Page 1056 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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payment from ACTTAB. Because of the way in which bets are now being placed online, the ACTTAB dividend no longer represents a secure funding footing for the industry. As the ACTTAB turnover has decreased, so too has the dividend paid back to industry.
Governments across Australia, including the ACT, have acted to address these changes. In coming to the best funding model, governments have introduced legislation to require the operators of online betting services to pay fees—the race fields legislation, as it is known—and those fees are then returned to the industry. A second change has also occurred in the ACT which has been to separate the industry from the ACTTAB dividend and instead include it within the ACT government budget, as has already been touched on, particularly by Mr Barr. When coupled together, these two changes represent a new model of funding for the industry. The Greens believe that any new funding model, regardless of the industry affected, should be implemented only after careful consultation with those affected. Decision makers must be aware of the consequences of their decision before they make those important decisions.
As government members have said publicly, this will be a difficult budget. Now that the racing industry has been taken off the ACTTAB dividend and brought into the budget, its funding requirements will be assessed in conjunction with other competing demands. The minister for racing will be faced with difficult decisions, but he must equip himself with the relevant information before making any such decision. For those reasons, we strongly support this motion committing the government to engaging with the racing industry to agree upon a funding formula.
As I have outlined, there have been important changes to how the industry is funded. The government must work with the industry through the transition to get the details absolutely right. For their part, the industry are ready to meet with the minister. They said so publicly in February in a press release from the Canberra Racing Club. I believe the ball is now in the minister’s court as to whether he takes them up on their offer. I note the interchange earlier about when the meetings have taken place and at what functions and whether it is the minister or the staff. It is imperative that, at the end of the day, the minister sits down and has this discussion face to face—not over a beer but in a serious meeting with the key stakeholders.
The motion today notes the social and economic aspects of the racing industry. The Greens understand that racing brings employment and economic benefits to the ACT economy. Of course, not all sections of the ACT community fully support the concept of racing and are uneasy about various aspects of it. The Greens have taken a balanced approach to this and are able to note and acknowledge that the industry does provide employment and has a positive flow-on effect to the broader ACT economy.
I said earlier that I have an amendment to the motion. The amendment retains, I believe, the key elements of the original motion but seeks to add to it to focus attention on the upcoming 2010-11 budget. As I highlight today, this upcoming budget is where the government and the racing industry must focus. The original motion called on the government to agree with the industry on a time frame for delivery of a funding formula for the industry. My amendment seeks to go one step
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