Peters as minister 'good for racing'

Racing leaders have welcomed New Zealand First leader Winston Peters' appointment as racing minister.

Longtime Peters advocate Sir Patrick Hogan said he was "thrilled to bits" with the appointment.

Sir Patrick, 65, made calls through the media for racing supporters to back Peters before both the 2002 and this year's elections.

He said he had copped a barrage of criticism from the industry when then Racing Minister Annette King quit her post after the 2002 election in what many believed to be in response to his pre-election claims that both the ruling Labour Party and the opposition National Party were ignorant of racing's plight and of an unfair gaming tax regime.

Yesterday Sir Patrick said he felt vindicated for his campaign to support Peters.

"In Winston Peters, we couldn't have struck a better candidate for racing minister.

"He's the best candidate for racing minister we've had for a long, long time. He's a personable character who does enjoy his racing. He's going to be good for racing."

At a political meeting at Te Rapa in June this year, Peters guaranteed that if he was in government he would have the racing taxation anomalies changed within a year.

"I'm not going to promise something I can't deliver," Peters said then.

Sir Patrick has faith in Peters.

"Winston has said if he could get into a position to fix it, he would," Sir Patrick said. "It would be fantastic to see action and to see it happen before the new racing season on August 1, 2006."

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing boss Guy Sargent also welcomed Peters' appointment. "It's fantastic news. There couldn't have been a better result for us."

- NZPA