Some Progress - at last !

Today (March 29, 2023) the Minister for Racing in Tasmania (Ms Madeleine Ogilvie) announced that Mr Ray Murrihy shall chair an independent review into Integrity, and Animal Welfare, within the Tasmanian Harness Racing Industry - which is certainly a welcome step in the right direction.  But, we ask, why did it necessitate an ABC Television exposé to bring about this inquiry, when the dogs have been barking about the parlous state of affairs in Tasmania, for months and months?

And why are we hearing nothing from Harness Racing Australia, regarding this matter?  

After all, HRA's EQUINE HEALTH & WELFARE CODE OF CONDUCT specifically states that:

At all times the welfare of the horse must be paramount and must never be subordinate to competitive or commercial influences.

and that ...

At all stages during the horse’s preparation and presentation for racing, the horse's welfare should take precedence over all other demands.

https://www.harness.org.au/hra/hra-equine-welfare-code-of-conduct.pdf

Will these fundamental tenets indeed inform the Tasmanian Independent Review?

And who, precisely, shall frame the 'terms of reference' for this vital inquiry?  Government - stakeholders - industry groups?  

All we are told thus far is that:

"Mr Murrihy will also provide advice and assist government to finalise the Terms of Reference for the review ..."

... which is, to our way of thinking, peculiar, to say the least!

Surely the terms of reference should be framed independently, in exactly the same way as the chair of the review is to act independently?

But at least now we are being promised an independent review - rather than the originally promised internal review by TasRacing.

Small steps in the right direction, but we all have to keep the gloves on!