Page 2930 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Duby: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is an outrageous attack on the good citizens of the ACT. Not only that; it contravenes standing order 58, which relates to relevance. There is no relevance whatsoever between Mr Stevenson's unwarranted attack on the Licensed Clubs Association of the ACT and the matter we are debating. For you to allow this style of debate to continue is, frankly, a gross dereliction of your duty.
MR SPEAKER: Well, thank you for your observation, Mr Duby. Please proceed, Mr Stevenson.
MR STEVENSON: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will get back to what I was saying before that outrageous interruption. It truly was nonsense. Mr Duby made accusations that are ludicrous.
I simply make the very important point that there is major organised crime involvement in the gaming machine industry in Australia. There are certain things that I was just about to mention when there was yet another interjection by Mr Duby, who should know better if he is involved in the area. He should have some understanding that the industry in Australia has been infiltrated. I hear not a word. The suggestions that would be worthwhile taking up are these: Firstly, this Government should collect the police intelligence available - - - (Quorum formed)
MR SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, I suspect that you are going to draw a conclusion to bring this back to the Bill before us.
Ms Follett: I would not count on it.
MR SPEAKER: Well, I certainly hope so.
MR STEVENSON: Indeed. It would be prudent behaviour, firstly, to collect evidence on the illegal activities that are associated with gaming machines. Once that evidence has been collected, there should be an investigation of the supply lines into the ACT from the gaming machine companies. We should also ensure that staff in the ACT who are responsible for checking on the details that are presented in the Bill - in other words, is it an 85 per cent pay-out or is it some other pay-out? - have the hi-tech training necessary to make the correct investigation.
Also, it would be wise if we investigated the possibility of ensuring that the machines we grant new licences for are tamper-proof machines; machines that can be checked regarding the amount of money put through them and paid out by them, by means of a simple electronic device that can be plugged into the machine at any time to gain a readout. Some of these particular machines are used in Jupiters and Burswood, with useful results. At one time the penetration of the industry in Australia was estimated to be at about 5 per cent. By good work by police in Victoria - - -
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .