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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 5184 ..

Mrs Cross: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: that is another imputation. I have not misled anybody. That is misleading and needs to be withdrawn.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mrs Cross, no.

Mr Corbell: The Speaker has ruled on this.

Mrs Cross: Well, so you say. Who believes you, Simon?

MR SPEAKER: Order! It has always been customary in this place-

Mr Corbell: The Speaker has ruled on it consistently, Mrs Cross.

Mrs Cross: Who believes you?

MR SPEAKER: Order! I have always ruled out accusations that members in this place have misled the Assembly. It is another matter for accusations about misleading the community. I will allow that. It becomes a point of debate, really.

MS TUCKER: Thank you. Mrs Cross certainly misled the community because she put out a media release and spoke on radio and told the community that I had accepted an exchange of preferences for how I would vote. That is absolute nonsense. Unfortunately, Mrs Cross did not even bother to check her sources. I would like to see Mrs Cross withdraw and retract that, as I have asked her to do, but I have a feeling we are not going to see her show that grace.

Mr Corbell: Shame.

MS TUCKER: Yes, it is a shame. But, anyway, that is Mrs Cross' choice.

In conclusion, I would make one more point. I cannot see how this legislation will reduce the occurrence of problem gambling in the ACT. From what I can remember about her explanatory memorandum, I think the main point of Mrs Cross' bill is about political influence. I have addressed those issues. From memory, I think money going to the community was mentioned at the end of the explanatory memorandum. I have already addressed that issue as well, so I will conclude my speech.

MR SMYTH (Leader of the Opposition) (10.19): Mr Speaker, it certainly has been educational this evening to hear from Mr Corbell that the safeguard of democracy is disclosure. I am pleased that Mr Corbell put that on the table. Let's listen: the safeguard of democracy is disclosure.

I visited the Canberra Labor Club website to see how much it told its members-you and I will recall a visit to the Tradesmen's Club at Woden recently, Mr Speaker, for a social function, and what I did not see on any of the machines in that club-and Mr Corbell will no doubt jump to his feet and tell me they are certainly on the machines at the Labor Club-is a sign "Two cents out of every dollar you put in this machine goes to the Australian Labor Party."