Tasmania’s racing integrity commissioner, Sean Carroll, has denied an allegation that he offered greyhound trainer Anthony Bullock $300,000 to leave the industry, after the claim was raised in the state parliament.
Dean Winter, Labor’s shadow racing minister, told MPs that Bullock’s statutory declaration described repeated approaches from Carroll about the government’s voluntary exit scheme for greyhound participants.
According to the declaration, Carroll said he had “hundreds of thousands of dollars” available for Bullock if he closed his business. The figure was later said to have become a cheque starting with a “three”, with $300,000 described as the maximum offer.
Bullock, Tasmania’s leading greyhound trainer and a 17-time training premiership winner, did not submit an expression of interest in the scheme, Winter said. Bullock declined to comment when contacted.
Carroll rejected the allegation when approached and stood by his actions. He had also denied it during a parliamentary hearing earlier this month, while saying he had held discussions with people at greyhound tracks without disclosing the confidential details.
Winter questioned whether Carroll had exceeded the responsibilities of his office, which was created to oversee integrity, compliance and disciplinary matters across Tasmania’s thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing codes.
“The position was not created to negotiate payments for participants to leave the industry,” Winter told parliament. “How can the person responsible for enforcing the rules and exercising disciplinary powers over licence-holders also be engaging in discussions about financial incentives to leave the industry?”
The dispute comes as the Tasmanian Government pursues legislation to end greyhound racing in the state by June 30, 2029. Labor opposes the bill, which has not yet been passed.
Carroll appeared before a greyhound transition committee on October 9, where he was questioned about his involvement in the expressions-of-interest process. Winter said the commissioner had acknowledged that the deed governing the voluntary exit scheme was still being drafted and that no final funding pool had been settled.
Winter also said Carroll had indicated that participants might be considered without submitting an expression of interest. He argued that the discussion of specific payments before the scheme’s arrangements were complete raised questions about governance and the use of official powers.
“Even the perception of conflicts of interest is a serious risk to public confidence,” Winter said.
The shadow minister further questioned Carroll’s appearance alongside government ministers in media releases promoting greyhound policy, given that he was an independent statutory officer.
Carroll, a former police officer, served as Cricket Australia’s head of integrity and security from 2011 to 2021. He was appointed Tasmania’s first racing integrity commissioner in December 2024 after holding a Victorian government role.
Winter said the allegations warranted detailed examination by the joint select committee. “This is not about whether members support or oppose the phase-out of greyhound racing,” he told parliament. “It’s about process, it’s about governance, and it’s about whether legal power has been exercised in a matter consistent with the legislation.”
