Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video "If they had to give it to someone in the government ... he's a 'can do' man," Mr V'landys said. Loading The Herald on Monday asked the offices of Roads Minister Melinda Pavey, Major Events Minister Adam Marshall, Racing Minister Paul Toole, as well as Mr Ayres' office, who was responsible for devising the idea of using the Opera House to promote the barrier draw. None addressed the question of who came up with the idea. A spokeswoman for Mr Ayres said the minister's role was that "once the Harbour Bridge was counted out due to safety concerns, Destination NSW looked into alternative options as they did with the Wallabies etc".

"Minister Ayres worked with Racing NSW to pare back and simplify a proposal which was more palatable," the spokeswoman said. The involvement of Mr Ayres in the Opera House scheme marks the second major and controversial policy under Ms Berejiklian with which he has been centrally connected. Mr Ayres, who has owned multiple racehorses - none of which are involved in the $13 million Everest race - was the driving force behind Ms Berejiklian's decision to commit to building a stadium at Moore Park, after former premier Mike Baird had blocked that idea. Loading At 8pm on Tuesday, the colours of the 12 horses contesting the $13 million race, which is in its second year, will be projected onto the Opera House, as well as the barrier name they have been drawn to and the Everest trophy. Racing NSW had wanted the horses' names also to be projected, but dropped the request in a compromise. Opera House chief executive Louise Herron had been prepared to project the colours onto the sails, but not numbers or icons. Arts Minister Don Harwin directed the Opera House to make the projections, following Ms Berejiklian's decision on Friday. The Premier has emphasised the compromise inherent in what will be projected onto the sails on Tuesday.

Politicians across the country, meanwhile, have been positioning themselves for and against the proposal. Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the Opera House as a 'billboard', a description rejected by federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who said a line should be drawn at describing “national heritage” as a canvas for advertising. “I don’t think most Australians, when they think about the Opera House, think of it as a billboard,” Mr Shorten said. Sydney Opera House chief executive Louise Herron. Credit:Louise Kennerley On Friday, state Labor Leader Luke Foley and federal Labor MP Anthony Albanese both supported the use of the Opera House to help promote the race in interviews with ABC Radio.

The independent candidate for Wentworth, Kerryn Phelps, said both major parties had "failed the Australian people" in backing plans to allow racing promotions to be projected onto the Opera House. An online petition against the projections had, by Friday afternoon, garnered almost 200,000 signatures. Loading Bronwyn Sweeney, the daughter of the chief engineer of the Opera House sails, Dundas Corbet Gore, said her father who worked for Queensland construction company Hornibrooks would be disappointed by the illuminations. "Every time as a family we see a projection on the sails we are so proud of dad and his achievements, until now. Promoting Sydney, Australia and Australian events is great, however dad was never one for gambling or horse racing so this has caused some disappointment to us," Ms Sweeney said.