Racing Amendment Bill withdrawn from Parliament

Racing Minister Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Racing Amendment Bill, better known as the "race fields" legislation has been withdrawn from Parliament.

Racing Minister Winston Peters confirmed the move when speaking at the annual New Zealand Harness Racing Conference in Auckland yesterday.

"The Bill wasn't fit for type; it wasn't going to address the real issues the racing industry needs addressing," Peters said.

The move wouldn't have come as a surprise to harness racing administrators as Peters had already strongly alluded it when unveiling the Messara Report in Hamilton on August 30.

But the New Zealand Racing Board's CEO John Allen, who was present at the meeting, seemed blindsided by the news.

"I did know that before [Peters] said it," said Allen in response to a question from the floor asking if the revelation was true.

"It is a surprise and a disappointment," he added.

National Party racing spokesman Ian McKelvie issued a statement chastising Peters for the move.

"It would have had considerable financial benefit to New Zealand's racing industry. Now Peters is making the industry wait even longer for that potential income."

- NZ Harness News