Page 3869 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 15 December 1992
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ACTTAB, Mr Deputy Speaker, is a major ACT enterprise with a total turnover of $85.8m in 1991-92. Of this amount, $5.1m was paid as turnover tax to the ACT Government and $3m to prescribed race clubs. Given the importance of the racing industry and the amount of income generated, I believe it is a high priority for the Government to ensure that ACTTAB functions in a manner which achieves the maximum benefit to the Government and the people of the Australian Capital Territory. It is important to ensure that revenue returns to the Government are maximised while maintaining the viability of ACTTAB operations.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I believe that the current legislative framework limits the Government's ability to exercise a more positive role in ACTTAB's operations. For the Government to have more direct involvement and responsibility for ACTTAB's operations, the most appropriate structure is for ACTTAB to operate as a statutory authority. I propose that ACTTAB become a body corporate, with members of the board and the chief executive officer being appointed by the responsible Minister. I believe that it is essential to maintain a board of directors to provide a broad perspective for the day-to-day management of the authority. A board also provides an appropriate degree of arm's length management from the Government. Some degree of distance from government is appropriate, given the commercial competitive nature of ACTTAB operations with other gambling sectors, such as the casino and licensed clubs. The sensitive nature of decisions which have to be made in the management of a sector of the gambling industry is also a consideration.
Mr Deputy Speaker, the proposed amendments to the legislation will establish ACTTAB as a statutory authority, provide that staff of the new authority be employed under the new ACT public sector management legislation, provide for the necessary transitional arrangements to transfer all existing ACTTAB Ltd staff to the new authority, and preserve their existing terms and conditions and continuity of service. The legislation will also provide for the transfer to the authority of all ACTTAB Ltd's assets, liabilities and obligations, with the exception of those obligations required for the purpose of the Territory Owned Corporations Act 1990. Provision will also be made for any necessary consequential amendments to other legislation. This includes the deletion of ACTTAB from Schedule 1 of the Territory Owned Corporations Act. Mr Deputy Speaker, I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
MR DE DOMENICO (3.25): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Opposition also believes that the racing industry is a very important industry in the ACT. It is ironic that the first time that the community or anybody knew about the Government's intentions was when they woke up on Friday morning and saw a story in the back of the Canberra Times. This morning it has gone from the back page to the front page and we find that the Government apparently has intentions of doing something about not just the racing industry but in particular ACTTAB.
The question that people have asked since Friday is, "Why would the Government, or any government, dare attempt to change something that seems to be working very well?". That is one question that one would ask. The second question that has been asked by a lot of people, Mr Deputy Speaker, is, "Why would a government which says in this house how important the racing industry is, and how important all forms of the racing codes - harness racing,
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