❓ Mr. Murray questions the Premier about the potential privatisation of the TAB and its impact on the racing industry. The Premier confirms the intention to sell, arguing it will free up funds for modernising racing facilities.
AnsweredQoN 705Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAB —
PRIVATISATION
705. Mr M.P. MURRAY to the Premier:
I refer to Labor's repeated calls for the Totalisator
Agency Board not to be privatised and to calls from his own backbench who are
now realising that it is a bad idea.
(1) Will the Premier be selling the TAB or not?
(2) If the TAB
is sold, will the Premier guarantee the same level of funding will be returned
to the racing industry as is currently invested through Racing and Wagering
Western Australia?
(3) How can
racing industry stakeholders expect to have any confidence in potential
investment decisions if the government cannot provide any indication of how the
racing industry will be configured under a privatised model?
PRIVATISATION
705. Mr M.P. MURRAY to the Premier:
I refer to Labor's repeated calls for the Totalisator
Agency Board not to be privatised and to calls from his own backbench who are
now realising that it is a bad idea.
(1) Will the Premier be selling the TAB or not?
(2) If the TAB
is sold, will the Premier guarantee the same level of funding will be returned
to the racing industry as is currently invested through Racing and Wagering
Western Australia?
(3) How can
racing industry stakeholders expect to have any confidence in potential
investment decisions if the government cannot provide any indication of how the
racing industry will be configured under a privatised model?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) The TAB is amongst the list of assets that the government is intending
to sell. There are a number of issues to do with the TAB and horseracing and
its various codes within Western Australia. I noted with interest yesterday
that the report coming out of the industry or through Racing and Wagering
Western Australia actually made the point that Belmont probably did not have a
future as a racecourse and that racing would be probably better served by
having Ascot redeveloped to a higher standard and Lark Hill brought up as a
second, supporting course, with facilities for breeders and trainers co-located
at Lark Hill.
Mr M.P. Murray : And the TAB?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am just answering the member's
question.
Mr M.P. Murray : It has nothing to do with the question.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : It has everything to do with it.
Mr M.P. Murray : No it hasn't.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The member needs to follow the bouncing
ball and think it through. If the TAB is sold —
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : If the TAB is sold, and my view is that it
should be sold, then that provides an amount of money, potentially a very
significant amount of money, part of which can be reinvested into improving
facilities for the horseracing industry, because those facilities are old,
tired and unattractive to patrons. I make the point that when the TAB was
established it took the place of SP bookmakers and all the rest, and that was a
good decision for its day. The TAB has operated well and has been profitable—I
do not deny that—but we have only to look at a television set during a
sports broadcast of any description and watch the large number of private
betting agencies of various sorts being promoted, going into all sorts and
ranges of odds, live odds and all the rest of it. In that environment, a
publicly or government-owned TAB will never have the freedom to compete. It
will inevitably decline because it simply cannot compete with private players,
internationally and nationally, on betting and odds and with the amount of
advertising. The TAB will inevitably become a smaller part, if you like, of the
overall betting market. Its value will fall. Why not sell it, remove the
conflict of interest and use some of the proceeds to modernise the archaic
facilities of racing in Western Australia?
to sell. There are a number of issues to do with the TAB and horseracing and
its various codes within Western Australia. I noted with interest yesterday
that the report coming out of the industry or through Racing and Wagering
Western Australia actually made the point that Belmont probably did not have a
future as a racecourse and that racing would be probably better served by
having Ascot redeveloped to a higher standard and Lark Hill brought up as a
second, supporting course, with facilities for breeders and trainers co-located
at Lark Hill.
Mr M.P. Murray : And the TAB?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am just answering the member's
question.
Mr M.P. Murray : It has nothing to do with the question.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : It has everything to do with it.
Mr M.P. Murray : No it hasn't.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The member needs to follow the bouncing
ball and think it through. If the TAB is sold —
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Collie–Preston!
Mr C.J. BARNETT : If the TAB is sold, and my view is that it
should be sold, then that provides an amount of money, potentially a very
significant amount of money, part of which can be reinvested into improving
facilities for the horseracing industry, because those facilities are old,
tired and unattractive to patrons. I make the point that when the TAB was
established it took the place of SP bookmakers and all the rest, and that was a
good decision for its day. The TAB has operated well and has been profitable—I
do not deny that—but we have only to look at a television set during a
sports broadcast of any description and watch the large number of private
betting agencies of various sorts being promoted, going into all sorts and
ranges of odds, live odds and all the rest of it. In that environment, a
publicly or government-owned TAB will never have the freedom to compete. It
will inevitably decline because it simply cannot compete with private players,
internationally and nationally, on betting and odds and with the amount of
advertising. The TAB will inevitably become a smaller part, if you like, of the
overall betting market. Its value will fall. Why not sell it, remove the
conflict of interest and use some of the proceeds to modernise the archaic
facilities of racing in Western Australia?
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