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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 6 Hansard (1 September) . . Page.. 1630 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

Prior to selecting PKF to conduct the scoping study of ACTTAB, my department was aware that PKF had undertaken the review of the Northern Territory TAB. As part of the tender process that resulted in the selection of PKF, my department contacted referees as part of the due diligence process. These referees included a senior officer of the Northern Territory Treasury who had overseen the conduct of the Northern Territory TAB scoping study. Both the ACT and the Northern Territory governments commissioned scoping studies of their TABs for the same reasons. Is that a big surprise? Is it a big surprise that we both went down the path of scoping studies including concerns about the impact on the future viabilities of the TABs arising from the dramatic changes that were occurring or in prospect in the environment in which the TABs operate? What were those changes? The changes included the privatisation of the TAB in New South Wales by the Labor Government. There we have a Labor government privatising their TAB. Certainly, the Victorian Liberal Government did it too. Is it surprising that the smaller TABs in Australia, not just those in the Northern Territory and the ACT - Queensland has already announced that they were going out and South Australia has done the same - decided that they really needed to determine what the options were, taking into account that this nasty Labor Government in New South Wales was flogging its TAB? Mr Speaker, the prospective privatisation of TABs in other States and growing competition from other forms of gambling meant, logically, that a reasonable and responsible government would get a consultant to look at what our options were. ACTTAB and the Northern Territory TAB have much in common.

Mr Quinlan: They got the same report.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The question has been asked. You are getting a response. Please listen.

MS CARNELL: And a very full response.

MR SPEAKER: Indeed, most comprehensive. In fact, I am beginning to think it might even be too long for them, Chief Minister.

MS CARNELL: That certainly is true because they keep interrupting.

Mr Kaine: Mr Speaker, I take a point of order. If you are beginning to think that the answer is too long, is it not time to pull the Minister up and ask her to make her answer comply with the standing orders of this place?

MR SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.

MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, both the Northern Territory TAB and ACTTAB are relatively - - -

Mr Hargreaves: What I would like to know is: Which is longer, the speech or her nose? Keep going, Pinocchio.

MR SPEAKER: Order! I will sit the Chief Minister down if this continues.

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