Billionaire racing figure's email torpedoes Victoria's reform bill
Billionaire Jonathan Munz lobbied the Coalition to block Victoria's racing reform. This forced Labor to accept amendments that preserved club autonomy.
Jonathan Munz is vice-president of Melbourne Racing Club and a major Liberal Party backer. In July, he sent legal advice to the Racing Minister opposing racing reforms.
The email arrived at 3:57am. Munz and the Melbourne Racing Club feared the bill would shift power away from the clubs.
Racing Victoria, the regulator, would gain power. The reforms had already passed the lower house.
One month after Munz's email, the Coalition withdrew support. Labor then accepted opposition amendments that set aside special protections for the thoroughbred clubs.
Racing Victoria chair Tim Eddy said the last-minute changes and lack of talks caught him off guard. The amended bill passed the upper house with reduced powers for the regulator.
The racing industry is worth $5.5 billion.
- 3:57am on a Saturday in July
- Email time
- Racing Minister Anthony Carbines
- Recipient
- 5.5 billion dollars
- Industry value
Why it mattersRacing industry decisions in Victoria are now shaped by private lobbying and deals, not open policy debate. This sets a precedent for who can block government reform.
AustraliaVictoria's racing industry will retain club control, affecting how the state's major racing events are governed and how prize money and scheduling are decided.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
