Media Release: Lawlor blinkered on Racing Control Body powers
Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading, Peter Lawlor has been completely blinkered in granting racing’s new Control Body unprecedented power over race club and community assets said Brisbane Racing Club Chairman Kevin Dixon.
In commenting on the new racing legislation this week, the Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading, Peter Lawlor told the The Courier-Mail: "My advice is that it doesn't take the situation further in terms of the power of the control body."
“A thorough review and comparison of the current and new legislation introduced into State Parliament by Minister Lawlor has highlighted a substantial and unprecedented increase of power to the new Control Body,” Mr Dixon said.
“Any comments to the contrary are misleading to Queenslanders and highly inaccurate.”
The Brisbane Racing Club is concerned that both the Minister and the Bligh Government have been significantly misled by players that will substantially benefit from the change.
New powers the Minister has introduced include:
• Dealing with race club assets: licensed club prohibited from dealing with its own assets unless in accordance with a control body's policy or with the written approval of the control body.
• Asset sales: new control body given powers impose whatever conditions it considers appropriate in relation to a disposal
• Proceeds of asset sales: licensed club to pay a stated portion of the proceeds to the control body
• Distribution of race clubs: new control body granted additional powers to impose conditions which it considers appropriate without any accountability.
• Country racing associations: Abolish all country racing associations and the Queensland Country Racing Committee.
For More information
Kevin Dixon, Chairman Brisbane Racing Club, 0419 706 354
Stephen Ferguson, CEO Brisbane Racing Club, 07 3268 2171
