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Big NZ First donors argue for tax breaks to save ‘unsustainable’ racing industry
A leaked report completed for the TAB NZ by racing insiders says the horse racing industry is “unsustainable” without further tax breaks.
It also recommends allowing TAB NZ to run online casinos, shifting the cost of the industry’s integrity board to the government and making structural changes including consolidating property ownership and management.
Winston Peters is currently the Minister for Racing and the report will eventually be considered by him. He is also the leader of NZ First.
The TAB advisory committee responsible for writing the report was chaired by Sir Peter Vela. Other members of the committee include Sir Brendan Lindsay, Mark Chittick, Greg Tomlinson, Ken Breckon, Chris Waller and Steve Thompson.
Both Vela and Lindsay are donors to NZ First. In 2023, they each donated $65,000 to the party. So far in 2026 Vela has donated $150,000 to NZ First and Lindsay and his wife Jocelyn $100,000. NZ First also received another $50,000 from businesses associated with racing industry player Nelson Schick, who was not on the committee.
During an election year, donations over $20,000 must be declared within 20 days of receipt. In total, $300,000 of NZ First’s $475,000 received to date has been associated with the racing industry. NZ First has, so far, declared the second highest amount of donations of any political party in 2026.
‘Loops of decay’ in racing industry
The racing industry report warned there was a structural deficit of more than $50 million per year and cash reserves would be exhausted at the end of the 2027/28 racing season if there was no further support.
The two main issues contributing to “loops of decay” in the industry were fewer foals and races being frequently cancelled due to poor race track conditions.
There are 500 fewer breeders than there were in 2015 and foal numbers have reduced 22 percent in the past ten years.
Adding to woes were administrative costs of $91m a year, which the report recommended slashing by consolidating the boards of horse and harness racing into one entity.
The report said horse racing’s participants and audience were “ageing” with weak youth engagement, which impacts the number of bets made.
Empty seats at Ellerslie Racecourse’s ANZAC Day races Photo: RNZ / Farah Hancock
Vela’s U-turn on report request
A leaked letter accompanying the report written by chair Vela said the report was requested by Minister for Racing Winston Peters. The committee had a 90 minute meeting with the minister in February, just weeks before the report was completed.
A spokesperson for Peters said that he had not commissioned the report and that it was an initiative of TAB NZ’s committee.
When contacted by RNZ, Vela said he must have got that fact wrong in his letter.
Without changes outlined in the report being made Vela said the racing industry would be in a very difficult place in the future.
He did not believe his donation would impact the likelihood of the report’s recommendations being adopted.
He said he donated to political parties, “because that’s the way democracy works in our country.”
NZ First party secretary Holly Howard said donations to the party are dealt with by party officials, not ministers or MPs.
“The party is not privy to the work done in ministerial offices. The party has no awareness of the report you’re referring to,” said Howard.
RNZ was told the report is currently with the Department of Internal Affairs for analysis before officials report back to the minister.
RNZ
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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