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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (7 September) . . Page.. 3115 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

memberships. Mr Humphries wanted to know who these people are. I am not quite sure what the clubs' constitutions say in relation to the provision of their membership lists but I reckon you could make a few guesses about the number of people who are in clubs if you look at the electoral rolls.

If you are really worried about the trade union movement, Mr Humphries, and you want to know who these people are so you can point your finger at them, just duck up to the industrial registrar's office and ask them for a list of members because it is all public information and there are no secrets. You will find my name on a couple of lists. So if you want to snoop around you can find out what unions people belong to because it is public information and most people like it that way. That is the way I approach the proposals which have come forward today. I think the community would welcome the opportunity to put the bar up a bit. I would just like to know what will not be declared as a result of this change. If the government has its way, that information will be secreted away forever.

I would like to bet that this legislation will be back again for debate. Certainly my Labor colleagues and I are not satisfied with the approach that has been taken in relation to this, especially the move to ram it through this place quickly. That is a disgraceful approach. Government members should not feign surprise when they see this come back again because it is almost certain that that will happen in the new year.

Mr Speaker, I repeat that it would be refreshing if those opposite could be honest with us in their approach to the issue of poker machines. They talk about gambling, they talk about all sorts of things in the licensed club industry, they talk about their contribution to the community, and they talk about their wish to provide poker machines to the casino and so on and so forth. But they never talk about their donation from the casino which, of course, they willingly accepted and are entitled to accept. They never ever want to talk about the widespread attack they are making on the club industry in the ACT, a club industry which employs I guess thousands of workers and pours huge amounts of money into the ACT economy. But they do not pour much into Michael Moore's pocket. The hotel industry did at one stage. They gave him-

Mr Humphries: $400.

MR BERRY: One time before that they gave him some assistance. As I recall, they gave him some assistance when he was arguing for poker machines for them or something like that.

Mr Moore: No.

MR BERRY: Oh yes, you got some assistance with drafting legislation.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Address the bill please.

MR BERRY: You forgot that-you like to forget that one.

Mr Quinlan: Some assistance with drafting legislation that Kate wanted.

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