Page 3560 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 19 October 1993
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MRS CARNELL: No, I do not want to. I am not doing that. He is the Minister.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Carnell, is this really a supplementary question? It sounds like a whole new question.
MRS CARNELL: Yes, it is a supplementary question. I am asking again why Mr Lamont was present at this meeting and in what capacity.
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, we have a friendly arrangement here on the Government side. You will find that when Ministers cannot go somewhere we will find another Minister who may be able to do it, or another member who may go. Unlike the Liberals, we have no anxiety if one of our colleagues attends a meeting to do with affairs generally across our system. There is no problem with that. That is the background for your question. You simply cannot understand that that sort of arrangement can apply; but I tell you that it does.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Carnell sought leave to table a document.
Leave granted.
ACTTAB
MS ELLIS: Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Sport. Could the Minister inform the Assembly as to the performance of ACTTAB during the spring carnival?
MR BERRY: Thank you, Ms Ellis, for the question. It is still performing well. ACTTAB has continued to improve its recent strong performances, recording its first million-dollar day outside of Melbourne Cup days, and that is a significant move for the ACT. Last Saturday, Caulfield Cup day, the ACTTAB turnover exceeded the $1m mark for the day. This was the first occasion on which this mark has been passed, excluding Melbourne Cup days, as I have said.
Mr Humphries: So what?
Mr Connolly: This is good news.
MR BERRY: They do not like good news. They are just spoilers and wreckers. Members of the community do not take any notice of them. We have here in the Liberal Opposition the greatest crowd of spoilers and wreckers you have ever come across.
A total of 83,833 bets were processed by ACTTAB's outlets in agencies, subagencies, on course and through the telephone betting system. That is a pleasing result for ACTTAB, I am sure everybody will agree, and it represents an investment of about $3.50 per head of population for the ACT. On the Caulfield Cup alone turnover exceeded $190,000, and turnover on the Melbourne meeting was $450,000. That means that ACTTAB has been able to attract good quality business here in the ACT. During the Melbourne spring racing carnival, which commenced on 2 October and concludes on 13 November, ACTTAB is expecting turnover in excess of $15m. That is a huge turnover and one which they are to be congratulated for. Of course, this Government takes some of the credit for that as well.
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