Qld strike alliance gets fair hearing

The racing alliance which is threatening strike action at two major meetings believes it has had a fair hearing at a meeting with the Queensland state government.

But the alliance made up of trainers, jockeys, owners and breeders say the fate of the proposed strike remains in the hands of the government and racing officials.

The group is protesting a general lack of support for racing from the state government and the recent distribution of a new Point of Consumption tax.

It is demanding the government allocate POC money to improved prize money and has threatened strike action on Cox Plate day (October 27) and Melbourne Cup day (November 6).

The alliance had a two hour-meeting on Tuesday with deputy premier Jackie Trad, Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe and their associated staff.

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Also at the meeting were Racing Queensland’s chairman Steve Wilson, chief executive Brendan Parnell and Thoroughbred Board representative Mark Sowerby.

In a media release the alliance said it had been given the opportunity to present its case, air its frustrations and concerns, and seek explanations from the government.

“We were given every opportunity to express our message, and that we did in a very robust, passionate and constructive way,” the alliance said..

“Our mission was to ensure the government was fully informed on the current state of thoroughbred racing, a situation worsening by the day over recent years as the gap to the two market leader states NSW and Victoria continues to widen at an alarming rate.

“It is a situation that can only be contained by an immediate boost of confidence to our industry in the form of increase of returns back to participants via prize money.”