Dr WOODRUFF – Minister, the director’s comments at the table just earlier in relation to the matter of a fit and proper person sounded like a licence might be considered to be given to a person who had a criminal record. I think that the words were ‘if you have done the time, for the crime’, as though that’s something that’s in the past. Do you think that that would also be case for someone who is charged convicted for crimes under the Animal Welfare Act?
Ms HOWLETT – Thank you, Chair, and I thank Dr Woodruff for her question. I’ll ask the deputy secretary to make further comment on that.
Ms WILSON – The fit and proper test has a common law and a lot of case law and it does go to a range of factors. It does come down to the particular circumstances, but what I would say is that there is case law around the country around if some people have found guilty of serious animal welfare offences that racing bodies take that very seriously. There’s precedent for that being taken very seriously in terms of decision making.
Dr WOODRUFF – You wouldn’t think it should be an automatic disqualifier?
Ms WILSON – Through the minister, to make it automatic disqualification the Rules of Racing would need to make that the case. As I said, there is strong precedent and strong precedent in the racing industry in terms of actual decisions that if there are serious animal welfare matters and where there is a successful prosecution, but it’s still under the fit and proper test and just legally, lawfully it will still come down to all of the relevant circumstances.
Dr WOODRUFF – Minister, there is a person called Nicholas Howlett who attained a licence in February 2023 and he was suspended in November 2023 for presenting Blackpool Poppy with cocaine metabolites in that dog’s system. He returned in June 2024 with a licence and has since been suspended for two months for failing to provide appropriate vet care for Blackpool Trip, who subsequently had his tail amputated recently. Is that person any relation to you?
Ms HOWLETT – Yeah. Look, I will certainly put on record that I found out recently ‑ as many things are hidden from you when you’re a child – that my father’s parents, my grandmother, was married previously and had a son and my father’s father adopted that child. They then had a child called Peter Howlett, who I believe, is the grandchild of Peter Howlett.
Dr WOODRUFF – Not a person in your close family circle is what you’re trying to say?
Ms HOWLETT ‑ No, no.
Dr WOODRUFF – Thank you, minister.
