Page 6169 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
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But that does not create a level playing field for the clubs. It creates an advantaged situation for an international consortium who are coming into our Territory. The statement by the Chief Minister on the casino gives cold comfort for those who wonder where Austrian Casinos International are going to spend their money. Where are they going to spend their money?
Mr Moore: In Canberra.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Moore interjects and says, "In Canberra". He has found a new liking, Mr Speaker, for casinos, and he can speak to that later. We need to suss out the reasons why we are slamming the clubs today, particularly the small clubs, and we have gone pretty easy on the casino. We are going to give them a licence; we foreshadow a licence. There are no conditions there about any community works they do. There are no conditions, effectively, about employing within the Territory. There are no set time limits on training.
We know that our clubs look after our own in this Territory, by and large. They take youngsters out of the School of Tourism and Hospitality at TAFE. They employ many part-time people, particularly single parents, and they provide broken hours and shift work for people who need two jobs to meet the mortgage payments and other debt encumbrances they have. I do not think we should underestimate, in any way, the profound social difference between the club circuit in this city and dividing our limited gambling dollar further into the hands of an Austrian foreign chain coming to this Territory, perhaps.
Mr Speaker, the Bill has a quarantine time, up to March 1992, to allow clubs to render themselves eligible so that they do not fall into the hotel rate, as we call it - the 35 per cent rate. I have been advised of the effect on some of the big clubs. I understand that there are some additional payments. The Canberra Workers Club, I understand anecdotally - I have not seen the figures - may have to pay an extra $38,000 under this scheme. I do not know. Perhaps the Chief Minister can comment on that.
I do know that the Canberra South Bowling Club, of which I used to be a social member, will go down, from $7,814 to $856, under this proposed new arrangement. Talking about ethnic clubs, the Spanish-Australian Club, which, as far as I know, is open only three days a week, will go from $3,071, under the current system of collection, to $364. The Canberra Yacht Club, which is a matter of concern, goes from $30,995 to $27,587. I have no way of verifying their figures. The Finnish-Australian Club, for instance, goes from $16,592 to $9,821. The Austrian-Australian Club goes from $31,071 to $27,973. The ACT Tennis Club goes down from $12,034 to $4,796. I will stand corrected if that is not correct.
Mr Berry: Yes, you will.
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