by Brian de Lore
Published 8th October 2020
ACT party leader David Seymour is not a racing man per sé, but he has been following the racing politics closely and has developed some firm views for the future of racing which dovetail into the principles espoused by ACT for the benefit of all New Zealanders – and for the first time, ACT released its racing policy a few weeks ago.
In keeping with ACT’s mission statement, which talks of reducing the role of government and increasing the role of free markets, ACT says in its racing policy it would “Abolish the Racing portfolio,” and “Ensure the Government has an arms-length relationship with the racing industry so it can self-determine its future.”
In 1990 the National Party, led by Jim Bolger, won a landslide victory in the General Election and made John Falloon the first Minister of Racing. Of the 12 Ministers since then, only Winston Peters has made a meaningful contribution to the industry, but the polls clearly indicate Winston’s tenure is at an end, and the political landscape for the racing industry is in for a shake-up.
Labour and the Green’s don’t have policies in 2020 but both ACT and National do with ACT taking a much keener interest as it emerges as the country’s most progressive vote catcher. This week David Seymour agreed to speak to The Optimist to elaborate on the policy.
David Seymour: So what is different about horse racing that makes it a constant political headache?
He firstly said: “Let’s just get back to first principles. You know, Netball New Zealand has 140,000 players every Saturday morning; they get out they play? It’s no problem, and there’s no politics and no subsidies. Everyone just gets on with it. So what is different about horse racing that makes it a constant political headache?
“Okay, you have gambling. So, there’s a need to regulate it, but in addition it means we’re going to stand up for your property rights so that you may sell your intellectual property to whoever you like on an open marketplace – Australasia wide. And we’d be enforcing racing’s property rights against people trying to poach them, and then racing can get on with it.”
ACT’s racing policy is supportive of the Messara Review with reservations on enforced venue closures, which he says should be determined by the free market, and under ACT’s policy, government handouts would be a Winston Peters thing of the past.
David Seymour says: “If your club or track makes money, then good on you, but if it goes broke, we’re very sorry to hear that, but it’s not our problem. That’s our basic approach. I don’t know if racing people are going to be happy with that because I suspect a lot of people that wanted the $70 million given to racing for items such as subsidising an all-weather track will be offended.
David Seymour: …we have 200,000 rugby players without a minister…
He continued: “After that, they’ll want tax breaks, and then they’ll want more, and everyone else will want tax breaks, but we are just not going to do it. No, my starting point is we have 200,000 rugby players without a minister, and there’s no problem. Why are we subsidising racing? Why does this sport always cause so much trouble?
I knew I had limited time with David Seymour, so resisted bringing up The Winston Peters pre-budget speech to announce $50 million of the $72.5 million handout was to pay the month’s bills and prevent the TAB from going into receivership three days later. Under ACT the market forces would have prevailed, and the long-term future would be different, perhaps better.
And there was no time to say that despite the handout, the TAB owes the ASB bank a reputed $45 million and still hasn’t produced the half-year balance sheet due after January 31st, which will show the TAB to be trading as an insolvent body corporate – marginally embarrassing for NZ-First after throwing $50 million at it. Put another way, it wouldn’t be a vote catcher.
Betting has picked up a little, but how long will it take to extinguish a debt that big while keeping stakes money at a sustainable level? It’s a Mt Everest, and we are at Base Camp ready to begin the climb with no oxygen canisters. I didn’t raise any of that stuff, but David Seymour knows it anyway.
What I did say was that after a succession of poor racing ministers, Winston Peters was the only Minister that ever made an effort for racing and had got us new legislation, which the industry was grateful for, but two years ago had made a strange decision not to engage John Messara to oversee implementation of the Messara Review after its completion. Undoubtedly, someone got into the Minister’s ear.
David Seymour on the Messara Review: you don’t buy a Rolls Royce and then get a Toyota mechanic to fix it…
David Seymour said: “As far as the Messara Review is concerned, you don’t buy a Rolls Royce and then get a Toyota mechanic to fix it, and that’s what Peters has done.
“The racing industry is part of a large group of people let down by Winston Peters. Racing isn’t alone in that respect; we’re here to stand on principle for racing just as we are for licensed firearm owners, and people who want the end of life choice, and people that want a more sensible response to COVID, and small business people, and taxpayers, and landlords, and a whole lot of other people being persecuted under the current Government.”
“Look, a vote for ACT is a vote to set racing free,” said David. “If you do that, we are not going to give you handouts, but we are going to stand up for your property rights, and we are going to let you self-determine and choose your own future.
“I don’t know if it makes any sense to racing; it may not, but we can say we’d give back the TAB to its rightful owners. Racing should be able to stand on its own four feet.
“Our policy for the tracks and clubs, in whether or not they continue, is the consumer’s choice– some may go broke, which is a commercial decision for them, but we won’t have the Government coming out and making that decision. We want the choice to be back with the consumer.”
An ACT/National coalition would be racing’s best result by far
ACT’s racing policy was followed last weekend by National’s – released on Saturday to coincide with Windsor Park’s Group One day at Hastings. An ACT/National coalition would be racing’s best result by far, and the worst result would be a return of the Green’s and Labour without NZ-First.
Last time NZ-First polled as low as they are polling (2008), they failed to get back into parliament. Funnier things have happened, but Winston looks sure to be spending a lot more time on his boat fishing than he has for a dozen years. It means a party vote for NZ-First will be a wasted vote.
David Seymour has been the most impressive parliamentarian over the past three years and his input deservedly described as ‘the voice of reason.’
My party vote goes to ACT.
To view ACT’s Racing Policy, go to: https://www.act.org.nz/racing-policy