Request for Review of Harness Commission

Agriculture and Marketing Minister Ed Lorraine, as Minister responsible for the Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Commission, today joins his counterparts in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick in announcing they have asked the Council of Maritime Premiers to review the commission's role, mandate and operation.

"This decision was made after extensive consultation with my regional counterparts," said Mr. Lorraine. "It has been five years since the commission was established and a great deal has happened in that time. We felt it was time for a review of the commission, particularly given the successful partnership we now have with the Atlantic Lottery Corp. regarding the regional promotion and programming of harness racing."

Mr. Lorraine and his counterparts in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have also received a petition from horse owners expressing concerns about the way the commission handled a recent incident during a race in Sydney.

"People are expressing some definite concerns and they have a right to have these looked into," said Mr. Lorraine. "My colleagues from the other provinces and I have recommended to the petitioners that they use the appeal process that is in place to deal with such matters."

Mr. Lorraine said the incident and the commission's response to it will be reviewed through the process defined in the legislation that established the commission.

Mr. Lorraine said he and his colleagues in the other two provinces agree that the integrity of the harness racing industry must be paramount.