Greyhounds Queensland Slams QGBOTA President Over Reform Criticism
The Chair of Greyhounds Queensland Limited [GQL], Ms Kerry Watson, today slammed the Greyhound Breeders President, Stephanie Houghton for her negative approach to the amalgamation of the racing codes into a single control body and risking the industry changing financial funding from the Bligh Government.
Ms Watson said “The Queensland Government has committed $80 million over four years on the basis that the three codes amalgamate the control bodies”.
In damming Houghton for her unrealistic approach to the deal being offered by the Bligh Government, Watson went on to remind racing industry participants that it was Stephanie Houghton who sided with ‘the big end of town' when the TAB privatisation agreement was negotiated that resulted in the Greyhound industry receiving approximately $3 million a year less revenue than their entitlement since 1999.
Stephanie Houghton and her supporters from the ‘big end of town' can hardly be taken seriously by the Greyhound code considering the unequitable position that the code has suffered from the last round of negotiations conducted by Stephanie Houghton on behalf of the Greyhound code.
Surely the greyhound industry is not going to be sold out again, by Houghton's call for an independent board dominated by' the big end of town'.
The new combined control body structure and board representation is fully supported by the Greyhound board and has the ‘in principal support of government' and will work in the best interests of all codes. There will be adequate safeguards put in place in the amended legislation to protect Greyhounds.
Ms Watson went on to say “This is the Greyhound racing industries best opportunity to expand and prosper in a stable and realistic environment.”
Watson went on the front foot in applauding the Bligh Government's initiative to recognise the importance of the racing industry in Queensland, and, in doing so it is incumbent on all codes of racing to make the new model work and maximise the funding benefit.
whatever happened to Watson and Houghton, does anyone know? Does anyone care?
whatever happened to Watson and Houghton, does anyone know? Does anyone care?