TOTE BILL REFERRED TO COMMITTEE

Committee Scrutiny Will Provide Better Outcomes for Industry and Stakeholders

Wednesday, 25 May 2011

The Tasmanian Greens today successfully established a Parliamentary Select Committee to inquire into the Sale of TOTE Tasmania Repeal Bill 2011 to ensure that all the impacts of changing the status of TOTE are assessed.

Greens Racing spokesperson Kim Booth MP commended his Liberal counterpart, Mark Shelton, for raising this issue and said it provided the opportunity to ensure that any changes to the status of TOTE and determining its future role could be thoroughly assessed and then brought back to the Parliament.

Mr Booth also said the new Parliamentary Committee could still recommend that the Liberal’s Bill, or an amended version that addresses other aspects relating to TOTE’s operation, could be passed as one of its recommended options.

“The Greens believe that the Sale of TOTE Tasmania Repeal Bill 2011 provides a real opportunity to ensure that a more proactive approach is taken, to assess its role within the racing and gaming industries, and identify best value alternatives which provide the industry with certainty, and this Select Committee will enable this broader examination to take place,” Mr Booth said.

“The Greens were prepared to send our $1 Pokie Bet Limit Bill to committee examination as we recognised there is a broader industry and stakeholder interest in the matter, and we would hope that the Liberals accept this constructive proposal in a similar spirit.”

“The Greens did not support the manner in which Labor attempted to sell TOTE in 2009, and we participated in the Joint House Committee established to examine the ramifications of the sale, yet despite that Committee releasing an Interim Report, a Final Report with recommendations was not delivered.”

“We need to finish that examination process to ensure that the future of TOTE doesn’t keep being used as a ping pong ball between un-strategic decision to sell or not to sell.”

“We need to hear from the industry about how TOTE, and in what form, best serves the interests of a modern, contemporary and viable industry.”

“We are aware there are a range of opinions within the racing industry about the current status and structure of TOTE and we want to ensure that the Parliament are informed by those opinions when it comes to the future of TOTE,” Mr Booth said.

Text of Motion Passed by the House:
‘1. The Sale of TOTE Tasmania Repeal Bill 2011 (No 28) be referred to a Select Committee of the House of Assembly for investigation and report thereon; and that
2. the appointed Select Committee have the power to send for persons and papers, have leave to sit during any adjournment of the House exceeding 14 days and leave to report from time to time and leave to adjourn from place to place, to inquire and report upon the Sale of TOTE Tasmania Repeal Bill 2011 (No 28) including the following matters:
(a) Investigate and examine the potential impacts should the TOTE Tasmania (Sale) Bill 2009 be repealed;
(b) An examination of the role of TOTE Tasmania within the racing industry, and advise on options regarding the future of TOTE Tasmania, within a modern and viable racing industry, and
(c) Other matters incidental thereto; and
(d) Provided, if neither House is sitting, the report may be presented to the Speaker and the President and then the contents of the committee’s report may be made public.
3. The Committee shall consist of 5 members being 2 from the Government nominated by the Leader of the House; 2 from the Opposition nominated by the Leader of Opposition Business in the House: and 1 from the Tasmanian Greens nominated by the Leader of the Greens.
Kim Booth MP, Greens Racing spokesperson