ACT regulatory services minister Gordon Ramsay has refused to answer questions about the future of Canberra's greyhound racing industry after confusion about whether or not the club was filing an injunction against the government.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Wednesday's committee hearings at the Legislative Assembly were briefly halted after the minister flagged a Facebook post in which the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club had allegedly signalled impending legal action over plans to withdraw government funding.
"I note there has been an announcement by the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club that it has lodged an injunction to stop the cessation of ACT government funding in the 2017-18 year," Mr Ramsay said.
"To my knowledge the injunction has not yet been served on the territory but I can advise the ACT government solicitor [GSO] has made contact with lawyers for the club in February in relation to the injunction which had initially been proposed in correspondence and meetings with the club.
"The government solicitor invited the club solicitors to provide a copy of the terms of any injunction before it was filed and the legal basis for it so they could consider the position of the territory.
"The announcement on Facebook today suggests the club has decided to proceed with the injunction and make public statements about the matter without taking up the offer of the GSO or serving a copy of the application on the territory.
"Obviously members would now appreciate the matter is now apparently the matter of legal proceedings and so it's inappropriate for us to make any comment on the matter in relation to greyhounds and so because of that I will not be proceeding any further with any matters in relation to the greyhounds as it's a matter before the courts."
But Liberal MLA Elizabeth Lee was incredulous that an injunction that has not yet been served could preclude the minister from answering questions.
"The territory hasn't been served with the process so you actually have no idea what the content of that process is and the cause of action, is that right? You're speculating at this point. The statement on the greyhound club's Facebook or wherever you saw it is not an initiating process that has been filed in the courts," she said.
Liberal politician Giulia Jones wanted to know if there was a precedent for ministers "not to discuss whole areas of their portfolios" because legal action might be pending.
Meanwhile the club has denied any legal action is underway.
Canberra Greyhound Racing Club spokesman Kel Watts said while the club had organised legal representation, it would not be launching action until more specific policies had been laid down.
"The minister is hiding behind a hypothetical situation," Mr Watts said.
After a five-minute meeting the committee ruled it would ask questions about the industry regardless of the injunction, and the minister could choose not to respond or take the questions on notice.
"I fancy there's a couple of questions here that you may be able to answer," Liberal politician Mark Parton said.
But despite this, the minister decided to take on notice the following questions:
- What are the legislative implications of potentially ending the Canberra greyhound racing industry for the other two racing codes?
- If the greyhound industry continues without government funding in future years, what further action will this government take to end the industry?
- How did the minister arrive at the conclusion the continued operation of the greyhound industry is out of step with community values?
- What will the minister do if the greyhound industry declines to take up the transition support package?
Mr Parton later told Fairfax Media he believed the minister was "incapable of answering questions on greyhound issues because he doesn't know the answers".
