Page 2315 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 3 August 2022
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MR BARR: Jeremy, can you shut up for 20 seconds? No, evidently not.
MADAM SPEAKER: How about—
MR BARR: Madam Speaker, I apologise.
MADAM SPEAKER: That is all right. But we should not have interjections.
MR BARR: All jurisdictions, except the Northern Territory, have introduced a point of consumption tax to ensure that bets made via online betting operators are subject to the same taxation as other betting operators. It is a very sound public policy principle that underpins this. It is one of the few taxes that you get industry lobbying to increase. And I have had that, I have to say. As has been observed, I have been Treasurer for a little while. Generally, in a budget process, we will get submissions to spend five times the amount of revenue that the territory could possibly raise. Rarely do I get submissions indicating areas where revenue could be increased, but this is one tax where I will say I have had such submissions, and I acknowledge that.
It is a good tax. The implementation of it was reasonable and it was responsible. It was an important change in an era of jurisdictions effectively using their tax arrangements in this area to undercut each other in an attempt to attract online bookies to move their corporate headquarters.
That is the basis for it. It is a good tax. I do acknowledge that Mr Parton’s motion contains an accurate statement. There is one of them!
Mr Parton: One of them?
MR BARR: Indeed. Other jurisdictions which have this tax do direct a proportion to their racing industries based on their performance. But the ACT has a different funding model, and Mr Parton touched on the history of that in his remarks. Nearly a decade ago, the ACT divested of its betting agency. We were one of the last states and territories to do so, but its performance was declining, and it was unable to compete in this new environment—in transition, Ms Clay, as you have identified.
What did we seek to do? We sought to put in place an alternative funding arrangement. If we had not done that then the racing industry would have experienced an ongoing decline in its funding. We put in place a five-year memorandum of understanding. We did so because at the time the industry was recognising what was happening to their revenue streams and was demanding funding certainty. The MOU provided that certainty, whilst maintaining close oversight of the racing club’s performance across a whole range of important indicators.
The racing clubs’ obligations have been strengthened under the MOU that Minister Steel has negotiated, including maintaining a higher standard of animal welfare, and supporting the workplace health and welfare of the workers in the industry that Mr Parton talked about. Whether they are trainers, strappers or jockeys; it is acknowledged that it is a tough industry to work in and that it can be dangerous.
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