Page 2147 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 2020
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Before then, we need to talk about prohibited donors. What we are doing here is trying to expand the universe of prohibited donors. The government’s bill talks about property developers, which is important, and we are not in any way anti what the government is talking about there. We are trying to go bigger than this. If you look at the issues in the ACT, there would not be many people who would think that property developers were the only people who were in positions where relatively small changes in government policy could have major implications for their viability and profitability.
If we are talking about gambling organisations, such changes could include a cap, increasing the number of poker machines allowed in a single venue or across the ACT, an increase or reduction in bet limits or the introduction of pre-commitment requirements for gamblers. Gambling interests were certainly part of the 2016 ACT election. ClubsACT, a grouping of licensed clubs, ran an advertising campaign which informed their members that the ACT Labor Party planned to destroy licensed clubs. It included broadcast and print ads—
Mr Hanson: Well, were they not right?
MS LE COUTEUR: They mentioned the Greens as well, actually. It included broadcast and print ads, drink coasters in clubs and advertising on the back of Canberra’s taxis. It was quite a campaign. You will be very pleased to know that, because it was a campaign, such campaign and associated expenditure would not—and I repeat the word “not”—be affected by this amendment, because they were spending the money themselves on their own drink coasters et cetera.
At the same time, however, there was a new party called Canberra Community Voters which had similar aims, ran candidates and received a $100,000 donation from ClubsACT. Such a donation would not be permitted under my proposed amendments. The Greens believe that there is no place for gambling money in politics, and I commend these amendments to the Assembly.
MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for the Arts, Creative Industries and Cultural Events, Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Minister for Business and Regulatory Services and Minister for Seniors and Veterans) (6.26): These amendments are minor and technical amendments that relate to other Greens amendments that are coming soon that we will not be supporting. Therefore, we will not be supporting amendments 7 and 8.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (6.26): The Canberra Liberals also do not support these amendments or subsequent amendments.
Question put:
That the amendments be agreed to.
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