Either that or he’s a masochist.

What other explanation could there be for Dr Keniry taking the job as Greyhounds Transition Taskforce co-ordinator, forced to front-up to furious dog trainers and defend the state government’s indefensible decision to ban the sport in NSW?

Dr Keniry’s travelling circus stopped over in Wagga on Monday, with more than 40 trainers and breeders from the region on hand, many describing the meeting as “farcical and condescending”.

Despite the intense public interest in the decision to end dog racing, The Daily Advertiser was shown the door at the meeting and told it was open only to “industry stakeholders”.

What has the government got to hide?

Surely, the entire community is a “stakeholder” in this issue, bearing in mind the financial toll it will take on the broader economy.

Instead of allowing media to witness the raw emotion of the people the ban will impact most, Dr Keniry fronted journalists at a far more stage-managed media event at Botanical Gardens later in the morning.

Those at the earlier meeting accused Dr Keniry of failing to answer questions, saying he was more elusive than a mechanical hare on the issues that really mattered.

His suggestion there was scope for the greyhound breeding industry to continue in NSW for a period after the ban drew looks of incredulity from most of those assembled.

Allowing breeders a couple of years grace before shutting them down is hardly a peace offering. The only offering these participants want is a reversal of this wretched ban.

The government was never serious about consulting with the industry, just as it didn’t seriously consult with affected communities about forced council mergers.

The Commission of Inquiry handed down 80 recommendations and offered just one single option – to shut down the greyhound industry.

That industry, made up largely of working class participants, was denied procedural fairness and natural justice.

Court injunctions and a litany of legal challenges are now an odds-on certainty, meaning taxpayers will be exposed to millions more in legal fees to defend a decision millions of taxpayers don’t agree with.

It’s a “dog act” and the government deserves to be mauled at the next election for it.