Casinos for public inquiry

Press, 29 June 1988, Page 2

Casinos for public inquiry

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

. in Wellington

A Committee of Inquiry will consider the implications of casinos in New Zealand.

The Minister of Tour-

ism, Mr Goff, said he considered casinos should

be allowed in New Zealand with appropriate safeguards. The four-member committee will, among other things, consider any social implications and ensure that any casinos are free from corruption. It will probably travel to Australia to examine casinos there.

It will be chaired by a retired Chief District Court judge, Sir Desmond Sullivan; and comprise Ms Linda Constable, a Christchurch City councillor and worker with Presbyterian Support Services; Mr Owen McShane, a businessman and management consultant; and Mrs Mary Lythe, a housewife and voluntary social worker, and former nurse and teacher. Mr Goff said the committee would report to the Government within six months. The committee will consider both economic benefits and any social or legal concerns that might arise from casinos. It will also determine what conditions need apply to take account of any concerns. It will report on regulatory and

inspection requirements, and questions of ownership and taxation arrangements. Mr Goff said that after it had considered all the issues the committee would make recommendations on whether casinos should be permitted in New Zealand. “Casinos would help brighten' the night life for the tourist industry and would create significant employment,” he said. For example, the casino in Adelaide was already the fifth largest private sector employer in the state. All the questions would

be examined openly and

pubicly by the committee, Mr Goff said, to enable all

groups within the community to express a viewpoint. Ms Constable believes she was chosen as a member of the Committee of Inquiry because she was a member of the Christchurch City Council’s casino sub-committee and because of her back-

ground in social ser-

vices. She resigned from the council’s sub-committee on Monday because of her appointment. Ms Constable said she expected the committee to meet two or three times a month. Whether the committee received oral as well as written submissions from the public still had to be decided, she said. Ms Constable said she had an open mind on casinos. Cr Ron Wright, chairman of the council’s casino sub-committee, said he was. delighted at the Government action and the six months reporting time set for the Committee of Inquiry. The council’s sub-com-mittee would continue its work, he said.