Page 644 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 April 1994
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Mr Neck wrote to Mr Windross of the New South Wales TAB formally requesting in-principle agreement of the New South Wales board to link ACTTAB, NTTAB and VITAB. On 10 February 1994 - I mentioned this earlier - I attended a special racing Ministers meeting and I raised the issue of VicTAB's termination notice with the Victorian Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing, Mr Reynolds. Minister Reynolds stated that he was concerned about the poaching of Australian based punters by offering inducements. I gave Mr Reynolds a copy of a letter from VITAB stating that VITAB would not offer inducements. Mr Neck had a telephone conversation with Mr Tony Hodgson, acting chairman of VicTAB, requesting terms and conditions for maintaining the link. The duck might have looked pretty quiet on top of the water but the legs were going pretty well underneath. There was a lot of work going on in relation to this matter.
On 14 February 1994 Mr Hooke rang Mr Neck and advised that the VicTAB board had decided not to offer terms and conditions as previously discussed. He reconfirmed the termination in writing. On 20 February 1994 Mr Neck spoke personally to Mr Hodgson at the Flemington racecourse. Mr Hodgson intimated to Mr Neck that there was still room for negotiations regarding the superTAB pool link. On 23 February 1994 Mr Neck met with the South Australian TAB representatives to discuss possible pooling amalgamation. On 25 February 1994 ACTTAB wrote to VicTAB seeking reasons for the cancellation and again asking what terms and conditions, if any, could be negotiated in relation to the continuation of ACTTAB in the superTAB.
On 10 March 1994 - I mentioned this earlier - given concern about the lack of response from Victoria, I wrote to the Victorian Minister for Sport seeking reasons for the termination of the superTAB arrangement. I still have not received a response in relation to that. On the same day the New South Wales TAB advised the chief executive of ACTTAB in writing that it was prepared to negotiate with ACTTAB regarding amalgamation but would not consider VITAB. It made it clear that this was subject to endorsement by the New South Wales TAB board at its next meeting that was to be held on 29 March. I announced Victoria's cancellation of ACTTAB from the superTAB arrangement in a media release on 15 March. I released it; it was not pulled out of me. It was released by me.
Mr Humphries: Why did it take so long?
MR BERRY: Because I did not release it on the 4th, the 2nd or the 3rd, or in February or at some other time, people are suggesting that I have misled this Assembly. That is nonsense. A sensitive piece of commercial negotiation had to go on.
Mr Humphries: Rubbish!
MR BERRY: You would say "rubbish" because you are in opposition, but the Government has the responsibility of handling these matters. On 29 March 1994 the New South Wales TAB board agreed to recommend to the New South Wales Minister that a link be established with ACTTAB but on the condition that ACTTAB not receive any overseas betting. At this point we have not heard from the New South Wales Minister, as I understand it.
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