Page 1342 - Week 04 - Thursday, 5 May 2022
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they are aware, if there appear to be unintended consequences or if the industry does not have time to catch up in certain areas. I encourage the industry to reach out to the Canberra Liberals if they feel that their work is being disrupted by these changes in any way being unreasonably applied.
I thank the Attorney-General for providing members of his department, on 28 April, for a briefing on this matter. I always appreciate the public service being open and willing to take questions. Sometimes I ask tough ones as well. On behalf of the Canberra Liberals, I speak in support of this bill.
MR PARTON (Brindabella) (6.12): There are some aspects of this bill that fall into the realm of my portfolio as the shadow minister for gaming and racing—namely, the aspects of legislative change around who can and who cannot own and operate gaming machines, who can and cannot service those machines, and around some minor changes to bookmakers.
After consulting with stakeholders and the minister’s office, we are confident that these are extremely minor changes and that at this stage they are not likely to have any effect on any of the operations of our clubs or bookmakers in the ACT. It remains to be seen whether they will have an effect on things in the future, but that is certainly where things stand.
I was initially surprised that the government had not genuinely consulted with ClubsACT regarding these changes. We expressed the view to the minister’s office that there was some concern from ClubsACT that this may mean—dare I say it—something sinister. But we are not of the belief that this is the case.
I actually question whether these changes are even necessary. I understand that much of it is to bring us in line with other jurisdictions. It is a dotting of i’s and crossing of t’s exercise. I am sure it will satisfy some people with a legal mind. Certainly, when it comes to the aspects of the bill that fall under the shadow portfolio of gaming and racing, there is nothing to see here.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Attorney-General, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Gaming and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction) (6.14), in reply: I thank members for their support for the bill. I will start by tabling the revised explanatory statement. I circulated this to relevant members yesterday. This statement includes a minor amendment to remove references to specific training qualification codes, following changes at the national level to the course code for the diploma of property management. This change is minor and does not substantively impact any matters in the bill. The intention of the amendment is to minimise any confusion for the community and the Assembly about required qualifications.
Turning to the bill itself, this omnibus bill makes amendments to eight pieces of legislation, as Mr Cain noted, across four key regulatory areas—the real estate industry, gaming machine supplies, sports bookmakers, and retirement villages. The amendments contained in this bill were developed through extensive consultation with key stakeholders. I thank all of those involved in the preparation of the bill for their valuable contributions. The reforms will update the territory’s regulatory frameworks
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