NSW Nationals MPs criticised as ‘woke’ after siding with Greens, Animal Justice on Racing NSW vote

NSW Nationals MPs have been criticised as “woke” and not in touch with their voters after siding with the Greens and Animal Justice party on a vote that could have hobbled NSW racing.

Nationals MPs have been slammed as “woke” and “out of touch” with their voters after they sided with the Greens and Animal Justice Party on a vote that could have hobbled the NSW Racing industry.

A chaotic late night vote on Friday saw legislation that would have extended the term of popular Racing NSW chairman Russell Balding scrapped after the Coalition added “untenable” amendments that would have killed the racing industry.

Premier Chris Minns described the amendments as a “poison pill” aimed at scuttling the legislation to extend Mr Balding’s term.

Racing Minister David Harris said the amendments forcing greater direct government oversight of the industry “were untested and risked the future viability of racing in NSW”.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party Leader Robert Borsak said the Nationals were alseep at the wheel. Picture: David Swift

He said the bill had been the subject of intense lobbying by the Thoroughbred Breeders Association chief executive Tom Reilly who “was camped out on Level 11 of Parliament House, seemingly directing lobby operations to the cross bench and opposition, as well as accosting MPs and Ministers as they went about their business.”

Racing NSW Chairman Russell Balding at the launch of the Golden Eagle. A proposal to extend his contract for another two years was not supported by the Coalition. Picture: Toby Zerna

NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders has been urged to stand up to his Coalition counterparts or risk losing his voter base. Picture: Christian Gilles.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party leader Robert Borsak said the Nationals were “asleep at the wheel” in voting for amendments that, had they passed, would have closed country race tracks and cut jobs in many of their electorates.

The Nationals and the Liberals sided with the Animal Justice Party, the Greens, and Mark Latham to amend the legislation to include auditing by the state auditor-general and putting NSW racing chiefs in front of a budget estimates committee every year.

Animal justice MP Emma hurst gloating with Green MP Abigail Boyd declaring they “screwed over” racing - with help from Nationals. Source: Instagram

Emma Hurst posted she was feeling “pretty chuffed’ Instagram

The AJP and the Greens are on the record saying they want the industry wiped just like was attempted with greyhounds,” Mr Borsak said.

“We did not want to bring racing in NSW, who we believe are doing a pretty damn good job on animal welfare issues anyway, under the thumb of the Greens and the Animal Justice Party,” said Mr Borsak who voted to oppose the amendments with colleague Mark Banasiak, Labor and Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham.

After the legislation was scrapped AJP MP Emma Hurst took to Instagram to gloat that she – and the Greens – had “screwed over racing in NSW”.

Nationals MPs have privately accused leader Dugald Saunders of failing to stand up to Liberal Leader Mark Speakman and Upper House Leader Damien Tudehope, who were pushing for the amendments to pass.

Mr Saunders adopted several positions on the legislation during shadow cabinet meetings, trying at one stage to oppose the planned amendments after earlier agreeing to them.

That led to Manager of Opposition Business Alister Henskens angrily accusing Mr Saunders of “flip-flopping,” and “not being a leader,” sources said.

In a statement, Mr Saunders said: “There were issues with this bill from the very start and the Government’s failure to bring it on sooner, created angst and a difficult scenario for all parties to navigate”.

Mr Balding’s term runs out on December 18 and the NSW Government will now appoint a replacement s in accordance with the Thoroughbred Racing Act 1996.