Page 3880 - Week 10 - Thursday, 27 August 2009
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There are broader implications raised by this debate, and I thank the Labor Party for extending the debate. I think it has been very educational to find out how they really feel about this and what they really feel about community gaming in this city. They have shown it on a number of occasions over the last eight years where they have increased taxes, they have taken away certainty, they have put extra bonuses on the clubs. They keep changing the rules when the constant plea has simply been “give us some certainty”.
This sort of inquiry would have given them some of that certainty, because there are a number of issues that are going to come out of this at a time when eventually the Treasurer gets around to telling us what the new arrangements might be for the transfer of licenses between clubs and a group and we have a discussion on the cap. That has been taking years; there is no certainty in this. Everybody is waiting for the answers on these.
Ms Gallagher: I’ve only had it for six months or something.
MR SMYTH: You have only had it for six months?
Ms Gallagher: The portfolio.
MR SMYTH: The portfolio? I thought you got the portfolio in November. It is August—10 months. “I’ve only had it for six months.” It is actually 10 months. That is why she is the Treasurer; she knows the difference between six and 10! That is the problem with this, and that is the problem of what we are doing here today.
Ms Gallagher: I can give you all the submissions on it, if you want them?
MR SMYTH: The minister has just offered me the submissions. I would love to see all the submissions.
Ms Gallagher: With the permission of the people; I don’t have a problem. I have got 24 submissions.
MR SMYTH: Yes. If I could see the rest, I would be delighted. I could give you some advice on what to do with them.
Ms Gallagher: I would like your advice on them.
MR SMYTH: Well, come and talk to me.
Ms Gallagher: I think it’s complicated.
MR SMYTH: Is your office going to ring mine or is my office going to ring yours? “It’s complicated,” the Treasurer says. It is complicated. That is the whole point of this debate. It is complicated; it is not as simple as, “I’ve sent a letter to the commission and everything is going to be right.” We have got a government that has made no decision on the cap. I understand that the Treasury is still coming to grips with all the reports. So the question is, what is the Treasury up to, let alone how long the cabinet process will take when the cabinet finally gets to it. That is a problem.
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