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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (9 April) . . Page.. 818 ..

Mr Whitecross: How?

MR HUMPHRIES: Because it elects you, Mr Whitecross, to this place.

Mr Whitecross: No; the people elect me.

MR HUMPHRIES: No.

Mr Whitecross: Yes, they do.

MR HUMPHRIES: No. You would not spend that money - half a million dollars - each year, if you did not believe that money elected you, as well as the votes of people.

Mr Whitecross: Go and read the Electoral Act. The voters elect me.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Whitecross, you spend money to get elected, as do most people in this place, and the money is very relevant to your election. Do not insult the intellect of all of us here by trying to deny it. It does have a very direct bearing on your election, as you well know. If Mr Whitecross and his colleagues cannot see the conflict that that engenders in the minds of the ACT population, I have great pity for them.

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister) (5.22), in reply: Mr Speaker, I think the question that everybody has to answer today is: If those opposite, the ACT Labor Party, act in a way that would retain the exclusive access of clubs to poker machines, would they be acting in a conflict of interest situation? The question is a really important one. If the Labor Party in this place acts in a way - - -

Opposition members interjected.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mrs Carnell has the call.

MRS CARNELL: If the Labor Party in this place acts in a way that would retain the exclusive access of clubs to poker machines, would that be a conflict of interest? That is the question.

Mr Berry: No.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Berry says no, it would not; it would not be a conflict of interest. That is a very interesting approach because, as we have already heard, the Labor Party gets some $300,000 a year from at least two clubs. They could get some more from other clubs; I do not know.

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