Extract from Hansard Legislative Council 6 December 2000
Mike Elliott Leader Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council		Parliament Index 2000 Spring Sitting Index Browse by Subject   Search all Democrats material About the SA Parliament Hansard on line

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 5 December. Page 801.)

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Elliott has the call; he will address the bill.

The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: I was approached by Graham Ingerson in approximately March last year about the issue of a potential sale of the TAB and Lotteries. I told him that my starting point was one of opposition to the sale, that I would need to be persuaded but, even before I entered into a debate about that, I was seriously concerned about the direction gambling was taking in South Australia and what I considered to be a lack of due attention to gambling related harm-another issue that the government treats as a joke.

Gambling related harm is not a joke. There is no question that the sale of the TAB would involve a significant expansion of gambling in South Australia. In fact, only in the past couple of weeks I have found that there would be further expansion that we were not even told about. If it were not for the fact that Karlene Maywald had been insistent that legislation be introduced in relation to proprietary racing, we would not have been told that the TAB had already signed agreements with proprietary racing people to market their product. In fact, the true current financial position of the TAB was effectively being denied to us at the same time as we were being asked to agree to a sale.

We would not have found out about that if it had not been for the fact that the proprietary racing bill was introduced, and that was introduced only because Karlene Maywald was insistent that there be legislation to treat that issue. I will not debate that issue other than to say that the TAB has signed an agreement. That is another product that it will sell both outside and inside the state. It is another bit of value to the TAB, and we are being asked to agree to sell it without even being told what it was that we were selling. And, as so often happens with this government, what else is it that we have not been told?

With this government it is anyone's guess because you find out things at a later date or just by circumstance; but there was no question even regardless of that. I note also that the government recently has agreed to allow gambling on many other matters that were not previously allowed, which has also further expanded the product. There is no question and no doubt that private owners would seek to expand the TAB sales further, as one would understand-that is what private owners do. It is not a criticism: it is an observation that is obvious. There was to be a significant expansion of gambling product in this state.

Graham Ingerson was told last year, `I am not going to look at this issue, or even consider the question of sale, or not, until you tackle that matter.' I had had no contact from the government at all on that matter until, my guess is, about two months ago when not the minister but a couple of advisers came to see me to talk about the bill. They told me that they were aware of what I was saying and had put some amendments into the bill to address the issue. They did not speak to me about what sort of amendments I might like. They said, `We have taken that into account and this is what we are doing.'

That is the last occasion on which there has been any discussion.

So, in March last year, during talks with Graham Ingerson, I flagged what is a serious concern for the Democrats. The advisers (not the organ grinder, but the monkeys) came to see me two months ago. This is no criticism of them, they had their job to do, but they could not be involved in the sort of political discussion that needs to take place. So, the government has no-one to complain to other than itself for the fact that I am saying right now that my position has not changed. If the government is not serious about tackling issues of gambling related harm, it can go and jump. I will not consider the expansion of gambling products in this state until the government gets serious about it.

The Hon. CAROLYN PICKLES secured the adjournment of the debate.

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