Gaming duties bill in Parliament

Press, 7 August 1976, Page 19

Gaming duties bill in Parliament

; PA Wellington I A Gaming Duties Amendment : Bill which gives effect to Budget : proposals to increase by 0.5 per I cent the commission paid to I Racing Clubs on on-course invest- ■ merits was introduced in Pari liament yesterday. Introducing the bill, the Minister in charge of the Inland Revenue Department, Mr Wilkinson, said clubs were expected to benefit from the measure by nearly 8500,000 a year. Mr Wilkinson said the provisions contained in the Budget were due to come into force on September 1, and it was therefore necessary for the bill to pass through all its legislative stages before that date. The bill also amends the rate of totalisator duty. The present rate is 8.82 per cent of all bets registered on the totalisator in respect of each race and 8.82 per cent of all special investments received by the T.A.B. The bill provides for a totalisator duty rate of 8.5 per cent of on-course bets. 9 per cent of off-course bets and 9 per cent of special investments. i It also makes provision for, |a commission of 7.5 per cent' I in respect of win and place betting and a commission of 10.18; I per cent in respect of all other ( . betting to be deducted from the' I total amount of betting regis-i | tered on the totalisator Sir Basil Arthur (Labour iTimaru.i said the bill represented j another broken promise by the I National Government, The rac-l ing industry had been told be-, fore the election that it could; expect, tax relief of SI.3M If National won the election. “They have been short-changed' by S 800.000.” Sir Basil said. Racing and trotting clubs had confidently expected that tax relief would be at least SI.3M. and unless they were given some Incentives the industry would be very adversely affected. The bill represented an added impost on the punter of 1.8 per cent. “The only person who wins at tile races is the Minister of Finance. If the Government does not give assistance to the industry It’s going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.” he said. “Of the 151 licensed jockeys tn New Zealand 80 per cent had to seek some other form of emnlovment,” Sir Basil said. "I don't object to 5500.000 going back to racing clubs but it's a lot less than they were promised.” The 5500.000 was a, token amount and represented: only 20 per cent of the moneyj; the racing industry needed to, help build it into a viable export: industry, he said. The Minister of Internal I Affairs (Mr Hlgheti said the| Government wm making provl- 1

j sions for assistance of 5500,000 to the racing industry and It 1 would do all in its power to 1 honour election assurances to the Industry. But against the back--1 ground of economic difficulties ’ facing the country it would have ■ been irresponsible for the Government to have given more ' assistance at this time. ■ The bill was given a first readj ing. NEW ZEALAND METROPOLITAN TROTTING CLUB ; TRIPLE CROWN SERIES NO 4! (For two-year-olds on August 1, 1976) . NOMINATIONS for the above event close on Monday. August 9. . at 3 p.m. An Entry Fee of Sl5: per horse covers all events in: this series and is not refund- { able. All entries must be accom-i panied by the appropriate fee.; No Late Entries will be allowed. D. C. PARKER, Secretarv/Manager. j | P.O. Box 9036, 1 ADDINGTON. — Advil ! ' I NEW ZEALAND METROPOLITAN TROTTING CLUB . NOMINATIONS for all events at I the above Club's National Meet-i lings to be held on August 21 and ;28. close at 3 p.m on Monday. | August 9. D. C, PARKER. Secretarv/Manager. 1 —Ad Vt; LOT 9, 5.1.T.8. SALE B. COLT, 31/12/74. Never Give Up—Hi Yi Bebe. Full brother to Dinaro. From the same family as Baghdad Note, Watallan, Grippie, Mallng, Lomond Note, IVatelse, Unlucky in Love and! others. —Advtl — KUROW TROTTING CLUB ANNUAL TROTTING | MEETING OAMARU RACECOURSE I SATURDAY. AUGUST 14 WITHDRAWALS 1 WITHDRAWALS for all events dose with the undersigned at 2 PM. on MONDAY. AUGUST 9. M. J. LEONARD. Secretary. I P.O. Box 78, Walmate. Telephone 8109. Telegrams. “Satellite." —Advt.