Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 7 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2560 ..

MS DUNDAS

affect family, friends and work colleagues, so action to help problem gamblers could have enormous social benefits.

We do have to act to help these gamblers, but I do not think that opposing a rise in taxes from 25 per cent to 27 per cent for the largest clubs will have any impact on their losses. Instead, we should be working to fix the problem at its root, as I have done this week with the cooperation of my colleagues in the Senate. If the Liberals were truly committed to reducing problem gambling, as they have been saying today, I suggest they work with their federal colleagues to make changes in respect of the Grants Commission, which is putting this impost on the states and territories.

Whilst I see what the Liberal opposition is trying to achieve-and I have been working with my federal colleagues on this matter-I do not think this is the way to do it. Hence, I will not be supporting the removal of these clauses from the revenue legislation.

Question put:

That clauses 14 and 15 be agreed to.

The Assembly voted-

	Ayes 11  			Noes 6

Mr Berry  	Ms MacDonald  	Mrs Burke  	Mr Stefaniak
Mr Corbell  	Mr Quinlan  	Mr Cornwell   
Mrs Cross  	Mr Stanhope  	Mrs Dunne   
Ms Dundas  	Ms Tucker  	Mr Pratt
Ms Gallagher    Mr Wood  	Mr Smyth
Mr Hargreaves  

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Clauses agreed to.

Title agreed to.

Bill agreed to.

Sitting suspended from 12.28 until 2.30 pm.

Questions without notice

Medical indemnity

MR SMYTH: My question is to the Chief Minister and Attorney-General, Mr Stanhope. Minister, on Wednesday 18 June you made the following boast in this place about your medical indemnity package, and I quote: "I will stand by the product which we ultimately deliver. It will be the best and fairest of all the regimes introduced around Australia."

Chief Minister, last night doctors rejected key planks of your package leading to the ACT's hospital system making contingency plans in case key specialists such as

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .