Dr WOODRUFF - Mr Jenkins, we talked before about the study to evaluate the attitudes of Tasmanians towards the greyhound racing industry, and that poll conducted by EMRS, said that 62 per cent of Tasmanians oppose greyhound racing, and three quarters of Tasmanians support defunding racing.
Do you regret, Mr Jenkins, to referring to the clearly growing number of Tasmanians opposed to greyhound racing, as a 'selfish minority'?
Mr JENKINS - No. That comment referred specifically to individuals who seem to take objection to a charitable donation that resulted from an activity that was led by the greyhound industry, with those funds being provided to Ronald McDonald House charities in Tasmania. So, it was a very deliberate and pointed observation and I hold that view. It was a well-intended fundraising event that was received with appreciation by Ronald McDonald House, in fact, exceeded $30 000, which is the equivalent of paying for nearly 200 accommodation or bed nights at the Ronald McDonald House facility for Tasmanian families with ill children undertaking treatment who need accommodation.
I'm very supportive of the activity, very supportive of the donation being made to Ronald McDonald House and we are very grateful as an industry of being able to discuss Ronald McDonald House here today, as an example of an outstanding community partnership, which is further evidence of the value that racing provides to the Tasmanian community and the support that racing enjoys from the Tasmania community.
Dr WOODRUFF - You dismissed that survey that I mentioned before that was undertaken by a number of community advocates for greyhounds. You dismissed it as being not significant - I can't remember your words - but I need you to understand that it is the most comprehensive analysis that has ever been undertaken of community sentiment of racing in Tasmania. It is on the back of a petition of 13 000 Tasmanians opposed to greyhound racing. That was the largest petition ever tabled in parliament. You seem to suggest that it wasn't statistically significant. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 per cent which means it could be 58 per cent of Tasmanians opposed to greyhound racing or it could be 66 per cent of Tasmanians.
Do you understand that the majority of Tasmanians are continuing to question why Tasracing should be publicly funded, given the animal welfare concerns that keep happening?
Mr JENKINS - Thank you for the statement and question. My comment earlier was it was a small survey but I acknowledge that it is statistically relevant.
Dr WOODRUFF - Significant is the word.
Mr JENKINS - Statistically relevant and valid. In terms of the percentage of respondents who supported the defunding of Tasracing, I would query the information with which they were provided and whether they were edified as to the reason that Tasracing receives compensation via the funding deed is the sale of the TOTE in 2011, set up for sale in 2009, prior to which the racing industry in Tasmania was self funding.
The industry was robbed by the government at the time of that position. I would suggest that if full and detailed information was provided to respondents to the survey that the 75 per cent figure would likely be very different. To put some relativity to the 500 people who responded to the survey, the Ronald McDonald House charity night, which we were discussing earlier, had nearly 500 people who had bought tickets and were supportive of that event. That therefore is also statistically important.
Dr WOODRUFF - To be fair, they weren't a representative sample of Tasmanians.
Mr JENKINS - They turned up.
Dr WOODRUFF - You said before, Mr Jenkins, that 110 000 Tasmanians go to the races every year, or in the last year - I'm not quite sure what you said exactly. The annual report says that there were 315 race meets that were held across the three codes this year and that would mean, by my estimate, an average of 350 attendees at every meet. Do you have actual evidence of the number of people who attend each race and could you provide it to the committee by race code, please?
Mr JENKINS - I don't have that information to hand. We have a high-level breakdown of numbers across codes, but we can certainly take that on notice and work with our racing clubs who are ultimately responsible for collating information as to attendance through gates and patronage.
Dr WOODRUFF - And provide the details for each of the meets?
Mr JENKINS - For each of the meets we will provide all information that is available and I would expect that would include a per meeting breakdown, assuming that there is an admission price at a given meeting. There are a small number of meetings where they might be thrown open as a special event or otherwise. We will certainly make available any and all related information.
Dr WOODRUFF - Thank you. Yesterday, or the day before it might have been, you dismissed the last year in the racing industry as nothing extraordinary. You said it had been an 'outstanding season'. The last year has included an independent inquiry into Tasmania's largest harness racing trainer and the racing integrity body, an upper House inquiry into racing integrity, the return of disgraced dog trainer Susan Gittus as the interim manager at Tasmania's GAP program, the departure of a racing minister and a lifetime ban to so-called 'top greyhound trainer' Anthony Bullock. Instead of addressing the reality of what had happened, you said that 'there's always something happening in racing and that's the nature of the sport'. Do you really think that there's nothing to see here, or is there actually a rot through all the apples across the industry?
Mr JENKINS - They are not my words that there's nothing to see here. What I would acknowledge is that it's a very small number of -
Dr WOODRUFF - You said, 'there's always something happening in racing and that's the nature of the sport'.
Mr JENKINS - Yes, but my words weren't there's nothing to see here. They're your words.
Dr WOODRUFF - Yes, that's right.
Mr JENKINS - In terms of the nature of the industry, I would acknowledge there are a small number of participants who have conducted themselves in manners that are undesirable and not in keeping with expectations of the industry or the rules and they have been dealt with accordingly.
In terms of the change in Racing minister, that's hardly for me to address. As I mentioned in the media to camera, we enjoyed a very successful racing season in terms of our wagering, our attendance, the condition of our tracks and facilities, and ultimately the health of the industry and we look forward to continuing to do that even better. We will continue to invest in and prioritise matters and at the top of the list, of course, is animal welfare, as evidenced by the appointment in the reporting period of Dr Lenz, and we will continue to invest in our assets, facilities and growth of the industry.
