TAB — PRIVATISATION
7. Hon COLIN HOLT to the
minister representing the Treasurer:
I refer to the process for the sale of the WA TAB.
(1) Will a representative
or representatives from Racing and Wagering Western Australia play a role in
the sales process?
(2) If yes to (1), who will be the representatives and what
role will they play?
(3) Given that
RWWA is a direct competitor of any domestic wagering operator that may submit a
bid for the WA TAB, does the government acknowledge a real or perceived
conflict of interest?
(4) If yes to (3), how will this conflict of interest be
managed?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON
replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1) Yes,
representatives from Racing and Wagering Western Australia will play a role in
the sales process, both in assisting with the current sales preparation phase
and as a party to the agreement with the incoming operator to provide ongoing
funding to the Western Australian racing industry.
(2) The board
chairman and the chief executive officer of RWWA are members of the steering
committee overseeing the project.
(3)–(4)
The state is cognisant of the potential for perceived conflicts of interest
arising from the competitive nature of the wagering sector. These concerns are
a common feature in complex commercial transactions and these concerns will be
addressed by a number of mechanisms. The state will design the sale process to
encourage an open and competitive field of potential bidders.