Page 1840 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 15 June 1993
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How can you believe this man? How can anybody believe him? You have made a categorical statement there, sir, and you now, at the eleventh hour - - -
Mr Berry: When was that?
MR CORNWELL: This is your famous leaked document, your "Cabinet in Confidence" sheet. Now, at the eleventh hour, you produce this. Let me ask you, Mr Berry: Why, when this legislation was introduced on 20 May, was this not also introduced? What is the matter with you people? Can you not get your legislative act together? What sort of confidence do you instil in the community? What sort of confidence do you instil in the industry when you are coming in at the last minute with very significant amendments which simply indicate that your earlier comments have no basis of fact and far less truth? You can understand, therefore, why there is considerable confusion out there in the community as to just what you people intend to do in relation to this matter.
Well may the Canberra Times question what will happen following your track record in relation to appointments to this statutory authority when it comes, because there is confusion as to whether you are going to have people with broad experience or whether they are going to have to follow the appropriate qualifications for being on this board. You bring in legislation at the last minute. You talk about the current legislative framework limiting the Government's ability to exercise a more positive role; yet you have not changed the shareholders. You still have the same two. This is total confusion.
Mr Berry: They will be gone.
MR CORNWELL: You two? You are going to step down, are you?
Mr Berry: No, we will not be the shareholders.
MR CORNWELL: How very interesting! That is probably the best news any of us have heard all day, if not all week. Nevertheless, you can understand the concern and the confusion out there in the community. You have failed to consult, and therefore you have threatened, quite realistically and properly, the confidence of the people out there. We therefore believe that the only way to retrieve this mess is to refer the matter to an Assembly committee for further investigation and report, to see whether they can unravel the mess and the contradictions that you people have put forward in relation to this legislation. I would strongly urge the Independents to support this sensible course; otherwise we may have a considerable financial disaster on our hands.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
MR DE DOMENICO (10.03): Madam Speaker, pursuant to standing order 174, I move:
That the Betting (Totalizator Administration) (Amendment) Bill 1993 be referred to the Standing Committee on Tourism and ACT Promotion for inquiry and report.
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