Peter V’landys: ABC accused of pandering to ‘activists’ over 7.30 story on horse cruelty

Racing boss Peter V’landys was not afforded the same ‘procedural fairness’ as ‘activists’ in a 7.30 expose, a court has heard.

Peter V’landys leaving the Federal Court of Australia, Sydney, Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

The ABC pandered to “activists” by portraying racing boss Peter V’landys as the “face” of abhorrent cruelty to horses in a 7.30 segment that jeopardised his position as the chairman of rugby league’s governing body and sparked a ‘please explain’ from a NSW cabinet minister, a court has heard.

The chief executive of Racing NSW and Australian Rugby League Commission chairman is suing the ABC and journalist Caro Meldrum-Hanna over the segment ‘The Final Race’ which aired on 7.30 last year.

On Thursday, Mr V’landys claimed he had not been afforded the same courtesy and “procedural fairness” as two animal “activists” featured in a 7.30 exposé that revealed acts of cruelty against former racehorses and aired graphic footage from Meramist Abattoir in Queensland.

“I can remember seeing those two activists on the phone talking about Meramist and I remember thinking how were they shown that video I wasn’t, why where they given that courtesy,” Mr V’landys said.

“Meramist had nothing to do with me. It’s regulated by the Commonwealth government and is an abattoir in Queensland, out of my jurisdiction. The majority of horses were not NSW horses.”

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

Peter Beattie, the former Queensland Premier and the commissioner of rugby league’s governing body, told the court on Thursday that the program almost put Mr V’landys’ position on the ALRC’s board in jeopardy.

“I had gone out on a limb to support him,” he said. “They (ARLC board members) all took their reputations really seriously and they were putting their reputations on the line to support V’landys.”

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

Barrister Sandy Dawson SC, for the ABC, suggested Mr V’landys was motivated by a need to protect the industry from negative coverage at a time when betting on other sports would “soak up the racing market.”

The segment aired on October 17, just two days before The Everest at Randwick, the highlight of Sydney’s spring racing carnival.

“I had no concern about the ramifications of the program,” Mr V’landys said. “The last thing that was on my mind was how it would affect attendance.”

Instead, Mr V’landys said he was concerned with the “lowlifes” who emailed Racing NSW with violent messages that targeted his wife, including one member of the public who said they wished his “kids got cancer”.

The racing boss denied he was “asleep at the wheel” and said he had no knowledge of horses being slaughtered in NSW, despite the ABC’s investigation identifying 14 horses that had been sent to knackeries in the state.

However, Mr V’landys claimed 12 of those horses had lived interstate and were beyond NSW’s jurisdiction, while one horse was still alive and the owner of the racehorse sent to a knackery had been black-listed.

In response to emailed questions from the ABC, Mr V’landys said Racing NSW attempted to “correct the record” the day prior to the broadcast, but received no reply.

“There was an explanation for each of those horses,” he said. “Putting me in with the Meramist situation gave a reasonable view I was aware of the situation which I wasn’t and that they were NSW horses, and they weren’t.”

The hearing continues.