was one of the best greyhounds to race in this nation. I have never forgotten it. After that, Ernie's mate had a dog called Macaroona. I will never forget Macaroona either—one of the fastest dogs this nation has ever laid eyes on.

Mr Peter Draper: What about Chief Havoc?

Mr PAUL GIBSON: Yes, Chief Havoc. There have been a lot of them. At the moment we have a horse called Takeover Target and it has won more than $6 million in prize money. Joe Jaknic is the owner-trainer of it. He bought the horse for virtually nothing.

Mr Kevin Greene: For $1,370.

Mr PAUL GIBSON: That's right, $1,370. The Minister is on the job. Takeover Target has won in every State in this nation. He has also won in Singapore, Japan and England. This has given the battler hope. It does not matter how far down the ladder you might be, there is always a possibility, if you have a bit of luck, that you can really kick on. That is what racing does, through these great racing horses, greyhounds and harness horses: it gives the average punter hope.

I am aware that the Minister has amendments to move to the legislation. The changes give hope to the industry. The better the industry is, the better the whole situation for owners, trainers, and people who go to the track. As I have said before, the racing industry contributes $1 billion towards the State's gross domestic product. Thousands of jobs are connected with the industry. The member for Londonderry spoke about Brian Fletcher, a good mate of mine who runs the Hawkesbury race club. He is the chief executive officer there and he does a great job. The club has become an integral part of the Richmond-Windsor area, in western Sydney. The club will always put its hand in its pocket, whether it be for fundraising for the Victorian bushfire victims or any other cause. The club does a lot of work for the local area. It also provides a lot of income for small business in the area. It is a credit to the racing industry.

It would be remiss of me if I did not mention in this debate—it is probably the only chance we will get to say something about it—one of the doyens of racing at the moment and one of nature's gentlemen of racing. He has been described as a breed of his own. Many have come before him, but he has been as good as any. I refer to Ian Craig. After 35 years of calling races Ian has announced his retirement. He started with 2UE in 1965 and then went to 2KY in 1968 and has been there ever since. Not only is Ian Craig a great race caller but he is a great human being and a great family man. He is a doyen of the industry and a great example of what racing can do and what sorts of people are connected with the racing game. I wish Ian all the very best in his retirement, as I am sure the whole of the Parliament does. He has done a great job.

As has been said in this debate, both the member for The Entrance as the former Minister and Minister Greene have done a great job in this portfolio. They have been well supported by the Opposition spokesman, the member for Upper Hunter. There have been other people in the racing game who are also doyens of the sport. Kenny Callender and his son Richard Callender play a big role in the articles published about the racing industry. They have always come up with forthright ideas that are good for the industry—not so much good for themselves, for the punter or for the trainer. In their columns and on television they support the ideas that will benefit the industry in the long run. It has been a pleasure to speak to this bill. I congratulate the Minister on the great job he has done.

Mr GERARD MARTIN (Bathurst) [11.20 a.m.]: It is always a hard task to follow the member for Blacktown, one of racing's colourful characters—

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): There have been quite a few colourful characters this morning.

Mr GERARD MARTIN: Yes, there have. I thought it might have been a benefit day for the member for Upper Hunter because I do not think he has had so many supporters from this side of the House in all the time he has been in this place.

Mr George Souris: You are going to provide some balance, are you?

Mr GERARD MARTIN: No, I am going to be swept up in it. In my electorate Lithgow and Bathurst are strong greyhound racing centres and this bill will return certainty and hope to the industry. Everyone would agree that over the last decade there has been turmoil and change in all racing codes, with a raft of rationalisation and change as a result of economic and regulatory pressures. We have had commercial boards, regulatory boards and an amalgamation of thoroughbred and greyhound bodies. This is a sensible outcome for independence but the real challenge for the industry, particularly the greyhound industry, is to give the trainers that supply the stock for the races the hope of stability, in knowing exactly how the setup works. People need to be encouraged back into training.

There is a dedicated band of people in Lithgow. I remember the late Dizzy Farnsworth, who trained a few dogs I had, would be up at 5 o'clock on a winter's morning in Lithgow, which is a challenge: as dark as it can get, with six inches of frost or snow. These trainers and breeders are dedicated and they get out there and train their dogs—they underpin the industry. I am sure they will be heartened by the simple structure contained in the bill. Even though dog racing is supposed to be the working man's sport, it attracts people of all calibres. Bishop Manning, the current Parramatta Catholic Bishop, probably would not like to be reminded of this but I can remember when he was the assistant parish priest at Lithgow—he presided at my wedding—and was very much into dogs. He had a very good dog called Tivoli Chief, who helped the coffers of St Patrick's parish quite a lot. I am sure that Bishop Manning has moved on but would still enjoy a great love of dogs.

That is one of the great things about the racing industry: you can get in fairly cheaply; it is a great sport and a great way of social inclusion, particularly in country towns. There has been quite a lot of club amalgamation. Bathurst has been the winner in our region, at the expense of Orange to some extent, and Lithgow continues to struggle as a non-TAB track, but the people supported it and the rationalisation was needed. The bill will give certainty to greyhound people. I commend the Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister for Sport and Recreation for introducing the bills. In fact, the Minister will be at Kennerson Park in Bathurst on 20 May to officiate at the opening of its upgraded facilities and I have no doubt he will enjoy his time there. During the equine influenza epidemic the Government put money into all facets of racing, and the money given to the Bathurst club has been well spent on the upgrades. I commend the bill to the House.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): This debate has demonstrated the strength of racing in this State. It has brought both sides of the House together. Confessions have been made here this morning.

Mr KEVIN GREENE (Oatley—Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister for Sport and Recreation) [11.24 a.m.], in reply: I thank all members for their contributions to the debate. I particularly thank the shadow Minister and the Opposition for their support of the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009, the Harness Racing Bill 2009 and the Racing Legislation Amendment Bill 2009. I am sure the shadow Minister has been pleased to hear so many Government members complimenting him on his long tenure as the shadow Minister for racing. There is no truth in the rumour, of course, that he is retiring. With so many good speeches having been made one would have thought the member for Upper Hunter had to be retiring, but I am sure that is not true. In fact, I look forward to his being the shadow Minister for racing not only for the remaining term of this Parliament but well into the next.

Mr George Souris: Those thoughts are reciprocated.

Mr KEVIN GREENE: The Government does appreciate the shadow Minister's contribution to the debate and support of the legislation. I also thank the member for East Hills for his contribution. I have spent a number of occasions with Bankstown president Les Bentley and the member for East Hills at the Bankstown track. Harness racing at Bankstown is held every Monday night. I also thank the member for Camden, Geoff Corrigan, for his contribution. The member for Camden interestingly referred to the well-known racing commentators Greg Radley and Paul Ambrosoli. Greg Radley does some magnificent impersonations of all the race callers. As I was listening to the member for Camden I was reflecting on the influence of racing in this Parliament. I also noted the comments of the Premier yesterday during question time when he used the phrase "London to a brick". We would all well remember that phrase being used in the great racing terminology of that legendary race caller Ken Howard.

I also thank the member for Tamworth, Peter Draper, for his contribution. When I was recently in his electorate I looked at the Tamworth race club, the greyhound facilities and the showground where the harness racing takes place. In discussions I have had with James Treloar, the Mayor of Tamworth, and the member for Tamworth there are some very positive proposals for those three clubs to be brought into a central venue. Tamworth has a very strong racing community with its equine centre and I congratulate the member for Tamworth on the work he is doing in support of the potential consolidation of the three racing codes in Tamworth.

I also thank the member for Swansea for his contribution to the debate. He spoke about various gambling exploits and punting. I recently attended the harness racing in Newcastle with Ross Gigg. There was a storm on that Saturday night when the harness racing was taking place and the track became very wet very quickly as a result, but the club got through that. I also thank the member for Londonderry for his contribution. As the member said, I was at the Hawkesbury racetrack with him last Wednesday. Hawkesbury will also be holding a meeting this coming Saturday and anyone in the area might be interested in that very strong meeting. The member for Hawkesbury also commented on the Richmond dogs. Meetings are held on Friday evenings.

I thank the member for The Entrance, Grant McBride, a former Minister for Gaming and Racing, for his contribution. He spoke of his meetings during his time as Minister with owners and trainers in the greyhound and harness industry—something I also take great pleasure in. A couple of Sundays ago I attended Derby Day at Menangle. I spoke with people such as Neil Day and Paul Fitzpatrick, who are well known in the harness industry. Over Easter I attended the Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park and caught up with some of the trainers and stewards as we looked through the boxing area. Great work is being done there as well. That is why it is important to touch base with those who are at the forefront of the industry.

The member for Blacktown made a contribution in his inimitable fashion. In particular, I agree with him about the jobs tied up in the racing industry—more than 50,000 across the racing industry in New South Wales. It is a major contributor to the economy of New South Wales. The member for Bathurst also contributed to the debate, and I look forward to attending a greyhound race meeting at Bathurst in a couple of weeks time and opening the new facilities. The harness industry in the central west area is particularly strong. Harness racing is very strong throughout the Bathurst, Orange, Cowra and Parkes areas and the region has produced a number of outstanding harness racers, such as Hondo Grattan and Paleface Adios.

The amendments proposed in these three bills reform and update the statutory arrangements that underpin the governance arrangements for the greyhound and harness racing industries. The changes also provide for an independent board structure for Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales, based on the recently introduced Racing New South Wales model. This is accepted as the best-practice governance model for the racing industry controlling bodies. The shadow Minister, who was very supportive of the changes, referred to representations made to him, and the member for Camden also commented on this issue. I met with representatives of Greyhound Racing New South Wales yesterday to allay some of their concerns. When we talk about an independent model, we mean true independence. But we also recognise that people who are committed to the industry and have extensive knowledge of it should have involvement on those boards. As I said, the shadow Minister was very supportive of that, and I appreciate his support. This issue is clearly covered in the legislation before the House, and I am sure we will be able to move forward.

The bills provide for an industry consultation group in each of the greyhound and harness racing codes, as well as a number of other requirements aimed at facilitating formal and robust consultation between the controlling bodies and industry participants. Joint meetings between each code's consultation group and its industry controlling body are provided for. The controlling body must respond formally to any recommendations put by the consultation group, giving reasons when it does not agree with the group's recommendation. The greyhound and harness racing industries, in consultation with their industry consultation groups, are required to prepare an industry strategic plan within 12 months of the commencement of this amending legislation and to continue consultation to maintain the plan.

The changes provide for the appeal tribunals of all three codes to be dissolved and their functions to be amalgamated and accommodated under a single panel and statute. Under the proposed amalgamated appeal body, to be known as the Racing Appeals Tribunal, the subject of the appeal will continue to be essentially a right to appeal against a disciplinary decision made in accordance with the separate rules of racing that are applicable in the three codes of racing. The new legislation also provides for an independent integrity auditor function across all three codes to receive and consider any complaints about the conduct of racing officials. From a safety point of view, it is pleasing that the legislative provisions in relation to a racecourse invasion, as modelled on the Sporting Venues (Pitch Invasions) Act 2003, will go a long way towards deterring those who choose to enter restricted areas of a racecourse and potentially put themselves and others at grave risk.

Other major reforms provided by the bills are the transfer of the regulatory functions and responsibilities of the Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority to Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales. The result will be a single controlling body for each of the greyhound and harness racing codes and the disbandment of the authority. This change was requested by the overwhelming majority of industry participants, stakeholders and submission makers during the reviews and consultation period. These bills are the result of a great deal of consultation with many people. I thank all those who submitted and contributed to the reform process. The greyhound and harness bills provide for transfer arrangements for former authority staff who wish to take up employment with either Greyhound Racing New South Wales or Harness Racing New South Wales. The basis for the transfer is that authority staff may apply to transfer into future positions with Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales where the position created has substantially the same duties as an authority staff member's existing position.

The transfer is on a preferential basis and if the staff member elects to transfer there are attractive future conditions of employment. Justice Kavanagh recommended to staff that the proposed conditions are fair and reasonable and in the best interests of the staff. I support Justice Kavanagh's recommendations. In saying so, it is my intent that Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales advise authority staff of the exact detail of the future positions in their respective organisations. This should occur immediately upon the passage of these bills through Parliament. Further, it is also my intention to commence legislation after the detailed discussions about future employment conditions for authority staff in Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales have been resolved.

Separately I will make amendments for the purpose of underpinning the recommendations made on 30 April 2009 by Justice Kavanagh. I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of the staff of the authority during difficult times. I understand that their application to duty has not diminished and that they are providing the best possible service to the people of New South Wales. I wish them well for the future and strongly recommend to Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales that it is important for business continuity that a core of staff transfer to Greyhound Racing New South Wales and Harness Racing New South Wales. I commend the three bills to the House.

Question—That these bills be now agreed to in principle—put and resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.

Bills agreed to in principle.

Consideration in detail requested by Mr Kevin Greene.


ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Matthew Morris): Order! The House shall first deal with the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009. I propose that the House shall deal with the bill in groups of clauses and schedules.

Clauses 1 to 49 agreed to.

Schedules 1 and 2 agreed to.

Mr KEVIN GREENE (Oatley—Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister for Sport and Recreation) [11.37 a.m.], by leave: I move Government amendments Nos 1 and 2 in globo:

No. 1 Page 42, schedule 3, clause 12 (3), line 14. Omit "12 months". Insert instead "24 months".

No. 2 Page 42, schedule 3, clause 12. Insert after line 16:

(4) An Authority employee who is appointed to a position in the staff of GRNSW in accordance with this clause:

(a) is, subject to paragraphs (b) and (c), to be employed by GRNSW during the period referred to in subclause (3) at the same salary that the employee received immediately before ceasing to be an employee of the former Authority, and

(b) if the employee is employed by GRNSW on 1 July 2009, is entitled to a 4% increase in the employee's salary at that date, and

(c) if the employee is employed by GRNSW on 1 July 2010, is entitled to a further 4% increase in the employee's salary at that date.

(5) Subclause (4) is subject to any agreement relating to salary between GRNSW and the Authority employee concerned.

The purpose of the amendments to the Greyhound Racing Bill 2009 is to acknowledge the additional consultation and recommendations made in the Industrial Relations Commission by her Honour Justice Kavanagh on 30 April 2009 in relation to this bill and the cognate Harness Racing Bill 2009, which was introduced on 2 April 2009. The amendments have been circulated. Various contentious matters were put before Justice Kavanagh. The recommendations made by Her Honour to the staff of the Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority were made on the basis that they are reasonable and in the best interests of the staff. The Government is giving effect to the main recommendations that underpin the overall recommendations.

Mr GEORGE SOURIS (Upper Hunter) [11.39 a.m.]: The Opposition will not oppose the amendments. I thank the Minister for Gaming and Racing, and Minister for Sport and Recreation and the previous speakers for their kind remarks. I reciprocate those remarks. Tuning in to one remark made by the Minister, I reciprocate his invitation to be his counterpart for the Fifty-Fifth Parliament. So that he is aware of the background, when I was the Minister for Racing, the then shadow Minister eventually became the Minister for Racing and I became his shadow Minister. That positive precedent of reversed roles has proceeded through two former Ministers and the current Minister, but that is too much history to detail now.

As I said during my earlier remarks, it is a criticism that the Government drafted a bill and has now had to amend its bill during its passage thorough this place. I support the amendments because they bring to the table a level of justice that had been missing for employees. Employees have been treated far too summarily. They became very apprehensive when the restructure had been tabled and commenced, although negotiations over employee transfers and conditions were incomplete. I received a letter on 1 April from one such employee. I will quote a couple of paragraphs that I think will put on the table the great difficulty and uncertainty that the employees endure. The letter stated:

I work at the Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority (GHRAA) which is Statutory Authority of the NSW State Government. On 3 February 2009, our Minister Kevin Greene handed down the government decision for the reform of the Greyhound and Harness Racing which included the decision of disbanding our Authority. The reform will mean that all the current GHRRA employees will no longer be public servants and as a consequence many of us will not have a job.

Many of our employees have been an employee of GHRRA over 30 years in servicing both the greyhound and harness industries. Furthermore, the majority of us feel that we have not been given a fair go during the process of this reform especially in the area of staff participation and negotiations prior to the submission of the legislation.

In addition, the major concerns that we feel that both commercial bodies and government have failed to provide us sufficient information regarding the legislations and currently we are very concerned if all our entitlements will be protected after the Authority is disbanded in 30 June 2009.

The legislation was tabled in the Parliament on 31 March 2003, and we worry if the legislation has included all necessary measures in protecting all the employees' welfare since the selling point of this reform process will be a 'null cost' exercise to the government. As a result, we are wondering if the industries can provide sufficient funds to pay all the staff entitlements.

This letter brings to the fore the serious concerns that employees had. I do not think they were dealt with properly and I regret that they had to endure the process that was involved in the formulation of these government amendments, which we support.

Question—That Government amendments Nos 1 and 2 be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.

Government amendments Nos 1 and 2 agreed to.

Schedule 3 as amended agreed to.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Matthew Morris): Order! The House will next consider the Harness Racing Bill 2009. I propose that the House shall deal with the bill in groups of clauses and schedules.

Clauses 1 to 49 agreed to.

Schedules 1 and 2 agreed to.

Government amendments Nos 1 and 2, by leave, by Mr Kevin Greene agreed to:

No. 1 Page 41, schedule 3, clause 9 (3), line 33. Omit "12 months". Insert instead "24 months".

No. 2 Page 41, schedule 3, clause 9. Insert after line 35:

(4) An Authority employee who is appointed to a position in the staff of HRNSW in accordance with this clause:

(a) is, subject to paragraphs (b) and (c), to be employed by HRNSW during the period referred to in subclause (3) at the same salary that the employee received immediately before ceasing to be an employee of the former Authority, and

(b) if the employee is employed by HRNSW on 1 July 2009, is entitled to a 4% increase in the employee's salary at that date, and

(c) if the employee is employed by HRNSW on 1 July 2010, is entitled to a further 4% increase in the employee's salary at that date.

(5) Subclause (4) is subject to any agreement relating to salary between HRNSW and the Authority employee concerned.

Schedule 3 as amended agreed to.

Consideration in detail concluded.


Motion by Mr Kevin Greene agreed to:

That these bills be now passed.

Bills passed and transmitted to the Legislative Council with a message seeking its concurrence in the bills.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Matthew Morris): Order! It being almost 11.45 a.m., the House will now proceed to General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices).