Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Hansard source

The National Party? I do not know what they drink; they probably drink Bundy. In other words, a disease does not discriminate between a pony club horse or a thoroughbred racing horse and neither does any proposed levy to help eradicate a disease.

The horseracing industry needs this. In particular, the horseracing industry and the people in it were severely affected by EI, and I wish to concentrate my remarks on this aspect of the industry. Horseracing is one of Australia’s oldest and most popular sports. In fact, the first organised thoroughbred meeting in this country was held in 1810 in Hyde Park, Sydney, with Governor Macquarie in attendance. Today, about two million Australians attend a thoroughbred meeting at least once per year and almost 500,000 attend at least one harness race meeting. In fact, I must add here that I fulfilled my attendance quota on Friday night at the Mooney Valley harness racing club, which is in the electorate of Maribyrnong. The Melbourne Cup is the race that stops the nation; it is viewed by 700 million people worldwide. There are many local annual cup days in many rural towns, which are huge events on the social calendar. There are 397 thoroughbred clubs. There are 116 harness racing clubs in Australia, which is more than in any other country in the world. These clubs are great organisations, many of whose committees and members work on a volunteer basis.

However, the Australian racing industry is also a major economic activity which makes a significant contribution to the national gross domestic product, employment and government revenue. The economic activity generated by thoroughbred racing and breeding alone contributes more than $5 billion to the national GDP. It is estimated that almost half of that amount—$2.2 billion—is generated in regional areas. Racing and breeding also help to sustain employment in many other areas of the economy. Let us not forget the feed merchants; the veterinarians; the farriers; the cleaners, who are members of the AWU; the hospitality workers; the transport companies; the caterers; the hoteliers; and, of course, the fashion industry. Australia’s thoroughbred-breeding sector is one of the largest and most successful in the world. Exports are an important part of the Australian industry, with Australian bloodstock highly regarded internationally. In 2006-07, some 2,378 thoroughbreds were exported from Australia on a temporary or permanent basis.

As I have said, horseracing is our fourth largest industry and many people earn their living from it. In fact, it provides full- or part-time employment for around 250,000 people—the equivalent of 77,000 full-time jobs. In 2006-07, we had 13,988 registered thoroughbreds. Whether it is a leading trainer with binoculars in hand monitoring the early morning fast work, a young country apprentice working for a thoroughbred breeder or the kitchen hand at the race club, so many individuals depend on Australian racing. We should never forget that, apart from the glamour of the Spring Racing Carnival in Victoria, the major cups, and the leading owners, trainers and jockeys, there are so many hardworking Australians involved in the industry trying to make ends meet.

Amongst others, I wish to acknowledge the workers who I organised in the racing industry for 14 years: the maintenance workers, the cleaners, the stewards, the barrier attendants and the stable hands. In my old job as Secretary of the Australian Workers Union, and as a director of the Victorian Jockeys Association for 10 years and patron of the Australian Jockeys Association, I was able to see firsthand the jockeys who do it tough. Throughout Australia, there are some 860 licensed jockeys who ride over 19,000 races at 2,690 race meetings at 370 racetracks across regional and metropolitan Australia. I am proud to have been heavily involved in improving the position of jockeys, such as by pursuing and delivering superannuation and retirement funds. But looking at the situation of the many jockeys that were affected by EI is very eye opening.

The Australian Jockeys Association is the representative body of jockeys across Australia. The objectives of the AJA are to raise the profile of jockeys as elite professional athletes; promote safety, industrial health and education; and negotiate and develop Australia-wide protection for riders, including insurance—particularly more favourable public liability rates—superannuation and a retirement fund such as we have already delivered in Victoria.

I think it is important when we talk about this legislation to mention the contributions of some of the individuals who work so hard for the advancement of the industry and the workers with whom I have worked—Neville Wilson, the father of Victorian jockeys, still riding and the president of the association; Des O’Keeffe, the highly capable chief executive officer; Ned Wallish, who has not been so well lately, the former executive officer of the VJA; Ross Inglis, who consistently makes a contribution to racing; John ‘Bluey’ McHugh, the chief barrier attendant at Moonee Valley, who has recently retired from his job at Australia Post; and John Paul Blandthorn, the organiser of the AWU in the industry. The AJA’s current goal is to get the racing industry better protection and support in place for its smashed riders. I am sure those people I just mentioned will be successful in their goal, because they have the best interests of the workers and the industry at heart.

When most of the Australian public think of jockeys they think of the big names—the Darren Beadmans, Shane Dyes, Damien Olivers and Craig Williams. They see disciplined athletes who work at their trade, but they also see the benefits—the glamour of winning the major races, the fame, the newspaper headlines and indeed the promise of financial security. But for the vast majority of Australian jockeys the reality of a riding career means an irregular income, regular injury, major insurance costs, equipment and travel expenses, pressure to remain fit and on their weight, and limited career prospects after an early retirement. Jockeys’ incomes derive from a riding fee per race of $130 to $160 and a five per cent share of prize money for stake earners. Although prize money can range from $4,000 for first place at a country race—$200 for the jockey—and up to more than $3 million for the Melbourne Cup, jockeys do not ride winners every day. Imagine a job where you are expected to be available to work 363 days a year and artificially keep your weight 20 per cent underweight. It is a job fraught with danger.

See this speech in context