Edward Rennell: Greyhound Racing NZ CEO on the judicial review into the ban

The Government's being accused of rushing a greyhound racing ban, affecting hundreds of jobs. 

Racing Minister Winston Peters gave the industry 20 months to wind down from November. 

Greyhound Racing NZ is applying for a judicial review, saying the Government failed to inform, prepare, and consult on the ban. 

CEO Edward Rennell says many only found out shortly before the announcement. 

He told Mike Hosking they've had no engagement from the Government and nothing in writing on the decision – the only way they’ve been able to determine how it was made was through the Official Information Act. 

Based on that information, Rennell says the paper that went to cabinet was highly selective and didn’t present complete facts. 

“When you’re looking to take away $159 million from the economy and 1,054 jobs, surely you have an obligation to review the full facts.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It seems the greyhound scrap isn't over. Industry is off

(00:03):
to court. They want a judicial review on the government's
decision to close racing. This was Winston Peters, of course.
Edward Renelle is the CEO of Greenhower Racing, New Zealand
and as well as Edward.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Morning. Yeah, good morning, Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Have you got some legal advice on this.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yes, we're being advised by Chris Finilis and the former
Attorney General on this way.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
He's all over the place. He's down in christ Dutch
at the High Court where the water issue now he's
doing the greyhounds. What's he told you?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, we believe the ban is radical. The government took
only a few short months to make a decision that
takes away their livelihoods and lifestyles of generations. Are Keigwi's
based on selective information. We're seeking a judicial review to
expose the government's predetermined cavalier attitude to policy making.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
The problem with the government, the problem with the government.
I was sure Chris's advice you're given he's been in
the government is that the government are actually allowed to
do whatever they wanted. They've got the numbers of the day, can't.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
They Yes, there's still an expectation is process. It's Mike,
you know, since the minister appointed in November twenty three,
we have not been able to have a meeting with them.
We've had no engagement, we've had nothing in writing from
the government on the decision. The only way we've been
able to determine how the decision was made was based
on OIA and all the information, and it's through that

(01:16):
process we've seen that the cabinet paper that went to
cabinet was highly selective and did not present the complete facts.
And when you're looking to take away one hundred and
fifty nine million from the economy in one thousand and
fifty four jobs, surely you have an obligation to review
the full facts.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, not fair enough. Having said that, though, what if
it's one of those procedural things where the court goes, Yep, no,
they didn't do their job. Go do your job properly,
and they go do their job properly, and you still
end up closed.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Well, I think if they go and do their job
properly in an undertaker review, they'll see that greyhound racing
is actually leading the way in sports industries from an
animal perspective, and our animal welfare standards exceed those Australia
to exceed those in many other racing jurissiction. So we
believe any further review will highlight that greyhound racing is

(02:08):
meeting it's expectations in the modern environment.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Okay, do you go into this bullish you're optimistic.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Look, I would rather not be going through this process.
I'd be rather sitting down with the government out buying
everything we're doing, and then in the ongoing sets we'd
be making to improve welfare. But we feel we have
to do this and we wouldn't be taking the section
if we didn't believe it was a strong case.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
All right, well I wish I wish you were with
it. It would appreciate it very much, it would renew. We'll
follow it with a great delementarius greyhound racing New Zealand.
It's not like they weren't warned either. Miles Hurrell gets
my quote of the day as regards in my ongoing
fascination with this business of whether or not they're going
to IPO their consumer brands. And that's your tiptop something
in the body sold tiptop at Capiti Cheese. All that

(02:50):
sort of stuff or whether they're going to just flick
it off. We got an update on that for you
in the next half hour of the program. For more
from the Mike Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks
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