Page 875 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 22 March 2017
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actually filed any legal document with the courts. Attorney, was your statement at the annual reports hearings accurate? Has an injunction application been lodged?
MR RAMSAY: I thank the member for his question. The details around the news reports and the potential lodging of the injunction are as follows: there was a news report on the Australian greyhound news website on 7 March 2017. That purported to state the official position of the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club in relation to the MOU and funding arrangements.
The story was endorsed on the Facebook page of the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club. That was shared by the shadow minister for racing and gaming on his Facebook MLA page. The report stated in unequivocal terms, “Canberra Greyhound Racing Club recently lodged an injunction aiming to stop the cessation of government funding as of the new financial year.” The report purported to quote the spokesperson for the CGRC saying, “The injunction we are seeking should at least in the short term—
Mr Parton: Point of order, Madam Speaker, on relevance.
MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order, Mr Parton.
Mr Parton: The question was quite simply: has an injunction application been lodged?
MADAM SPEAKER: The attorney has time left and he will be coming to his answer, I am sure.
MR RAMSAY: On 8 March the report was unreservedly endorsed by the CGRC Facebook post with a comment, “An excellent article by Kath Ernst in the Australian Racing Greyhound.” With the information to hand on the day of the annual report hearing on racing and gaming, and noting that the article was shared and endorsed by the CGRC and supported by Mark Parton, there was little time to verify the information.
The article and its promulgation gave me cause to conclude that there was an official statement. My office was advised—
Mr Coe: Point of order, Madam Speaker—
MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order, yes. Stop the clock.
Mr Coe: on relevance. The question was: has an injunction application been lodged?
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you. Attorney-General.
MR RAMSAY: My office was advised on 10 March that no legal proceedings had been instigated by the CGRC— (Time expired.)
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