TAB — SALE
781. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. Is
the Treasurer concerned that the intrinsic value of the TAB will now diminish
over time?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
I cannot control that. The TAB is a business.
It depends upon the nature and success of the racing industry and its capacity
to compete against other bookmakers out there. We attempted a sale process
twice in order to try to put it into private ownership, which is
understandable. The TAB will remain in public ownership because the sale process did not work on both occasions, as I said,
for reasons outside our control. Our focus as a government, certainly in terms
of our budgetary processes, is on continuing to invest in health—we
invest the most in health of any state government in Australia per capita—and
important infrastructure projects, diversifying the Western Australian economy
and paying down debt. They will remain our focuses.
The SPEAKER: The member for
South Perth with the last question.