Page 1638 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 30 April 1991
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MRS GRASSBY: I seek leave to table the letter so that the Chief Minister can see it.
Leave granted.
MRS GRASSBY: I present the following paper:
Woden Valley and Royal Canberra Hospitals - Financial position - copy of letter from Mr T. Kaine, MLA, Chief Minister to Mr G. Humphries, MLA, Minister for Health, Education and the Arts.
White Collar Crime
MR STEVENSON: My question is to the Attorney-General. This afternoon I will seek leave to make a statement and table documents concerning white collar crime. One such case involves the liquidation of a company and the removal of its assets to Sienna Pty Ltd for the purpose of evading tax and creditors. My question therefore concerns the ACT companies that sell pornography and the suggestion that they have suffered a downturn. Is the Attorney-General satisfied that the payments to the ACT Government are as required by law, or are the current problems in the industry just some manufactured manoeuvre to break the law under the cover of company liquidations, et cetera?
MR COLLAERY: I thank Mr Stevenson for the question, which essentially should be directed to my colleague Mr Duby, because it concerns his administration of the finance aspect of it. The Government did announce last week that it has asked the compliance area of Mr Duby's finance department to carry forward that type of inquiry to see what substance there is in all of those issues.
I do not think it is wise to telegraph shots or to be more specific about the matter, other than to say that the Government is well aware of the suggestions from the X-rated industry that, I think, up to six outlets have either gone into liquidation or gone out of business, some owing substantial debts in the town; and that they have been undermined due to pirate productions elsewhere in Australia, such that they have actually gone out of business - not so much because of the tax that the Government applied to them, but more because of their lack of competitiveness. I will take that question on notice, and either I or Mr Duby, or both of us jointly, will respond to it.
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