The court found the CEO of Racing NSW was made to appear ‘naive, perhaps even foolish’, but he had not been defamed.
It was a classic of the “gotcha” journalism genre.
Peter V’landys, CEO of Racing NSW and one of the most powerful players in the game of New South Wales politics and business, sat down for an interview with the ABC’s 7.30 program, having been invited to discuss “the animal welfare reforms and integrity measures introduced by racing regulators since 2016-17”, including Racing Australia’s publicly released data “confirming that less than 1% of horses have ended up at abattoirs/knackeries”.
V’Landys was the only thoroughbred racing industry regulator to agree to an interview, and he played a starring role in the lengthy program 7.30 produced about what really happens to “retired” racehorses in this country. Perhaps he should have been more suspicious, given that his interviewer was Caro Meldrum-Hanna, usually a Four Corners reporter and well-known for sensational exposés.
Will Peter V’landys throw good money after bad by appealing the decision? Read on.
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