Page 1839 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 15 June 1993
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Some degree of distance from government is appropriate, given the commercial competitive nature of ACTTAB operations ...
This is the man who now wants to turn this into a statutory authority. Some degree of distance!
Mr De Domenico: Lengths away, I would suggest.
MR CORNWELL: Lengths away, yes; in fact, so many lengths that I think we would have to have a photo finish to bring in the concept. May I go on to express additional concern for what this man is talking about. I refer, of course, to this famous leaked document. My colleague Mr De Domenico has already explained the consultation process of this Government that purports to listen and to talk to the community and that believes in community consultation. The best they can manage on this important matter - there was only a turnover last year of $86m! - was to discuss and consult with the ACT Treasury, the Chief Minister's Department and the Government Solicitor's Office. It was all very chummy. Mr De Domenico has referred to this. Then there is point No. 19, as Mr De Domenico said, which reads:
There has been no consultation with the racing industry including the ACTTAB.
Mr Berry subsequently confirmed this when he said that what had happened was that the racing clubs had written to him to disagree. He had not asked them for this. They had, in fact, taken the initiative themselves to disagree, having read, as my friend Mr De Domenico suggests, about this in the newspaper. The interesting thing is that point No. 19 goes on to say:
While there may be initial concern expressed by the industry, these concerns can be allayed by assurances that there will be no major change to the day-to-day operations of the TAB ...
We are just going to change it from a corporation to a statutory authority, but "these concerns can be allayed by assurances that there will be no major change to the day-to-day operations of the TAB and no effect on the racing industry in relation to distributions". I have here an amendment to be moved by the Minister for Sport, which we received this afternoon, that states:
Payments to the Racecourse Development Fund
"7A. Section 8 of the Principal Act is amended -
(a) by omitting from subsection (1) '0.75%' and substituting '0.5%';
..."
I quote again:
... and no effect on the racing industry in relation to distributions.
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