Page 719 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 8 April 2014
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Mr Rattenbury’s amendment to my motion had the potential to lead to this. It has now led to that. You need to make sure that you make it quite clear that people will get the maximum support that the government can give them, but along the way it is about communication. It is about keeping in touch. It is about being in touch with the union. Ms Berry might even have a view on whether United Voice have been included in this enough and their concerns are being met.
Before you finish the bill, minister, you might look to give us an update particularly on what is happening to the staff as well as the other three or four points that we raised in our motion when we started down this path. That said, as I stated at the start of this, this is a machinery of government bill and we will be supporting it.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (10.20): As Mr Smyth noted, the Territory-owned Corporations Amendment Bill is a simple machinery-of-government bill designed to facilitate the sale of ACTTAB. I have previously signalled my support for the sale of ACTTAB and do so again. I do not believe that the government should be in the business of running gambling operations. As a philosophical point, that is one that my party gave me very clear feedback on, and I think that is right. It also then relates to the practical issues around ACTTAB with the clear need for investment as part of the changing landscape of gambling markets. I certainly would not be keen to support the government putting significant new investment into ACTTAB. I think it is the right time to sell the organisation so the private sector can choose to make that investment as it sees fit for the future.
There are, of course, other issues around whether ACTTAB will qualify for the federal government’s incentive around the sale of infrastructure and assets, and certainly that bonus would be welcome in this instance. I think this is an interesting area where we need to look very closely at the sale of assets. There is scope for government to move to sell some public assets, but there are others we should be looking to retain. ACTTAB is certainly one we should be disposing of. I think there will be other matters that we need to reflect on as the issue arises as part of the federal government’s drive to have us sell off these assets but, for today, I support this bill and am happy to do so.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Sport and Recreation, Minister for Tourism and Events and Minister for Community Services) (10.21), in reply: I thank members for their support of the bill. I recently tabled the Territory-owned Corporations Amendment Bill 2014. The bill seeks to exclude ACTTAB Ltd from the application of the Territory-owned Corporations Act 1990, which would either take effect when the shares are to be sold or after any residual assets or liabilities have been settled to allow the company to be wound up.
In committing their time and resources to the sale, potential bidders require certainty that the sale can be finalised quickly. As I indicated in my presentation speech, arranging for the legislative amendments to be passed at an early stage will facilitate a more efficient sale process by removing any bidder uncertainty about when the bill, and hence the sale transfer, can take effect. Although the Territory-owned Corporations Amendment Bill will allow ACTTAB to be sold after it has been
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