Page 2635 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 August 1991
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under the section 19 proposal, as it was then, fell into his hands. Of course, there was then a very sorry story as a result of delay, lack of decision making and a typical Alliance approach to government whereby the Alliance apparently had insurmountable divisions within its own ranks. As a consequence, of course, under Mr Kaine's Government the section 19 proposal failed. Mr Kaine knows that full well. He himself instituted a further process to establish a casino in the ACT.
What I have done since resuming government is to continue with Mr Kaine's process. In doing so, we have continued with all of the mechanisms, timetables and so on put in place by Mr Kaine. So, it should not come as news to Mr Kaine to know that the preliminary submission process was concluded late in July and that, as a result of that process, the interdepartmental committee which had been established put forward a range of submissions expressing interest in establishing a casino in the Territory. Those proposals were assessed by the interdepartmental committee, which was formed to oversight the casino process - and this interdepartmental committee process was established by Mr Kaine. The interdepartmental committee brought forward a short list of recommended proposals, and that short list was approved by my Government for further development.
It is my Government's intention - just as it was Mr Kaine's Alliance Government's intention - not to involve itself any further in the selection process until the interdepartmental committee's final recommendations are put forward to it for consideration. I believe that that is appropriate. Mr Kaine was at pains, during his time in government, to stress the importance of an arm's length approach to decision making concerning the casino. I support that approach. It has been my Government's policy not to provide any information on proposals either remaining or excluded until the completion of the selection process. I do not propose to depart from that policy, and I am quite certain that, had Mr Kaine remained in government, that is the policy that he would have adhered to as well.
MR KAINE: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I point out to the Chief Minister that, as she well knows, the process that the Alliance Government set in train did not preclude section 19 as the site. But you have deliberately precluded it by your public statements. So, is it not true - - -
Mr Berry: Is this a supplementary answer or a supplementary question?
MR KAINE: This is the supplementary question: Is it not true that, although you claim that you are at arm's length and are not going to intrude in the process, you in fact have, by precluding section 19 publicly from the whole process?
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