Page 1512 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 April 1991
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MR STEFANIAK: I hope that you did better at poker than I did at two-up, Norm. I am also delighted to see legislation in this Bill in relation to the profits. Of course, profits will go to such bodies as Legacy and service related organisations, and that is just so appropriate. All too often in the games of two-up that I have played on Anzac Day profits went to other individuals, mainly the ones I lost to. I recall that in 1980 at Cootamundra when I was the platoon commander there I took some fellows from Canberra down because I was just building up the platoon, and we were very generous to the local economy. I lost about $100 to the BP service station owner. Chief Minister, I am not sure whether he was using double-headed pennies or double-tailed pennies; but, whatever they were, he kept winning quite consistently.
I look forward to playing two-up with a bit more discipline this time at some establishment. It is the traditional Australian game and this legislation is timely. It is obvious why it is being pushed through in a week - it simply had to be. Again, I commend the Attorney-General for bringing it forward.
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (11.10): I regard this as a very important Bill, and I am a bit disappointed that Mr Connolly, in particular, chose to trivialise the matter of legalisation of two-up within the Territory. Two-up, as he said, has been played for many years; nevertheless it is important that on Anzac Day the law should be seen to be consistent. No-one wishes to encourage people to deliberately break the law that is in place, and the action of the Government in legislating to legalise two-up on Anzac Day recognises, to my way of thinking, the importance of a game like two-up to the Australian psyche.
I think two-up, as Mr Collaery said in his introduction, can, without a doubt, be described as the fairest game in the world. It is important to Australians that everybody from the top to the bottom is seen to be given a fair go. As has been mentioned, two-up has been taken on board and made famous, not from the colonial days but, of course, by the troops in the First World War in particular, and in the Second World War. I think the qualities that have been demonstrated by our fighting forces over the proud history of the Australian military forces are demonstrated also in the abilities and the traits that are needed to play two-up and play it successfully.
Naturally, of course, you must have comradeship - something which Australian servicemen have been well known for over the years. You also need a little bit of ingenuity, particularly, of course, if you wish to have a game perhaps not on Anzac Day and perhaps not where the proceeds are going to go to a recognised charity. You also undoubtedly need a bit of perseverance, as anyone who has ever played the game of two-up will know. Perseverance is probably one of the greatest requirements of the game. And, of course,
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