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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 9 Hansard (22 August) . . Page.. 3174 ..
Gaming Machine Amendment Bill 2000 (No 2)
Debate resumed from 8 August 2001, on motion by Mr Rugendyke:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR HIRD (3.44): I need to sort out a serious technical matter that I find myself involved in, Mr Deputy Speaker. Standing order 156 relates to conflicts of interest. I do not believe I am caught by these provisions. I propose to participate in this debate and to vote on questions put. I note that standing order 156 provides that any question concerning the application of the standing order shall be decided by this place. Should the Assembly make a decision on my participation in the debate, I will abide by that decision. The reason I say this, Mr Deputy Speaker, is that I am a director of a licensed club, the ACT Leagues Club, which is known as the Braddon Club.
Mr Kaine: Out! Out, Mr Hird.
MR HIRD: Thank you, Mr Kaine, for your impartial approach, as always. The fact is that I do not receive any remuneration from this club. It is simply a club which I have been associated with and which I established back in the late 1970s. I am a director of that club. What I am trying to ascertain, in accordance with standing orders, is whether I am in conflict. I am in the hands of the house and I ask members to sort it out for me.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will allow the house to sort it out should it wish to do so.
Mr Humphries: Mr Deputy Speaker, for the government's part, I am comfortable with Mr Hird's declaration of his prior interest. I personally do not believe any motion is necessary to request Mr Hird to exclude himself from this debate.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Humphries requests that you exclude yourself-
Mr Humphries: No, sorry; I am saying I do not believe we need a motion to exclude Mr Hird from the debate.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: You do not. Thank you. I did not pick that up, Mr Humphries. Sorry.
MR HIRD: What about the other side of the house?
Mr Berry: We are happy.
Ms Tucker: They would be very happy.
MR HIRD: Would you say that for the record?
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: It seems fine, Mr Hird. You carry on.
MR HIRD
: Thank you. I assisted in the introduction of poker machines in the mid 1970s. I stood at a meeting of people who wanted to introduce them in 1974. I think Mr Kaine would recall this. I was opposed to the introduction of poker machines
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