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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 5 Hansard (9 May) . . Page.. 1415 ..

Mr Quinlan: My Barbara wants poker machines.

MR STANHOPE: A lot of people want poker machines. In this instance, tavern owners want poker machines, Ms Dundas. I don't know what your attitude to poker machines is but this government's attitude is that we do not support the installation of poker machines in taverns. That is our view. They asked would we support a trial of poker machines in taverns and we said no.

There are only so many ways to say no, Ms Dundas. I have said no. It is very easy to say no over the telephone. I said no over the telephone. I said, "No, we will not support a trial of poker machines in taverns in the electorate of Ginninderra or indeed in any other electorate." There will be no trial of poker machines in taverns in Ginninderra or anywhere else in the ACT.

Ms Dundas, if you would like poker machines to be installed in taverns, then please feel free to agitate and to make representations to that effect. If it is the Democrats' view that there should be poker machines in taverns, if it is the Democrats' view that there should be poker machines in hotels, then of course we await to hear your expression of that view of Democrat attitudes to poker machines. Please feel free to articulate it here and now in your supplementary question. But, Ms Dundas, no, there will not be a trial of poker machines in taverns in Ginninderra or anywhere else in the ACT. The tavern owners in Ginninderra have been advised quite clearly that the answer is no.

MS DUNDAS: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. I will not be using my supplementary to make a policy statement because my concern is not about what the tavern owners are asking for but the refusal of the government to meet with a group of constituents to work through their concerns. Chief Minister, will you make a commitment to meet with constituents from your electorate or will you now make a statement that you will not meet with voters or constituents of the ACT whose ideas you do not agree with?

MR STANHOPE: I meet often and regularly with a wide range of constituents, organisations and individuals. I am unstinting in my willingness to meet with the people of Canberra. I do it ceaselessly. I do it at a level that I think is probably not matched by anybody in this place. My diary is chock-a-block from 8 am to well into the night most nights of the week. There is a puerile questioning of my unwillingness to meet everybody that rings up and says, "Look, I want to ask you whether I can have poker machines in my tavern; I know you are going to say no but I would really just like you to tell me to my face 'No, you can't have poker machines.'" There will not be poker machines in taverns.

I meet constantly with my constituents and with other people around Canberra. I am unstinting in my willingness to meet with people-I always have been and always will be. I have a very open-door policy. Let us compare diaries, Ms Dundas. Let us do it. Let us see who is putting in the hard yards. I do resent this suggestion that I don't meet with my constituents or with anybody around Canberra. I do.

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