Tasmanian's Racing Minister Madeleine Ogilvie has told an Upper House inquiry she could not say whether she had attended any race meets at northern Tasmanian racetracks or met with racing clubs in her time as minister, but would "take that on notice and provide dates".
A standing committee made up of Labor, Liberal and independent politicians is overseeing the inquiry into the state's Office of Racing Integrity, which was called after an ABC investigation uncovered allegations of race fixing and animal welfare issues in the state's harness racing industry.
Addressing the hearing, Ms Ogilvie was asked by Labor MLC Josh Willie whether she had ever met with the Launceston Pacing Club or attended a harness meet at the Mowbray or Burnie racetracks.
She was unable to say yes or no, instead opting to take the questions on notice.
"I'll need to have a conversation with (acting department secretary) Jason Jacobi," she said.
"I'll take that on notice and provide dates."
When pressed if she had ever attended a harness meet at Burnie or met with the Burnie Harness Racing club, she stated she was "committed to providing that information".
"Surely, as Minister, you'd know?" Mr Willie responded.
Labor's racing spokesperson Dean Winter questioned the level of Ms Ogilvie's involvement in the industry.
"This is a minister who says she is very engaged with the industry and has regular meetings, yet we understand she hasn't met with a single greyhound club or met with BOTRA (Breeders, Owners, Trainers and Reins persons Association) in over a year," he said.
In a statement released later in the day, Ms Ogilvie confirmed she had not attended a harness meet in Launceston or Burnie since becoming minister but had attended numerous thoroughbred events and had met with the president of the Devonport harness racing club.
She also attended this year's Launceston Greyhound Cup.
Ms Ogilvie appeared at the inquiry alongside senior public servants Jason Jacobi — who is acting secretary of the department that incorporates the Office of Racing Integrity — the department's deputy secretary Deirdre Wilson, and the general manager of the Office of Racing Integrity, Russell Hunter.
Complaints process questioned
The minister was peppered with questions about how a letter sent by a representative of BOTRA ended up in the hands of the director of racing, Justin Helmich, when the letter contained a specific complaint against him.
"Do you think it's appropriate that the director of racing saw the content of that letter that had specific allegations about his own conduct?" Mr Willie asked.
"We need to tread carefully here, I have heard that whistleblower phrase being used, but what we are dealing here is a series of complaints that were integrated into one letter" Ms Ogilvie said.
"There were matters in the letter that needed to be dealt with by the Director of Racing.
"My personal view was that this matter was dealt with appropriately." she said.
Greens leader Cassy O'Connor also questioned the handling of the complaint.
"We'd like to know how the minister can think it's appropriate to pass on a complaint about the director of racing, back to the department, and it ends up again with the director of racing," she said.
The inquiry heard that the terms of reference for a broader investigation into Tasmanian harness racing, also sparked by the ABC investigation, have been formulated by Mr Jacobi, Ms Wilson and by former New South Wales harness chief Ray Murrihy, who has been appointed by the government to lead inquiry.
"The proof is in how weak the terms of reference are," Ms O'Connor said.
"The fact they were written by the reviewer, and the acting secretary of a department who has complete faith in the Office of Racing Integrity," she said.
Acting director of racing, Russell Hunter, who appeared on behalf of Justin Helmich, also confirmed ABC reports that concerns had been raised about the outcome of a race on Burnie Cup Day this year but were not sufficiently acted upon.
"I am informed the stewards did not share the concerns raised by the participants," he said.
Mr Winter said "it beggared belief … that it took a bunch of journalists to uncover what was pretty clearly on the tip of every industry participant's tongue about suspicions of race fixing."
