Page 2496 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 6 August 2013
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information to another person who they know, or it is reasonable to know, is likely to bet on the event. This offence addresses concerns about the use of inside information about an event to manipulate the betting market. However, not all information about an event will be sufficient to prove this offence.
The bill uses the term “inside information” to limit the offence to instances involving information that is not generally available where, if the information had been available, it would likely have affected betting decisions. New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria have also recently enacted legislative amendments to address match fixing. The bill we debate today aligns with those amendments and expands on existing fraud and dishonesty provisions. The bill is a single, but important, component of larger sport integrity strategies which include community outreach, education, and greater oversight and collaboration between the regulatory authorities and sporting codes.
Last month, officers in my directorate participated in an information session held by the Economic Development Directorate with the sport sector. Officers outlined the offences in the bill in the context of national and local efforts to improve integrity in sport. A representative of the national integrity of sport unit of the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport also described an anti-match-fixing educational program and interactive software learning package.
This tool will soon be made available to sporting organisations and other stakeholders. It will strongly support the objectives of this bill and the national policy on match fixing. The bill will ensure that those who fix sporting and other events will be subject to criminal sanctions. Furthermore, those who use information about a fix or inside information for a betting purpose will be subject to the criminal law.
The offences in the bill will protect sport and racing organisers and participants by deterring corrupt activity. The amendments will also protect those who wish to participate in lawful gambling activities from the interference of match fixing. I thank members for their support of the bill, and I commend it to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Water Resources Amendment Bill 2013
Debate resumed from 6 June 2013, on motion by Mr Corbell:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (11.46): The opposition will be supporting the Water Resources Amendment Bill 2013. The bill amends the Water Resources Act 2007 and
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