Page 3202 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 18 August 2009

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shown that the directors are not actually in control of the company then it may be for the Gaming Machine Licences to be cancelled.

Treasurer, what action will you, as minister, be taking to ensure that these claims are thoroughly investigated?

MS GALLAGHER: I received a copy of that letter yesterday and I forwarded it to the Gambling and Racing Commission for their information.

MR SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Seselja?

MR SESELJA: Treasurer, if there is an investigation by the Gambling and Racing Commission, how do you propose to deal with your conflict of interest, given you are a member—

Mr Corbell: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the question is hypothetical. Mr Seselja is asking if a certain course of action occurs what will the government do. That is clearly a hypothetical question.

MR SPEAKER: The point of order is upheld. Mr Seselja, would you like to reframe your question?

MR SESELJA: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, how will you deal with conflicts of interest in relation to the Gambling and Racing Commission, given you are a member of the party which may be investigated and the CEO of the Gambling and Racing Commission is a public servant who is answerable to you?

MS GALLAGHER: The Gambling and Racing Commission is an independent body who can investigate compliance with gaming laws without ministerial interference. I have no powers in relation to investigating these matters. These quite properly lie with the Gambling and Racing Commission. I have complete faith in the Gambling and Racing Commission to investigate these matters independently.

If there are any issues that the Gambling and Racing Commission would be concerned about in relation to any potential conflicts of interest that I may have, or indeed any other member of this place may have, in relation to membership of any other organisation they might be a member of, I am sure that they would quite properly bring that to my attention. In this case, so far, they have not.

Gaming—sale of Labor clubs

MS HUNTER: My question is to the Chief Minister. Can the Chief Minister confirm that it is his understanding that the Weston Creek Labor Club, the Ginninderra Labor Club, the Canberra Labor Club and the City Labor Club are owned by the Canberra Labor Club Ltd and operated by a board of directors and not by the ACT Labor Party or the federal branch of the Australian Labor Party?

Mr Corbell: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: this does not relate to the Chief Minister’s responsibilities as Chief Minister and the question is out of order.


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