Page 1029 - Week 06 - Thursday, 27 July 1989
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Accordingly the Government is preparing detailed proposals on the application of the premium towards community facilities and other infrastructure requirements. In so doing, the Government will take account of the committee's view on community facilities. The Government will announce details of proposals by the end of August.
In summary, I must say that the ACT community has had extensive opportunities for full and frank debate on the casino issue. All issues have been examined by both independent experts and elected representatives alike, with very similar, positive conclusions being drawn. These studies have confirmed the advantages to be gained from the casino project and the increasing need to proceed with this development without further delay.
The ACT Government is committed to the Civic Square redevelopment proposal and casino and is confident that the majority of the community support the project. It is now time to proceed with this important and vital development. This we will now do.
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (10.37): I do not intend to say a great deal on this subject. The Liberal Party went into the recent election for this Assembly with a pro-casino policy. It was a pro-casino policy but it was silent on where and under what conditions the casino should be created. On the basis of that campaign I have been asked on a number of occasions over the last few weeks why the Liberal Party supported this inquiry that has just been completed. Our motives were quite simple, honest and straightforward, Mr Speaker.
It was our conviction that the decision to provide for a casino in Canberra had been made by a Commonwealth Minister; that it was reasonable that the ACT people should be given an opportunity to express their opinion on that subject so that there should be a clear, unequivocal understanding of what the will of the people was; and that in the final analysis the decision should be taken by the elected representatives of this community and not by a Federal Minister. So there were no ulterior motives in our supporting this inquiry - simply that honest conviction that this community should express its view and that the representatives of this community should make the decision.
An inquiry has now been conducted. It has been a full and open inquiry. All views in connection with the establishment of a casino in Canberra have been presented or, if they have not, the opportunity was there for them to be presented and, if they have not been presented, then those people who failed to present their view cannot blame this Assembly or the inquiry that has just been concluded.
The fact is that the inquiry has been completed. It has brought down its recommendations. It remains to be seen whether this Assembly accepts those recommendations or
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