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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (9 April) . . Page.. 767 ..

MR OSBORNE (continuing):

I might add, Mr Speaker, that when I signed that contract with West Belconnen they organised a name sponsor with me back in 1994 and that is Olympic, which is a gaming machine company. I have received no money directly from them. They pay money to the club and the club has put them next to me for the last three years. I will say that they have never ever approached me about any issue in the Assembly. The sponsorship is more about me as a footballer than as a politician, but I have never received any money directly from Olympic. If I were to continue to disallow the poker machines into pubs, people could say on one hand that I am doing it only because I am employed by the West Belconnen Leagues Club. On the other hand, if I were to allow poker machines to go into the pubs, they could say I am doing it only because of my sponsor Olympic. So, Mr Speaker, it really is a no-win situation for me. I believe that I need to act on my conscience on this. I do not want the perception ever to be that on any issue I voted because of any undue influence from any party, so I have made my intentions clear on the issue of poker machines. I will not vote on legislation because of that fact.

I think it is very different from this motion. I am personally paid money for playing football by a leagues club for a service I provide.

Mrs Carnell: What service?

MR OSBORNE: A very good service too, Mrs Carnell. I played two grand finals over the last two years for them and won one, so I think it is a pretty good strike rate. They have never raised any issues with me and, quite frankly, if they did, I would probably go and play somewhere else. I have a good and longstanding relationship with the club. They have been great to me; but I do not want the perception, on the issue of poker machines, because it is very contentious, to be that my vote was swung one way or the other because of my involvement. I have let the Chief Minister know. I have let Mr Smith from the AHA know my stand on that. I have let West Belconnen know. They have all been supportive of it.

However, on this motion, I must admit that I do have some problems with it. I have no problem with ruling myself out - I was going to do that anyway - but I think we need to be very careful when we do go down this path. Members of the Labor Party themselves receive no money from the Labor Club, but they receive a substantial amount. I will support this if the Government agrees not to get involved in any legislation involving people who have donated to their party. I think that is only fair. I thought I should stand up, Mr Speaker, and say that I have no problems with this and just let my thoughts be known. I would hope that, if the Labor Party votes on this, they will act according to their conscience and that they will be comfortable with it. I think what I have done is the right thing to do.

Debate interrupted.

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