Page 975 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 15 March 2005

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Tuesday, 15 March 2005

MR SPEAKER (Mr Berry) took the chair at 10.30 am, made a formal recognition that the Assembly was meeting on the lands of the traditional owners, and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.

Legal Affairs—Standing Committee

Scrutiny report 5

MS MacDONALD (Brindabella) (10.31): I present the following report:

Legal Affairs—Standing Committee (performing the duties of a Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation Committee)—Scrutiny Report 5, dated 14 March 2005, together with the relevant minutes of proceedings.

I seek leave to make a brief statement.

Leave granted.

MS MacDONALD: Scrutiny report 5 contains the committee’s comments on 13 pieces of subordinate legislation and two government responses. The report was circulated to members yesterday when the Assembly was not sitting. Mr Speaker, this is a fairly basic report. It makes comment on only a few pieces of subordinate legislation. I commend the report to the Assembly.

Gaming Machine Amendment Bill 2005

Mr Quinlan, by leave, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.

Title read by Clerk.

MR QUINLAN (Molonglo—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development and Business, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Minister for Racing and Gaming) (10.33): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

Since the commencement of the Gaming Machine Act 2004 on 1 November 2004, the Gambling and Racing Commission has identified a number of provisions that require enhancement or further clarification to ensure the proper operation of the act and the commission’s regulation of gaming machine activity. The Gaming Machine Amendment Bill 2005 provides for a number of minor and technical amendments to the act. I will now take the opportunity to talk briefly to a number of the more important amendments.

The new Gaming Machine Act saw the introduction of a range of provisions that tightened the eligibility criteria for the licensing of gaming machine operators. In practice however, it has been indicated, the new provisions do not allow the previously acceptable practice of clubs having a majority of directors appointed by an approved


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