Page 874 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 22 March 2017

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millions of workers directly, and the ruling opens the floodgates for the further undermining of conditions for plenty of other industries.

Make no mistake: once the Liberals have undermined this industry’s workers’ rights, they will go after others. That is why it is so important that every one of us in this place stands up against this decision. Reducing the living standards of middle and working class people is the opposite of the fair go. It goes against the egalitarian Australia that we all enjoy.

Madam Speaker, this is an unfair decision that targets the most disadvantaged in our community. Labor will always stand with working people, and we will not let them down while the Liberals continue to cut their take-home pay, as they always have and always will.

Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.

Sitting suspended from 12.29 to 2.30 pm.

Questions without notice

Gaming—Casino Canberra

MR COE: I have a question for the Chief Minister in his role as the Minister for Economic Development. Chief Minister, was the director-general of the economic development directorate responsible for coordinating the ACT government response to the proposal from Aquis to install poker machines at the casino?

MR BARR: The director-general of economic development would have been involved, together with other senior ACT government officials.

MR COE: Has Invest Canberra completed their appraisal of the unsolicited proposal from Aquis?

MR BARR: They certainly have completed their initial assessment, but there are a number of stages in the process.

MR DOSZPOT: Chief Minister, what is the expiry date for the exclusivity provisions for the Canberra casino?

MR BARR: I understand it to be a considerable time into the future, a number of decades, but I will get the exact date for the member.

Greyhound racing—government policy

MR PARTON: My question is to the Attorney-General. Attorney, during the annual reports hearings, you stated, “I will not be proceeding further with any conversations in relation to the greyhound industry, seeing that it is a matter before the courts.” The Canberra Times on 9 March, the day after, reported that the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club had not served the territory with an injunction and, indeed, had not


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