Page 1849 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 15 June 1993
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We are unanimous in our assessment that the racing industry does not want ACT TAB to revert to a statutory authority. Common among views expressed to us about the performance of ACT TAB Ltd are that corporatisation has provided:
(1) healthy turnover growth at a time when there was every reason to expect turnover to fall;
(2) managerial flair in the delivery of the betting service and marketing of betting products;
(3) an escape from the rigidity imposed on the ACT TAB under public service procedures;
(4) flexibility in reacting quickly to changed circumstances.
We stress that these views are widely held to the point that support for a counter position cannot be found within the industry.
In other words, no-one in this Territory who goes to the races, the greyhounds or the trots or who bets at the TAB has been kicking your door down saying, "Hey, change it all because it ain't working". In fact, it is working, and this is what is being said. You have yet to tell this Assembly why you want to change the way things are. You have every control that you want right now. As one of the two directors of this company, you can do whatever you like right now, without changing one iota, without changing one skerrick of legislation. All you have to do is sign a piece of paper, or even not sign one. All you have to do is pick up the telephone, ring up Mr Neck or someone on the board, if there is anyone left on the board, and say, "Hey, listen, I want you to do such and such a thing". You can do that right now; you do not need this legislation. That makes us believe, once again, that you want to do it only because of some ideological bent that you have in your mind. Now, that is fine.
We hear about Mr Berry saying, "The elected representatives will have their say". Okay, Mr Berry, put your money where your mouth is. Let the elected representatives of this Assembly have their say on this Bill. Let us refer it to the committee. Let us hear all in the racing industry and everybody else who wants to have their say, because you have not given them an opportunity yet. Let them come to the Assembly and say, "Okay, this is what our views are". We hear about this word "consultation" from the Independents as well; we hear it from all sorts of people. We have diagrams sent out to schoolchildren saying that a Bill is drafted and then we have consultation with interested groups. Hogwash! Baloney!
Mr Stevenson: Is that in there?
MR DE DOMENICO: That is in there. That went out to all the schoolkids who participated in the parliament here. There is consultation after the Bill is drafted. What humbug! What hogwash! There has been no consultation. You have this philosophical bent against this. You want to prove how macho you are. You are going to do it notwithstanding what arguments are put before you. I plead to the Independents: If we really want the committee system and if we believe in the committee system, let us test it out one more time. Every time we have put it to the test, it has worked. There is no reason why it will not work this time either.
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