Page 15 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Casino - Counselling Service
DR KINLOCH: Mr Speaker, may I refer back to the committee chaired by Mr Humphries that reported in July 1989 on the question of a casino. The very first recommendation of that committee was to do with some kind of counselling and assistance service in the area of gambling, and one is thinking in particular of the area of compulsive gambling. My question is addressed to Mr Collaery, in his role as Attorney-General. Could he bring us up to date on what is happening in that area?
MR COLLAERY: I thank Dr Kinloch for his question. Yes, at the Estimates Committee hearing last year I was asked by another member of the Assembly what the Government was doing about that recommendation. I indicated at the time that there appeared to be a joint jurisdiction between the Minister for Health, my colleague Mr Humphries, and me. Since that time my department has put together a new policy proposal, which will be discussed among other prioritisation issues during the budget discussions, to link that counselling service with some of the established counselling services that exist already within my bureaucracy. But, at the same time I understand that my officials will be discussing the matter with the Ministry for Health to see where such a facility should lie. I assure Dr Kinloch and members of the Assembly that that matter is currently in hand.
Mr Kaine: Mr Speaker, I request that further questions be placed on the notice paper.
MINISTERS - NUMBER APPOINTED
Ministerial Statement and Papers
MR KAINE (Chief Minister), by leave: Members will remember, Mr Speaker, that in its report presented to the Legislative Assembly on 26 April last year the Select Committee on Self-Government made a recommendation in the following terms:
The Chief Minister request the responsible Commonwealth Minister amend the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 to remove the ultimate power concerning the number of Ministers from the Commonwealth and transfer this power to the ACT Legislative Assembly.
Subsequent to that, Mr Speaker, on 16 August 1990 the Assembly passed a resolution authorising the making of a regulation providing for the appointment by the Chief Minister of up to five Ministers. Following the passage of that resolution, I wrote to the Prime Minister. I advised the Prime Minister that I was convinced of the need for additional Ministers in the ACT Government, and I added
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .