❓ Mr. McGrath questions the government on guarantees for racing industry funding post-TAB privatisation. The Minister assures retention of RWWA for three years, maintaining current decision-making processes for prize money and infrastructure.
AnsweredQoN 722Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAB — PRIVATISATION
722. Mr J.E. McGRATH to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
Given that the McGowan government
has finally decided to sell the TAB, what guarantees will be put in place for
the racing industry in terms of ongoing funding for prize money?
722. Mr J.E. McGRATH to the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
Given that the McGowan government
has finally decided to sell the TAB, what guarantees will be put in place for
the racing industry in terms of ongoing funding for prize money?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
Firstly, with respect to the time taken, as the member knows, the government
went to the last election committed to not selling the TAB unless it was in the
interests of the industry, and the industry wanted it. Within months of taking
office, the Treasurer initiated a process to do due diligence, and then to
share that through a consultative process, which took a long time. It began
with Racing and Wagering Western Australia's board and executive, and
then expanded to the code committees and then beyond that to wider
consultation, a discussion paper, receipt of the discussion paper and finally
the decision. It has all been done within 18 months, which is actually a pretty
rapid process considering the lack of action prior to that.
That aside, one of the other
measures to provide certainty to the industry, which I did not refer to
earlier, is the retention of the principal racing authority as RWWA, for three
years after the sale. That is a significant decision on our part. The member
would be aware that some within the industry advocate for a change or a break-up
of the principal racing authority. We rejected that; we believe that there
needs to be certainty and consistency for a time to bed things down. We have
responded to the industry's request that that be reviewed within three
years, and it will be. The retention of RWWA as the governing body, with all
the same responsibilities it currently holds, with the exception of running the
TAB, means that all the decisions on the things to which the member refers—prize
money and measures to sustain infrastructure through distribution of proceeds
from the infrastructure fund—will be made by the operators, at the
operator level, which is the principal racing authority, and it will advise the
government of those decisions. As the member knows, we do not get involved in
determining how prize money is set, where it goes, or anything of that nature.
The industry is given a guarantee that for the three years post sale, RWWA, its
governance model and its current method of operation will be retained.
Firstly, with respect to the time taken, as the member knows, the government
went to the last election committed to not selling the TAB unless it was in the
interests of the industry, and the industry wanted it. Within months of taking
office, the Treasurer initiated a process to do due diligence, and then to
share that through a consultative process, which took a long time. It began
with Racing and Wagering Western Australia's board and executive, and
then expanded to the code committees and then beyond that to wider
consultation, a discussion paper, receipt of the discussion paper and finally
the decision. It has all been done within 18 months, which is actually a pretty
rapid process considering the lack of action prior to that.
That aside, one of the other
measures to provide certainty to the industry, which I did not refer to
earlier, is the retention of the principal racing authority as RWWA, for three
years after the sale. That is a significant decision on our part. The member
would be aware that some within the industry advocate for a change or a break-up
of the principal racing authority. We rejected that; we believe that there
needs to be certainty and consistency for a time to bed things down. We have
responded to the industry's request that that be reviewed within three
years, and it will be. The retention of RWWA as the governing body, with all
the same responsibilities it currently holds, with the exception of running the
TAB, means that all the decisions on the things to which the member refers—prize
money and measures to sustain infrastructure through distribution of proceeds
from the infrastructure fund—will be made by the operators, at the
operator level, which is the principal racing authority, and it will advise the
government of those decisions. As the member knows, we do not get involved in
determining how prize money is set, where it goes, or anything of that nature.
The industry is given a guarantee that for the three years post sale, RWWA, its
governance model and its current method of operation will be retained.
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