Page 3862 - Week 10 - Thursday, 27 August 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
This is a very important subject. What we have at risk by the events of recent months is whether or not we really are an Assembly that is committed to the spirit and the keeping in place of the community gaming model that so many of us in this place on many occasions, both in this place and publicly, have said that we support.
The proposed sale of the Labor Club Group raises significant issues and those issues are not raised by outsiders. Those issues are raised by members of the board of the Labor Club Group. Those issues involve improper influence and certain potential unlawful acts. Those acts have not been resolved, and we are not aware of what the answers might be at this stage. The inquiry by the Gambling and Racing Commission will answer some of those questions. Nevertheless, there are questions on the coverage of the commission’s inquiry. I would emphasise that there are important issues of public policy that must be considered relating to the sale of poker machines.
The Gaming Machine Act, in section 14, prohibits the use of gaming machine licences for individual or commercial gain by someone other than a club. It is quite interesting that section 14 of the act, grounds for refusing initial licence application by club, states:
(1) The commission may refuse to issue a gaming machine licence to an applicant that is a club if satisfied that—
…
(b) someone, other than the lessor or leasing agent, will receive a payment or benefit during or at the end of a lease, agreement or arrangement entered into by the club for its premises;
This goes to the heart of the matter. It is very unclear who owns the Canberra Labor Club Group and it is very unclear who might get the benefits of this sale. It is very unclear how much the benefit of this sale might be.
We saw intervention. We saw intervention from the administrative committee; we saw intervention from head office. Head office claims that 50 per cent of its asset base is wrapped up in the Canberra Labor Club Group. How can that be? If you read the act, it is quite clear that the only people that can benefit and have an interest in this are those to whom the licences were issued. This is a very important issue.
It was never intended, when the act was made, when poker machines were allowed into the ACT, or at any time when the act has been revised, that you could sell a poker machine licence and get a profit. It belongs to the people who own the club.
There is another issue. Who does own the club? We know the Chief Minister thinks that the ACT branch of the Labor Party owns the club. We know that head office think they own at least a share of it and we know that the board is concerned that other people would think that. It was the president who wrote to people and made this public, who raised the interesting case of the undue influence. It is interesting that we cannot get a clear answer out of the Chief Minister on this issue. This is why it is important that this motion be agreed to by the Assembly today.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .