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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (10 July) . . Page.. 2449 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: The legislation that the Assembly passed on the Gambling and Racing Commission was ultimately, as I recall, supported by all members of this place. Most of the amendments were supported, as I recall. A couple might have been rejected but, generally speaking, the amendments were supportive and I think we all had some satisfaction that we had a reasonably good Gambling and Racing Commission as a result of that legislation passing.

We chose people for whom I have the highest regard to serve on the commission. I think we have a particularly fine body of people making up the Gambling and Racing Commission in the ACT.

Ms Tucker: Why don't you listen to what they say in the report?

MR HUMPHRIES: I have read the report carefully, Ms Tucker.

Ms Tucker: Are you happy with it?

MR HUMPHRIES: I am happy with what they had to say, given the fact that we have not had any interactive gambling operating from the ACT as yet.

Ms Tucker: But you told us in the last debate that they were ready to go, so why don't we just get cautious here and get the thing working?

MR HUMPHRIES: That is right; the issuing of licences was ready to go, and I understand that they will be-

Ms Tucker: You said that they were ready to start practising.

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! I do not want chitchat across the chamber.

MR HUMPHRIES: Let me say in no uncertain terms that interactive gambling licences have been issued and further licences, I understand, will be issued in the near future. They are ready to go in that respect, Ms Tucker. The commission has done an inquiry-a somewhat pointless inquiry, I might say-into the framework of the legislation when there are no interactive gambling licences yet operational in the ACT. They have done the inquiry anyway, as requested by Ms Tucker. It is now on the table and Ms Tucker says, "I want to go back and have a further moratorium on the issuing of licences."

I am sorry, I do not think that that is acceptable. I think the Gambling and Racing Commission has approached its task with great diligence and care and has said in this report as much as it could say, given the very early stages of interactive gambling in the ACT.

Mr Quinlan: Gary, it's crap.

MR HUMPHRIES: I heard Mr Quinlan's comment and I think that it is most unfortunate. I think that the commission has done a good job with this report and I am sorry to hear that Mr Quinlan does not think so.

Mr Quinlan: It's okay, I will be telling them, too.

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