Historian James Boyce has called on members of a parliamentary committee to disclose any donations they may have received from Federal Group, as the committee prepares to table its report on the state’s gaming market.
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Dr Boyce’s book on the history of the poker machine industry in Tasmania, called Losing Streak, was published earlier this year.
A joint parliamentary inquiry into the future of gaming markets in Tasmania is nearing its conclusion.
It consists of independent Mersey MLC Mike Gaffney, independent Apsley MLC Tania Rattray, independent Huon MLC Robert Armstrong, Bass Liberal MHA Sarah Courtney, Denison Labor MHA Scott Bacon and Bass Greens MHA Andrea Dawkins.
Federal Group has a monopoly on the state’s poker machine industry until at least 2018.
Dr Boyce said the decision the committee had to make was one of “enormous magnitude”.
He said Tasmania’s lack of state-based disclosure laws meant that MLCs were not required to disclose donations they may have received.
“If we’re going to have confidence in the committee’s recommendations, then we need answers,” he said.
Dr Boyce noted that Ms Courtney, Mr Bacon, Ms Dawkins and Mr Gaffney had all revealed what they had or had not received from Federal Group.
Ms Courtney is said to have received in-kind donations from Federal Group, which usually amount to the company granting free access to its venues for functions (or for a much-reduced price).
Mr Bacon, meanwhile, received a $1000 donation from Federal Group ahead of the 2010 state election.
Ms Dawkins, on the other hand, said she had not received “any inducements of any kind from the Federal Group, nor would [she] ever”.
Mr Gaffney also ruled out ever receiving donations from the company.
Ms Rattray said she had never received cash donations from Federal Group but that she had attended the company’s Christmas parties, which, she added, “hundreds of other people” attended.
Mr Armstrong appeared to deny that he had received cash donations from the company.
“I have not received anything from Federal Group that would influence me to vote one way or the other,” he said.
A Federal Group spokesman said he “did not believe” the company had donated to any of the committee members “as individuals”.