TAB —
PRIVATISATION
923. Hon JIM CHOWN to the minister representing the
Treasurer:
(1) What is Treasury's
estimated value of the TAB now that it is going to be privatised?
(2) Who are the likely purchasers of
the TAB?
(3) Will there be
any restrictions on the sale of the TAB to give priority to national buyers
over international buyers who may be interested in submitting a purchase tender
once the legislation has passed through the Parliament?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The
government will not be disclosing what it believes the TAB is worth, as this
would clearly not be in the state's or the racing industry's
best interests.
(2) It is
expected that the bidder field will include existing wagering operators that
have experience in the Australian market. The government will assess bidders on
their capability and capacity to operate the TAB in the long-term interests of
the racing industry.
(3) The
government will run an open market process that is compliant with Foreign
Investment Review Board processes.