Page 1767 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 17 October 1989
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The authority's solicitors have received defences from both defendants and will shortly be filing a certificate of readiness at the Supreme Court registry. The matter is expected to be allocated a date for hearing sometime next year.
The chief executive of the authority has advised that changes to its computer system to provide more stringent checks relating to the acceptance of cash bets have been in place since 10 July 1989 and are functioning satisfactorily. No further instances of credit betting have been detected.
As the specific matter is now before the court, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.
High-Technology Industry
Mr Whalan: On 28 September 1989 Mr Jensen asked me the following question:
I refer the Minister to his media release of 18 August this year when he welcomed the undertaking by Blohm and Voss, designers of the new frigate project, that Canberra high-tech industry will benefit from the project. Can the Minister inform the house whether he has taken any steps to ensure that this commitment is carried out.
My response is that my department has had a number of meetings with Blohm and Voss to discuss issues related to the frigate project. In addition, through my department, Blohm and Voss has had discussions with the Canberra Development Board, the Canberra Association for Regional Development, a wide range of Canberra business groups, ACT firms in the high-technology industry who might be interested in subcontract work for Blohm and Voss and I understand that a number of these firms have submitted tenders. I also understand that local computer software firms have had discussions with Blohm and Voss about marketing the project with a focus on ACT operations.
I will also be meeting with Blohm and Voss to discuss a number of issues related to the frigate project. One of the issues I will be discussing with the company is its large offsets obligation and how it can discharge it to the ACT. The Federal offsets policy requires overseas suppliers to governments to undertake high-technology export-oriented activities in Australian industry. Offsets obligations are incurred when the duty-free price of a single purchase or accumulated purchases over a financial year exceeds $A2.5m and the imported content is greater than 30 per cent of the purchase price. These offset obligations can be discharged in a number of ways, but generally overseas companies enter into deeds of agreement with the Commonwealth Government to discharge their obligations. My department has had discussions with Blohm
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