Page 932 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 26 July 1989
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Casino at Wrest Point in Hobart was successful when it was the first. At last count, Mr Speaker, there were two in Queensland, two in Tasmania, one in Western Australia, two in the Northern Territory, and another one in the pipeline for Christmas Island. Need I say more?
I would have thought that the major warning bells would have been sounding now about whether we are not about to get in on the act in a saturated market. It seems to me, Mr Speaker, that those who come into something at the top of the market, especially where turnovers and profit are a little shaky, seldom "make it past Go", if I may use a Monopoly analogy. We must think very carefully before we make the mistake which could be fatal to our economy.
In the time left to me I would like to briefly address some of the conclusions and recommendations. In fact, as I read through the recommendations of this report, I see a number of concerns raised by the members of the committee. As I said, some of the recommendations made by that committee I strongly endorse. You will no doubt have noted that, while the recommendations generally refer to what should happen if a casino is built in Canberra, there is no clear recommendation that a casino be built in Canberra.
In the unfortunate event that this project should go ahead, all of those recommendations but one require the Government to take care and provide the people with more information. However, if one were to consider the record of the current Canberra Government and the one that preceded it from the Federal arena, one would note that the first recommendation provides a strong rebuke. We have, Mr Speaker, in this city one of the most addictive forms of gambling - the poker machine. If one considers the quiet addition of draw poker machines, club TAB centres and the Sky Channel, with their live race broadcasts, one would concede that there is already a problem which I am sure will be added to if the casino is built.
Where are the funds in the budget for the recommendations of the social impact statement on the provisions of epidemiological studies, counselling referral and education services recommended by Dr Geoffrey Caldwell and his team? One could be as cynical as one of the SIS team members clearly was when he said that the need for such facilities had been identified by every inquiry that has looked at this issue. I trust that the Chief Minister will ensure that some of the take from the clubs and the TAB be put aside immediately for this task. You will note that this is one conclusion in paragraph 1.26 that I supported without reservation.
The conclusion in paragraph 1.27 refers to the analysis of the economic benefits from the land premium, employment and annual revenue which the majority expect would flow from this development. However, I do not believe that we, as a committee, are qualified to make this assessment. Here was a report commissioned by a government keen to get the right
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