ABC indulged ‘activist agenda’, says Peter V’landys

Racing supremo Peter V’landys has accused the ABC of joining an ‘activist agenda’ while giving evidence in the Federal Court.

Peter V'landys (centre) arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Steven Saphore

The ABC pandered to “extremists” who were “running an activist agenda” by agreeing to portray racing boss Peter V’landys as the person responsible for “grotesque” acts of animal cruelty in a 7.30 exposé that “absolutely shattered” the sporting tsar, a court has heard.

Mr V’landys, who is the chief executive of Racing NSW and the chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission, is suing the ABC and journalist Caro Meldrum-Hanna over the segment, which exposed the mistreatment of retired racehorses at a Queensland knackery.

The racing chief claims he was “deliberately” ambushed by the ABC when the broadcaster spliced an interview he agreed to do in “good faith” with graphic footage of horses being slaughtered at Meramist Abattoir in Queensland.

Under cross-examination by barrister Sandy Dawson SC, for the ABC, Mr V’landys said the footage was supplied to the broadcaster by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses and the group’s “extremist” leader Elio Celotto.

“Why didn’t he report that particular cruelty at that particular point in time? What he did was use it for political purposes and an agenda,” he said. “If he (Mr Celotto) loves the horse, why would he keep that tape for two years and not provide it to the Department of Primary Industries that is the regulator of that abattoir.”

The vision, obtained during a two-year investigation, showed footage of horses being kicked, dragged, shocked, bolted through the head and inhumanely slaughtered at the abattoir.

Mr V’landys alleges the ABC withheld the footage before his interview with Meldrum-Hanna, and then neglected to make clear that he had no jurisdiction over Queensland.

He is seeking aggravated damages and claims the ABC undermined his standing as a regulator, caused him personal hurt and brought his reputation into public disrepute, ridicule and contempt.

The ABC denies the program conveyed the claimed defamatory meanings, including that Mr V’landys was portrayed as someone who “callously permitted the wholesale slaughter” of horses.

The segment, dubbed The Final Race, aired on October 17 last year, two days before The Everest at Randwick, the Sydney spring racing carnival’s highlight.

Graeme Hinton, chief operating officer at Racing NSW, gave evidence that Mr V’landys was “absolutely shattered” by the broadcast and firestorm of abuse that followed. He said the program amounted to a “10 out of 10 stitch-up” and had portrayed Mr V’landys as the “only face” of a “callous, careless” industry.

Mr V’landys conceded that “rule 114”, which bans racehorses in NSW from being sent to abattoirs, may not protect all retired racehorses from cradle to grave.

He said he did not believe the “two young ladies” who produced the program were “out to get me”, but noted that the story pandered to “an activist agenda.”

The hearing continues before judge Michael Wigney.