Page 6230 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
It is interesting to recall that we fought for a convention centre for this city for some 10 years. With that convention centre was supposedly a casino. We have gone full circle. Here we are now, proposing an interim casino in the convention centre, and that a casino be built on that site.
I will be supporting this Bill. I think it is appropriate. I think that this has gone on for an enormous time. It is an extra piece in the jigsaw providing additional tourism attractions for Canberra. Sure, there will not be a significant number of visitors coming here just for the casino, but I believe that it will add to those additional attractions that are available in this city for visitors and in particular the night-life.
It is very difficult to organise conventions for a city such as Canberra. One of the criticisms that continually come back to the convention industry is that there is not a lot of things for people to do in the evening. I have been away on committees with quite a few members of this Assembly, including Dr Kinloch. We visited casinos in the evening, Dr Kinloch, if you can recall. We went to one on the Gold Coast, if I recall. Neither of us wanted to spend very much money, but it was a place to go in the evening. I think that that is what will probably be beneficial to the tourism industry in this city.
Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as I said, I will be supporting the legislation. I think that the majority of people in Canberra now clearly hold the view that, whether or not they support it, it will eventually happen here. The choice is theirs. You do not have to go into the casino. I accept what Dr Kinloch has said. There needs to be assistance given to people who have problems with gambling, but I do not think that you can legislate to protect people from their problems. I suggest that assistance is absolutely necessary, and I support his calls in relation to some assistance, but legislation banning something is not the answer.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (5.12), in reply: I will respond briefly. I would like to thank members for their comments. I would particularly like to thank all three members of the Residents Rally for addressing the Bill. I do not know whether we can take it that, having heard from all of them, we now have a comprehensive view of the Rally's policy on this matter. It is my opinion that the Rally's policy on the whole casino issue has been very much a moving target. I recall a meeting between all members of my party and all members of the Rally at which the location of a casino was discussed, and the Rally's view at that time was that there should be no casino on section 19 or in the Parliamentary Triangle, and that was the end of the story. So, they have obviously changed their view considerably since that time.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .