Today in Budget Estimates, Abigail quizzed the NSW Premier, who dodged questions about his 2016 stance on shutting down the greyhound racing industry— a position he now seems to have forgotten.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Good morning to you, Premier. I'm going to start with a multiple-choice question. On 11 August 2016, during the second reading of the Greyhound Racing Prohibition Bill 2016 in the Legislative Assembly, you said that "if there is still non-compliance across the industry after a period of two years", and you then ended that sentence with:
(a) it should be closed down; or
(b) we should order an inquiry with the sole purpose, under its terms of reference, of ensuring the greyhound racing industry does not need to be closed down?
Mr CHRIS MINNS (NSW Premier): I don't know. I don't know what I said.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Do you think you said the first one or the second one?
Mr CHRIS MINNS: No, no, I'm not sure. Just tell me. Take me out of the suspense.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Obviously it was (a); you said it should be closed down. That was apparently if there was noncompliance after two years. It has been eight years, and it's very clear that this is an industry that continues—
Mr CHRIS MINNS: Can I have a look at the transcript?
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Really?
You don't remember what you said in relation to the greyhound bill?
Mr CHRIS MINNS: No, I don't. Do you remember what you said in 2016?
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Mostly.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: I'm sure you do.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: I don't have the transcript with me, but you can google it, which is what I did.
In 2016 you said that it should be closed down if it was still noncompliant within two years. It has been eight years. It's very clear from the recent scandals that the greyhound racing industry is not compliant. Why won't you shut it down?
Mr CHRIS MINNS: I'm not going to shut down the greyhound racing industry. We've got a new regime and new systems in place, including regulatory agencies and the appointment of a new regulator through GWIC who is responsible... for ensuring that the industry does comply with—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: But it's not.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: Hang on, I am going to keep going. I think that it is appropriate, under the circumstances, to let Lea Drake, who has just been appointed, to have the opportunity to do just that.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: So, on that, why were the terms of reference bounded then by the statement, "The purpose of the inquiry is to ensure a viable and sustainable greyhound racing industry in New South Wales", thereby precluding her from concluding that actually this is an industry incapable of reform?
Mr CHRIS MINNS: Was that the only term of reference?
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That was the main purpose. "The purpose of the inquiry—
Mr CHRIS MINNS: What else was in the terms of reference?
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That is the only purpose.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: Were there any other terms of reference?
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Of course there are terms of reference, bounded by that purpose. That is how terms of reference work.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: Can I have a look at it?... I'd like to see it.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: It's your press release, Premier. You know full well and we are just wasting time.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: Well, hang on. This is very interesting. It also says, "The inquiry will examine complaints about Greyhound Racing NSW's—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Yes, I know. I've got it in front of me.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: —governance and operations, track safety, animal welfare issues, including claims made by whistleblowers." If you're going to present a question to me—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: What does it say is the purpose of the inquiry? Read the bit—the purpose.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: I presume this is an attempt to trick me in relation to the release of the—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: No, can we be very clear here. What does it say the purpose is in the last sentence of that paragraph?
Mr CHRIS MINNS: You have deliberately omitted an essential part of the inquiry with the attempt of either—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: No, Premier. That is very dishonest of you. It is very clear—
Mr CHRIS MINNS: Is it? I don't think it is dishonest.
The CHAIR: Order!
Mr CHRIS MINNS: He's going to kick me out in a minute.
The CHAIR: Please come to order. You have been called to order once. It is very difficult for me to keep up. It is very difficult for Hansard to keep up. Please return to some form of decorum. Let's have questions and answers, rather than hectoring each other.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: Mr Chair, in relation to the question, the scope of the inquiry is to—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Premier, it is my question time. I have made it very clear what the purpose of the inquiry was and you know full well what the purpose of the inquiry was.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: You have omitted the essential premise. In fact the very first—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Of course terms of reference have more than that.
The Hon. PETER PRIMROSE: Point of order—
The CHAIR: Order! A point of order has been taken by Mr Primrose. Ms Boyd, please come to order.
The Hon. PETER PRIMROSE: This is Premier's estimates. Questions by the Opposition—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: He doesn't get to grandstand and make out someone else is not having integrity.
The Hon. PETER PRIMROSE: Very appropriate. But you can't then seek to leave those questions hanging.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: I want to respond to the question.
The CHAIR: The Premier was attempting to respond. I have upheld that point of order. Unfortunately, Ms Boyd—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Yes, it is.
The CHAIR: Do you have anything further to add, Premier?
Mr CHRIS MINNS: Yes, I do, absolutely. I don't want to let a misapprehension hang in the air on the basis of an incomplete question that deliberately omitted the first scope of the inquiry. And I want to read it onto the record.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Tell the truth. What does the purpose say?
Mr CHRIS MINNS: "The scope of the inquiry is to—
Mr CHRIS MINNS: "The scope of the inquiry is to inquire, report on and make findings and recommendations in relation to the following:—
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: I didn't ask you the scope; I asked you the purpose.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: "Number one, greyhound welfare—
Ms SUE HIGGINSON: This is pretty bad.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: This is terrible.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: "—and the care of greyhounds by Greyhound Racing NSW."
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Shameful. The purpose, not the scope.
Mr CHRIS MINNS: You can abuse me if you like, but I think that you deliberately omitted an essential part of the inquiry.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: No. You cannot make that kind of allegation against my integrity because you don't understand words.
28 August 2024